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Gateway Media Console with CableCARD and Windows Embedded Standard 7 hands-on
Microsoft's working hard to get people believing in its Windows Embedded Standard platform as a real set-top box contender and one of its vanguard devices is the above Gateway Media Console. It's still a concept product in the Acer / Gateway labs, but what it promises to deliver makes us wish it hurries up and makes the leap to retail nice and quickly. Based around a Sandy Bridge Intel CPU, this machine runs Windows Media Center and gives you access to all the internet-connected content that you can enjoy on your Windows 7-equipped PC, but it also boasts a InfiniTV 6 CableCARD tuner that permits up to six HD broadcast TV streams at a time. Those can then be networked out throughout your house -- whether over a wireless or wired connection -- and then recorded on whatever laptops, desktops or other Windows devices you have lying around the house. The end result is that the kids can be recording a pair of channels upstairs in their bedroom while you watch the football game in the living room and your mother-in-law enjoys whatever she's into down in the basement -- all coming in from the same, single coax cable plugged into the Media Console. There's a hidden optical drive as well and Microsoft tells us this thing could range between $500 and $700 when it does eventually make its way out for sale. %Gallery-113077%
Gateway updates FX and DX Series desktops with Core i5 2300 CPUs
Gateway has just announced updates to its line of desktop computers with the FX, DX, and SX Series. The new desktops will now boast Intel's Core i5 2300 processors, and Intel's HD67 Express chipset. In addition, the desktops will get a boost from newer graphics in the form of NVIDIA's GeForce GT440. The FX 6850-51 boasts 1.5GB of video memory, 1GB of RAM, and a 1TB hard drive. Several other FX models pack Intel Core i7 CPUs, up to 9GB of memory, and up to 1.5TB hard drives, plus a choice of Blu-ray / DVD combo drives. The DX Series also boast Blu-ray drives, a hard drive expansion bay, and an up to 1.5TB SATA drive (expandable to 3.5TB total). The Gateway FX6850-51 will be available starting next week for $999, while the new DX models, which include the DX4350-43, the DX4850-27, and the DX4850-45, will be available next week with prices ranging from $599.99 to $749.99. In addition, the newly thinned down SX Series desktops (including the SX2803-25e, the SX2851-09e, the SX2851-41, and the SX2851-41e) will now boast the device dock previously seen on the DX Series, and will also be available next week with a starting price of $499.99. Full press release is after the break.
Multiple Intel Core 2011 PCs spotted at Vancouver Future Shop, yes it's still the present
Ooh, what's this? A couple of desktops rocking Intel's latest and greatest, available for purchase perhaps a few days too early? Matthew T. spotted these machines at a Vancouver Future Shop, advertising Core i7 2600 and Core i5 2300 processors, which fall squarely in the Intel Core 2011 (née Sandy Bridge) family. Both come from Gateway and both offer all that core 2011 has to offer, which in the case of these desktops isn't too much since neither has a Blu-ray drive to take advantage of the new 3D HDMI 1.4 support and neither has much use for WiDi 2.0 wireless displays. But, don't let that stop you from being the first on your block to Core it up 2011 style. [Thanks, Matthew T.]
Gateway stuffs Core i5-470UM, Bluetooth 3.0 into 11.6-inch EC19C-A52C/S laptop
Don't call it a netbook, capiche? Gateway has just outed a new 11.6-incher over in Japan, with the EC19C-A52C/S boasting some of the most impressive specifications we've seen in a unit this compact. A 1.33GHz dual-core Core i5-470UM processor sits at the heart of this here lappie, and it's accompanied by a 320GB hard drive, 1366 x 768 resolution display, 2GB of RAM, HDMI / VGA outputs, an inbuilt Ethernet port and a six-cell battery that should last half a dozen hours (on a good day). As expected, you'll also find a 1.3 megapixel webcam, 4-in-1 card reader, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) and Bluetooth 3.0 (a nice touch, we'll confess), with sales expected to start right about now in the Land of the Rising Sun. As for pricing? Try ¥65,000, or right around $775. Told you it didn't quite fit the netbook category.
