Haven't Had a Problem Yet
Written: Apr 23 '01
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Pros: Fast, Lightweight & skinny
Cons: annoying touch pad, keyboard placement
The Bottom Line: Powerful, able and great bang for your buck. Goodbye Desktops!
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| snakeobson's Full Review: Gateway Solo 5300cx |
As a college student, I have moved once a year for the past 4 years. Sick and tired of dragging around my old behemoth desktop PC, I purchased the Gateway 5300 when it came time for a new computer.
This laptop can do it all. Gone are the days where laptops can't perform as well as desktops. Everything is still here, just in a smaller package. The computer is lightweight and by my measurements, under 1.5 inches thick. I use it as a fully functional desktop PC and when it's time to go, it comes with me. Mine even came with a free soft carrying case.
It worked perfectly right out of the box, and I haven't had to call customer support yet. Windows ME is works well on it, and I have no problem running several IE windows, email, winamp, AOL IM, etc, all at once. The computer rarely crashes, and if it does, it usually Internet Explorer's fault.
I order mine with 128 Megs of Ram which seems to go well with the processor. The 10 Gig hard drive is a little small, though and I would recommend upgrading that as well. I will probably have to get another drive, but that will be no problem.
As for the cons, I don't have any major problems. The keyboard is positioned a little toward the back, and this makes extended typing a little uncomfortable. Also, the design of the keyboard allows small particles (i.e. food) to get underneath, causing keys to sometimes not work. This is usually resolved with a little blast of air.
The built in touch pad is fine on the road, but again a little annoying. I have to have an external mouse while I'm at home.
Also beware, you have to swap the CD drive and floppy drive back and forth - they're not both built in.
The only other thing that annoyed me was that I had to get a PCMCIA ethernet card. The guy at the store couldn't figure out how to order the computer with the integrated port, even though it arrived with the port built into the case, but not wired.
If you are tired of a big clunking desktop, this computer can easily take over (and travel with you). Despite a minor gripes, it is a great computer that runs well and is well worth the bucks.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 2400
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Intel Pentium III
Processor speed: 701-800
RAM: 128
Internal Storage: DVD
Hard Drive (GB): 13-20
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Epinions.com ID:
snakeobson
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Location: Rochester, NY
Reviews written: 15
Trusted by: 0 members
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