Physical exam II, bundle and warranty
The touchpad has a couple of odd-shaped buttons that are, subjectively, a little too stiff. Just underneath, Gateway has a number of LEDs that denote various forms of component usage.
The all-plastic chassis has a brushed aluminum-like portion surround the touchpad, which is nice, yet the keys feel positioned a little too close to the screen for comfortable typing for extended periods.
Gateway omits a wireless function button - useful for a one-touch turn-off of the battery-chewing WiFi - and also leaves out an integrated camera, though.
The 15.4in screen has a native 1280 x 800 resolution and it was clear and uniformly bright across the panel. However, it did exhibit a narrower-than-normal viewing angle and a coating that didn't fare well with stray reflections. Ideally, we'd prefer a WSXGA+ resolution (1680 x 1050) on a non-reflective screen. The fixed-specification nature of this SKU means that you'll either need to accept what's provided by Gateway or - for more money, most likely - look somewhere else.
Bundle and setup
The laptop ships with all software pre-installed and two guides that detail basic hardware and software setup. Gateway also ships a more comprehensive manual in electronic format, and all three guides provide decent reference.Gateway splits the 100GB hard drive into the main software-holding 84GB partition a 9GB recovery partition that holds an image of the factory-fresh Vista installation which can be accessed via the Gateway Recovery Centre GUI.
The sample didn't contain CD backups of the installed programs, so you'll have to rely on System Restore or Gateway Recovery should matters go awry.
Warranty
Gateway provides a 1-year warranty that covers parts and labour costs on a return to base basis. It begins on the date of purchase and applies to the original buyer only.Should the laptop develop a fault during the period the warranty is valid, Gateway has an 0207 number that is your first port of call. Assuming the fault is significant enough to require a return to base, the customer will need to organise insured postage back to the repair centre. The warranty details also state that the customer may be required to pay for the postage back to Gateway under certain circumstances, although no mention is made of what these circumstances may be.
The warranty is as basic as Gateway can, frankly, get away with. Something's got to give with a Merom-powered notebook for £500 and the warranty has drawn the short straw.
