Gateway intros 15.6 and 11.6-inch EC Series laptops: EC58, EC54 and EC14

It's quite possible that you've missed the memo, but Microsoft's next major operating system launches this week. Along with pretty much every other PC maker on the planet, Gateway is also announcing new laptops that hum along on Windows 7. Starting things off is the 11.6-inch EC14, which gets going at $549.99 and includes a 1.3GHz Pentium Dual Core SU1400 CPU, 1,366 x 768 resolution LED-backlit panel, Intel's GMA 4500MHD graphics, 4GB of DDR2 RAM, a built-in webcam and multicard reader, 320GB HDD, WiFi, gigabit Ethernet, a trio of USB 2.0 sockets, HDMI output, multi-gesture trackpad and a battery good for around "six to eight hours" of life. The EC58 and EC54 models are 15.6-inchers, with a base model starting at $649.99 and featuring most of the same specs in a larger enclosure. Naturally, the gang will ship on October 22nd, complete with bundles of "Wow!" in tow. Er, wait.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 19th 2009 11:30AM]

1.3GHz Pentium Dual Core?

[knife Posted Oct 19th 2009 11:35AM]

CULV cpu

[From My Cube Posted Oct 19th 2009 11:42AM]

Im actually tempted by this laptop, is hte CULV better than the atom?


Is gateway still teh suck?

[DrDr Posted Oct 19th 2009 12:20PM]

A CULV dual core is about 3 times faster than a 1.6ghz Atom.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 19th 2009 12:34PM]

The dill 11z has a BTO option for this very same processor. They weigh in at similar price points configured. I just bought this 11z a few days ago.. shipping Nov 2.

[roach Posted Oct 19th 2009 11:41AM]

When I go through these specs, the first thing I look for is the screen size, but then everything is a blur until I get to the GPU part. And when I see anything intergrated GPU, I don't bother to read the rest of the spec.

That's just me.

[eminisp Posted Oct 19th 2009 11:47AM]

Agreed...

SP

[Alan Strangis Posted Oct 19th 2009 12:29PM]

Outside of 3D gaming, the 4500MHD is perfectly usable for video, including HD (way better than the 450/500 that come with most Atom based netbooks).

Just don't plan on playing L4D on this thing (unless you do 800x600 with all graphic setting on LOW). You might get above 30FPS at some points, but I'd guess the average would be around 20-25FPS, with dips to the low teens.

[Cerulean Posted Oct 19th 2009 2:42PM]

Agreed. I'm not asking for amazing gaming performance (I have my desktop for that) but I can't stand the integrated offerings. And isn't the Nvidia 9400 rated at the same wattage as the Intel 4500? I don't see why its not more widely used.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 19th 2009 11:48AM]

Dont waste your cash on gateway, i recommend lenovo(thinkpad line up), hp, dell, and acer.

[Dalhectar Posted Oct 19th 2009 12:08PM]

U know Acer bought Gateway 2 years ago, right?

[nartoab Posted Oct 19th 2009 12:28PM]

isnt that Asus???

[nartoab Posted Oct 19th 2009 12:31PM]

sorry, my bad, it was Acer, always confused between these Taiwanese brands

[Shiki Posted Oct 20th 2009 1:00AM]

This laptop(11.6inch one) is basically a 1810TZ shuved in a gateway shell, since Acer owns Gateway now.

[RKN Posted Oct 19th 2009 11:58AM]

These are rebranded Acer models, Acer is offering these exact same machines just in a different design and branding.

[DrDr Posted Oct 19th 2009 12:22PM]

But the Timelines can often be hard to find, especially the dual core models.

[Dalhectar Posted Oct 19th 2009 12:07PM]

I think there's a typo, The processor should be SU4100 and not SU1400

http://www.intel.com/consumer/learn/ultra-thin.htm

Hopefully someone will comment on the SU4100 found in this laptop, and the SU7300 found in the cousin to the Gateway, the Acer 1810TZ.

[DrDr Posted Oct 19th 2009 12:23PM]

The 7300 has an extra meg of cache, which to me seems pretty useless since I think the 4100 has more than enough cache already.

[Alan Strangis Posted Oct 19th 2009 12:40PM]

Even the SU3500 at 1.4GHz is better than an Atom at 1.6Ghz.

http://www.rgbfilter.com/?p=1923

As for the graphics performance, the 4500MHD is actually very competent at playing back HD video even with the SU3500 (running Vista Home Premium), so a faster CPU and Windows 7 should be an improvement. Still, it's no ION for gaming, and even ION isn't THAT great. If you want a cheap gaming netbook/small laptop, it'll have to wait for ION2.

[Peytral Posted Oct 19th 2009 1:01PM]

are there any notebooks with CULV and 9400M? This would be a winning combination for me.

[jedd Posted Oct 20th 2009 12:00AM]

Not the 9400M (at least, not that I know of), but ASUS has the UL80VT which has the NVIDIA 210m and HP has the dm3t which you could upgrade to an NVIDIA G105M, both of which should be better than the 9400M

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 19th 2009 1:03PM]

Don't buy Acer brands! They are unethical companies!

[Peytral Posted Oct 19th 2009 1:02PM]

Is there a notebook with CULV and 9400M? That would be a winning combination for me.

[Johnny Tremaine Posted Oct 19th 2009 1:34PM]

Stay far away from Acer/Gateway (they're the same company, after a recent buyout). The quality of their components and just overall build quality, stink.

If you want your laptop to stop working in a year, go ahead and buy a Gateway or Acer. If you want a PC that works, buy a Sony Vaio, a Lenovo, Asus or Toshiba.

Dell and HP are crap too; they've both let their quality control fall off a cliff during the last couple of years.

[Kushal726 Posted Oct 19th 2009 9:56PM]

This model seems to lack bluetooth and loses 1 GB ram compared to the identical Acer

[jedd Posted Oct 20th 2009 12:02AM]

Not the 9400M (at least, not that I know of), but ASUS has the UL80VT which has the NVIDIA 210m and HP has the dm3t which you could upgrade to an NVIDIA G105M, both of which should be better than the 9400M