Belkin's Conserve Gateway checks in with the FCC, may be at your utility company
Belkin just got official with its Converse Gateway wireless energy monitoring system earlier this month, and already it looks to be making a beeline to your local utility company. As the temperatures drop and energy use skyrockets, this here setup is designed to attach to a smart meter on the exterior of your home and beam information about usage to your PC (in a nutshell, anyway). Any smart device that's connected in your home can be listed in the UI, giving you a heads-up as to what youngster is burnin' up the most juice when you leave on business for the weekend. Per usual, a stop by the FCC's database generally signals a near-term release in the US of A, with Wireless Goodness suggesting that these are already starting to pop up around the country. Though, you'll have to phone up your local energy company to inquire about a professional installation -- we don't get the impression that these are going to be stocked at Wally World.
Gateway intros gorgeous 23-inch FHD2303L monitor, two new FHX LCDs
Whoa, Gateway! Go on and get down with your bad self. The gem pictured above goes by FHD2303L, and it's easily one of the sexiest LCD monitors that we've seen in recent memory. The company engineered the 23-incher with a transparent frame and an asymmetrical stand, and much like the glossy-bezel'd FHX2152L (21.5-inch) and FHX2402L (24-inch), it also packs a 12,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 1920 x 1080 native resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio. The FHD model boasts a five millisecond response time, while both of the FHX panels check in with a two millisecond response time; the whole crew offers 250 nits of brightness, VGA / DVI outputs and reasonable price tags. How reasonable? Try $249.99, $189.99 and $249.99 in order of mention, with the lot hitting US retailers this month.
Gateway gives its ZX One multitouch all-in-ones a new look and some new specs
Having trouble finding an all-in-one PC that fits you? We have no idea why, they're everywhere these days, but just in case you're still striking out you might want to check out Gateway's new ZX One series refresh. The desktops have a fresh little curved look to them, with prices starting at $900 for a 21.5-inch machine (ZX4951) with a 2.8GHz Pentium G6950 processor, while a 23-inch number (ZX6951) with a 3.2GHz Core i3-550 processor is a mere $100 more. If those prices sound steep to you for machines with Intel HD integrated graphics, you should know that multitouch screens and Blu-ray come standard in this lineup. Both computers are available now online and at retail.
Belkin Conserve Gateway will track your whole home energy usage, confuse this guy
We're not sure exactly what Kevin Ashton is looking to find inside the back of the Belkin Conserve Gateway he's holding. As General Manager for the division that produced it, he should know quite well what it is: a sort of wireless gateway that connects your smart meter and smart appliances to your network, letting you capture your whole-home energy usage in real-time. Earlier entries in the Belkin Conserve line allowed you to track and manage individual devices, but this new gateway uses ZigBee to talk to your meter and compatible devices, then turns around and pumps that information to a "cloud-based device management system." Belkin hasn't shown us any interface shots yet, so we don't know exactly how that information will be presented, but we're assured it will be easy to understand -- even for corporate executives who confuse Ethernet ports with kaleidoscopes. %Gallery-103947%
Gateway updates NV series with WiMAX-boasting NV59C66U
Gateway's just announced an update to its NV series laptops, the NV59C66U. This one, which comes in both 15.6 and 17-inch sizes, boasts an integrated Intel 6250 WiMAX card and an updated chassis design. Other than that, you have a choice of Intel Core i3 or Core i5, as well as AMD Athlon or Turion processors, up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM (upgradeable to 8GB), and an up to 500GB hard drive. The NV59C66U also has 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Gigabit Ethernet LAN, and a choice of DVD or Blu-ray drives. Gateway's taking the opportunity to update the entire NV line as well, so look for all of these options to hit in the coming weeks, with prices starting at around $480. The WiMAX model will run you $699.99, and you can grab one today. See full press release below.
