Gateway M285-E user reviews

3.5 stars

"Powerhouse Multifunctional Tablet with a Price" on November 25, 2006 by nakarmia

Pros: Configurable to the highest end specs, Tablet & Fully functional powerhouse laptop all built into one.

Cons: Tablet technology still “in the making,� Screen Resolution, Weight, Cooling system.

Summary: I have used my Gateway CX210X (same as the Gateway M285-E or the CX201S) for about a week and have now gotten a realistic feel of this multifunctional powerhouse. My tablet was configured with 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor with 667MHz FSB and 4 MB Cache memory. It came with a speedy 667MHz 2 GB DDR2 memory, a fast spinning 7200 RPM hard drive with 100 GB of storage (approximately 6GB is allocated for system recovery,) ATI X1400 discrete graphics processor with 256MB memory.(Note: Gateway claims this chip to have 64MB of memory but the Catalyst controller for ATI, and other multiple hardware benchmarking software show 256 MB of memory. Also, manufacturers like Dell and others who ship this computer do not have 64MB as an option). The tablet also features A/B/G wireless (with antennas wired internally at a height for maximum reception) and Bluetooth. Connectivity is pretty standard; it has 3 USB ports, a VGA out, firewire and an express card slot. The laptop also features a 14� widescreen with a 1280*768pixels and a double layer DVD RW. I opted for a 12 cell battery. The tablet came with 3 year standard warranty and also an anti theft program that works like the star system for cars.

Shelling out $2000 bucks (After a $350 rebates and taxes,) this tablet gave an impressive list of hardware. It scored a 11335 on 3D mark (thanks to the discrete graphics) and is usually smooth when it comes to multitasking (thanks to the humungous and speedy 2GB memory and of course, the 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo processor). The tablet comes with a very attractive set of software. Except for an additional junk-AOL 6 months free installation CD, software was pretty cleanly set up and I have not really had to go through a whole uninstallation process of crap-ware that most other vendors like.

The functionality of this machine is amazing. The screen swivels 360 degrees and folds to give a huge(mark my word) writing space for tablet functionality and turns right back into a high performing regular laptop when it is used in regular mode. Since the whole tablet technology is still a work in progress, my expectations were low. Gateway has impressed me though; the character recognition is pretty darn good and the attractive set of software that comes with the tablet functionality makes it a very sturdy package.

Now I want to move on to the down sides of this beast. First things first, it is a beast. The large 12 cell battery does packs in a few hours of juice but at the same time also gives a huge bumpy extension on the back. It weighs more than 7 pounds so it comes no where to an actual comparison of a holding a notebook and jotting notes down while standing. Obviously, the tablet was designed for sitting usage and that had its own issues too. First of all, this is not the everyday portable machine. Holding this monster on my lap over a extended period of time uncomfortable (blame the crunched university seats.) The main problem that I came across was its heat management. This is the biggest drawback I have to this system. While in normal laptop mode, the keyboard heats up, and while it is in tablet mode, since the screen rests on the keyboard, it gets pretty warm too. The edges specially heated up. There are two cooling fans underneath which tend to make a lot of noise. It is a piece of mind when it is not running but when it runs, I get a feeling that Gateway could have done a lot better job. The screen resolution is also descent. I am assuming that due to the tablet functionality, the resolution had to be sacrificed. My criticism comes from comparisons with other brands such as Toshiba, Dell, HP, Apple and so forth.

Before this review becomes a complete criticism of the Gateway CX210X, I want to look at the benefits. First things first, this tablet is a powerhouse. Having really high specs packed into it, it performs superbly. Video editing, Audio editing and multitasking was a breeze. It also handled Need For Speed Carbon in playable settings. This tablet also includes a DVDRW drive (swappable with a battery,) which is a rare feature on tablets.

Thus, the CX210X comes with a lot of power, but also with a price. For daily use, I have found the extended battery to last me all my lectures. Taking notes and reading PDFs is also convenient. If you are looking for a light binder replacement that will help you take notes, Toshiba or Lenovo tablets maybe the better route. But, if you don’t want to shell out an extra $1000 for the same specs, and are looking for a true multifunctional powerhouse, CX210X is your pick. Just remember, the raw power comes with a price.