Gateway's DVD-playin' EC14D netbook spotted in the wild
By Darren Murph 
posted January 28th 2010 6:01PM
posted January 28th 2010 6:01PM
posted January 28th 2010 6:01PM
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That may finally be the perfect netbook. I think I want it.
@scoobydooby
that's surely a lower end alternative to the VAIO TT for those who desire a 11" ultraportable with an actual built-in optical drive, though it's an 11.6incher which is almost as large as a 12.1" one. vaio TT is still worth its price tag
@(Unverified)
It might be lower end, but it will certainly have the price to go with it. The Vaios are way to expensive. The TT is no exception.
@scoobydooby The EC14D comes with a small 11.6" display, although you do get a built-in DVD drive, an ULV Pentium Core processor, 8GB RAM, a 320GB hard drive, Wi-Fi connectivity and a multi-memory card reader. More Details: http://bit.ly/gateway-ec14d-details
Yes netbook with camera, flash, multitasking, windows 7,dvd & web freedom despite of crappy iPad!!! ENGADGET stop posting Apple products!!! They piss people off
@Priutilov Okay, can we please stop this stupid bashing? It's slowly becoming more irritating than the influx of iPad articles themselves.
@Cydoniac
You know what iHate?. People ruining rare non-Apple post's by telling us how much they hate the iPad.
@artemis360 Exactly, we get the idea already that it sucks.
Replace that Intel GMA with Ion 2, and they've got themselves a sale
@EGOvoruhk
that will then result in a reduced battery life and a dilemma about whether to get a larger battery or carry your power adapter all day when you go out.
many who need a ultrapotable sized CULV laptop mainly use it out doors for web browsing and office work which require no video cards.
if you are getting a portable laptop for HD video playing or 3D gaming, i'd recommend a 13inch regular laptop such as the vaio SR or S
@EGOvoruhk Jeez due, there's room for both. I for one wouldn't want an Ion, since it would kill the battery.
If you want an 11.6" laptop with gaming level graphics go buy the Alienware M11x. Its not like the Engadget article on the thing is that far away (hint, its the one before this).
@Fanfoot
Ion 2 graphics aren't "gaming level", and that Alienware you linked offers only 1 1/2 hours less of battery life than this. If it was packing an Ion instead of the G T335M it would offer even more battery, so no, putting an Ion 2 in the Gateway would not "kill" the battery at all
Why do they keep reporting that this is a netbook? It has a ULV CPU (not atom) and now a DVD drive. Gateway already has an EC18 (which I have) that is almost exactly the same as this but without the DVD drive; I think it is an absolutely amazing laptop. These EC series gateways are the same as the Acer Timeline 1410/1810 as well.
Not a netbook, it's an ultra-portable.
@xraycat82 Gateway's numbering system is confusing. EC14D? Seems like that should have a 14" screen. Or a 1.4 GHz processor?
Is there some sort of rule that Engadget writers have to leave off the 'g' in words ending with 'ing' on their article titles?
Gateway still makes/sells computers?
Ewww. A DVD drive? With the introduction of the iPad, anything with a DVD drive is obsolete. I'll get my movies from iTunes, thank-you-very-much. I'm tired of DVDs. With iTunes and my iPad, I know exactly how many devices I can watch my downloaded movie on, making things simple for me. Before that answer was "unlimited." Now, though, I can get a straight answer. Thanks Apple!
@sonicyoof:
I see what you did there.
They should have made it a slot loading optical drive.
Not a netbook... I bought my dad a acer timeline with the same specs, and even gateway says in there press release that its a notebook. And the notebook my dad has feels much faster then even a dual core atom.
A lazy case of badge-engineering. This is actually a Packard-Bell, which is made by Acer for European market. I have a PB very similar to this except for the dvd-drive and it's a lot slimmer. Since Windows 7 can be installed easily via usb, and almost every netbook user has a notebook or a pc which have dvd drives, I think carrying the extra weight and depth wherever you go is somewhat meaningless. Netbooks are meant for ultra portability, so I think this trend (inclusion of dvd) will not stick around for long.
PS: I know this may not be referred as netbook since it's not atom and runs something other than W7 Starter, the term "netbook" is lot nicer to use than the term "ultra portable notebook"...
Say it with me people: ultra-portable laptop.
@kenny goo Uma Thurman lap dance?
i've been stalking this one since CES and its definitely not a netbook (i'm planning on retiring my dell mini 9 with this beast afterall), but is an ultraportable. I'm still mixed on the need for a dvd drive, but it'll be nice to be able to load up a disk when sitting on a plane. Plus 7 to 8 hours of battery ain't bad
This isn't an iPad.... :(
Its amazing that Acer/Gatewy can make an 11.6 notebook nd have the battery sit as flush as you can get where every other 11.6 notebook I've seen without a burner have bulging like its a tumor.
Bravo....I already have the Acer 1410 or I would easily get this.
Great. I heard that commodore just built a netbook. It weighs 25lbs, makes coffee, has a built in toilet and doubles as a lie detector. Sweet. I'll get my old frame pack out so I can lug it around.
I think this is a smart move for Gateway. I can't afford to have a netbook, laptop, and a desktop, so something like this that allows me to cover all of my needs with two devices instead of three is interesting.