Intel wants to charge $50 to unlock stuff your CPU can already do
Hold onto your hyperthreaded horses, because this is liable to whip up an angry mob -- Intel's asking customers to pay extra if they want the full power of their store-bought silicon. An eagle-eyed Engadget reader was surfing the Best Buy shelves when he noticed this $50 card -- and sure enough, Intel websites confirm -- that lets you download software to unlock extra threads and cache on the new Pentium G6951 processor. Hardware.info got their hands on an early sample of the chip and discovered it's actually a full 1MB of L3 cache that's enabled plus HyperThreading support, which translates to a modest but noticeable upgrade. This isn't exactly an unprecedented move, as chip companies routinely sell hardware-locked chips all the time in a process known as binning, but there they have a simpler excuse -- binned chips are typically sold with cores or cache locked because that part of their silicon turned out defective after printing. This new idea is more akin to video games that let you "download" extra weapons and features, when those features were on the disc all along. Still, it's an intriguing business model, and before you unleash your rage in comments, you should know that Intel's just testing it out on this low-end processor in a few select markets for now. [Thanks, Brian]
Laptop's 2010 tech support showdown reveals ugly truth: you're (almost) on your own
Dealing with warranties is one thing -- it's almost always a crap-shoot, and you're continually pressing your luck when trying to get something covered without any out-of-pocket expense. But how's about the tech support that's so whimsically promised with so many laptops these days? Our pals over at Laptop put in an inordinate amount of work in order to find out, pinging a full dozen manufacturers via phone and chat in order to measure hold time, level of support offered and overall satisfaction. Just about every major laptop maker was included (Acer, Apple, Dell, Lenovo, HP, Toshiba and Fujitsu, just to name a few), and an in-depth report of their findings was posted for each one. In general, though, they found that most companies wouldn't hang around long enough to answer those nagging questions that typically end up in forums ("How do I remove bloatware?"), oftentimes pointing the caller to a paid alternative that would actually take the time to address their issues. If you're considering a new machine, and you aren't exactly one of those nerdy go-getters who can troubleshoot everything yourself, you should certainly give the source links below a look. Just try not to get too depressed, cool?
Gateway LT32 to hit retailers soon for $450
We're not sure why Gateway's waited so long to release the details and pricing on the LT32 -- considering it's pretty much a rebadge of the Acer Aspire One 721 we just reviewed -- but lo and behold the HD-capable, 11.6-inch ultraportable will be hitting the street soon for $450. Just like the $430 Aspire One 721, the LT32 is powered by AMD's 1.7GHz Athlon II Neo K125 CPU, runs Windows 7 Home Premium, and packs a 250GB hard drive and 2GB of RAM. It also has ATI Radeon HD 4225 integrated graphics, which as we saw on the recent Acers handles 1080p flash and local video like a champ. From the looks of things the LT32 also seems to have a similar chassis to the 721, so we're not totally sure why you'd choose it over the Acer when it's $20 more, but perhaps there's just some Gateway diehards amongst us. Hit the break for the full release.
