Great for the price. Period.
Written: Sep 29 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Sleek, light, very respectable performance / cost ratio.
Cons: Celeron processor (keeps cost low, though), casing doesn't inspire a ton of confidence.
The Bottom Line: Totally recommend this to anyone needing mobility without going into hock for it. Perfectly adequate laptop.
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| nolabar10der's Full Review: GATEWAY 3040GZ Notebook Computer PC Notebook |
I picked up the Gate. 3040GZ two weeks ago, as a display model at BestBuy. Due to a small hole and scuff where they attached the lock, and some minor abrasions around the external monitor port, I only payed $699 (almost 200 less than the original price). I recently relocated due to Katrina and needed to save every dime possible, while still having the computing power that I need.
With this is in mind, I'll still approach the review as though I paid the going rate of $879.00, which is what most will end up paying if they opt to buy this model now or in the very near future.
Firstly, I have to commend Gateway for pumping a half-gig of RAM, a reasonably quick CDRW, DVD ROM, 60 gigs, a 1.5 ghz (Celeron, though), a reasonably sized widescreen - all while maintaining a very sleek form factor - for well under the $1000 mark. The aforementioned stats are more than enough to achieve my primary uses: Media management, surfing, word processing and, most demandingly, amateur music production. The latter can be taxing on computers, but the Gateway seems to be performing just fine.
The standard onboard RAM provides seemless multitasking from numerous open programs. I can't recall the burning speeds, but they are brisk enough for me not to get irritated while burning data or mp3's.
The bundled software is anemic, but that's a good thing. I'm astonished at how much crap (boatware) is distributed with the average PC. Right out of the box, the Gateway performs almost as well as it does after I added my personal tweaks.
The 3040gz is very stylish, like the majority of new laptops, but the build does seem just a bit flimsy. To be fair, every laptop I tested that night at BestBuy was similar in feeling, excepting the 8-9 pound mack-daddy desktop replacements running at 2 grand or higher. If I could afford a titanium Ibook or one of the metal ThinkPads, I would've gone that route. But hell, for this price, I'll settle for a plastic case. Plus, the hinges are nice and tight, and it has a sexy form factor.
The keyboard is average. Nothing to write home about, either way. I am a big casual writer, and I have experienced nothing awkard or irritating about the feel of the keys. It's just average, that's all.
Battery life - I haven't really put this through the paces, yet. But I'm writing this review on the laptop, and after one hour of average use, with the screen near it's highest setting,I'm still at 60% on the charge meter. I'll naturally assume that you'll get a little over two hours from this laptop, which, again, is average.
Weight - At 5.3 lbs., this thing is cakewalk. I'm not seriously mobile with my laptop, except for around the house, but on times when I must be, weight is obviously an issue. This one will handle airports and hotspots breezily.
The screen is very crisp for a notebook in this price range. It's the first widescreen I've used, and even though the stunted height takes a day or two to get used to, I really can't imagine going back to a square display. The brightness can be as retina-scalding or battery-saving dim as you want.
I'd prefer a larger screen, but that adds to cost, weight, battery performance, and everything else. For those of you looking for a truly mobile notebook, the 14 inch screen is plenty. As for for my primarily household use, I got used to it.
I've used the word "average" to describe much of this computer. But damn, for $879, 'average' is a goldmine. Usually, at that price point, there are memory and HDD upgrades to consider - not to mention intergrated G wirless (which the Gateway has), etc. I've seen a ton of Dell ads for a $599 model, it's ugly as sin and, by the time you add a burner, a usably sized drive, more RAM, wireless, etc., you end paying at least Gateway's $879, if not more. I've also seen products from companies like Acer and Averatec, which I were tempted to try since they don't incorporate saturation advertising into their profit analysis. In the end I went with the Gateway because it was there, in-store, and I didn't have time to wait for the shipping on some internet special.
Simply put, if you can get the freedom of a laptop while STILL maintaining respectable desktop performance, for much less than a grand (less after the model ages a few more months, why wouldn't you?
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 699
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Epinions.com ID:
nolabar10der
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Reviews written: 13
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