Gateway's glowing ID laptops arrive along with new LT series netbooks
Oh sure, Acer may have spent the first half of the week convincing us that its newest laptops and netbooks were the sweetest systems around, but now it's turning the attention to its Gateway brand only tempt us with equally as enticing options. The ID series has been on our radar ever since we saw its blue-glowing touchpad at Computex, and luckily both the 14-inch ID49 and 15.6-inch ID59 will hit US retailers for less than $800 in the coming weeks. The exact configurations are unclear, but they'll have Core i3 / i5 CPU options as well as NVIDIA Optimus graphics. On the netbook front, Gateway's bringing out the 10.1-inch LT23, which looks the same as the LT22 we caught a glimpse of a few weeks back. Powered by an Intel Atom N450 CPU, 1GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive, the netbook will start at a tempting $329. Check out the gallery below for some shiny press shots and the full press release after the break. Oh and Acer, we're giving you permission to chill on the new laptops for a bit! %Gallery-96075%
Gateway gets snazzy with glowing touchpads on EC39C and ID49C08u laptops
Who needs a backlit keyboard when you have a backlit touchpad? Okay, that's really a rhetorical question, but Gateway's newest 13.3-inch EC339C and 14-inch ID49C08u do in fact have glowing blue touchpads. The pad itself only lights up when you put your finger to it, and like HP's ClickPads have integrated mouse buttons. The rest of the thin and light machines are equally as impressive -- they have nabbed Acer's chiclet style keyboard and have that dedicated social networking key that Gateway seems to be adding to many of its systems. The key, which may very well have the cutest logo of all time stamped upon it, launched a social networking widget that allows for adding Facebook, YouTube and Flickr feeds to a timeline. Internally, the EC39C packs a Core i5 ULV processor and NVIDIA Optimus for switching between the GeForce 310 GPU and Intel's integrated HD graphics. The ID49C08u has a standard voltage Core i5, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive and an onboard optical drive. Your guess is as good as ours about availability and pricing, but we did grab you some nice hands-on shots and a video of that crazy touchpad after the break. %Gallery-94279%
NVIDIA shows 16 new Optimus laptops at Computex, teases GTX 460M GPU
Just in case you were wondering where and when you might get a taste of the Optimus elixir, NVIDIA has handed us a detailed list of Computex debutants that will be taking the graphics switching technology with them to retail. A total of sixteen new Optimus machines are on show in Taipei, and although ASUS is still the biggest purveyor (with six SKUs, not counting previously announced products), Lenovo and Acer have also jumped on board, with the IdeaPad Y460 and a pair of Packard Bell EasyNotes, respectively. Notably, the FX700 above from MSI is marked as using an "unannounced" next-gen graphics chip, which we suspect might be the GTX 460M, a mobile GPU that NVIDIA is showing, but not talking about yet. Guess that'll be slotting in just below the recently unveiled GTX 480M. We've got pictorial evidence of the 460M's existence after the break, along with the full list of new Optimus-ized machines, which you can also scope out in the gallery below.%Gallery-94167%
AMD netbooks: Acer Aspire One 521 and Gateway LT22 hands-on
Sure, Acer may already have the Ion 2-powered Aspire One 532g in its arsenal, but who's going to complain about two more HD-capable, 10-inch netbooks? Showing some serious love to AMD, the Acer Aspire One 521 and Gateway LT22 both pack new 1.2GHz AMD V105 processors along with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4225 graphics. The latter is what had us most impressed when we caught some time with the duo at the Netbook Summit -- the 521 and LT22 handled 1080p WMV video and light gaming without any stuttering. We'll hold our real performance conclusions until we can test the battery life on these bad boys, but other than that they look like decent netbook contenders with the standard 1GB of RAM and 160GB hard drives. And unlike the typical Atom netbook, they have HDMI ports. We can't say we're the biggest fans of the 521's in-your-face Aspire One branding on its glossy cover, but the LT2203 delights with its textured matte lid. No word from Acer on the availability and pricing of these here in the US, but hit the gallery below for some imagery, or the source link even further below for a video of these two in action. %Gallery-93730%
Gateway brings ZX4300 and ZX6900 all-in-one touchscreen PCs into a world of fingers
We've still yet to find a great reason to eschew our tried-and-true mouse / keyboard tandem in favor of using our desktop with just our fingers, but if you know better, Gateway has a new duo it'd sure love for you to check out. The ZX4300 line, which is the lower-end of the two, gets served AMD's Athlon II X2 CPU, Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit), a 20-inch touchpanel (1,600 x 900 resolution), integrated ATI Radeon HD 4270 graphics, 4GB of DDR3 memory a 640GB hard drive, 8x SuperMulti drive, a bundled wireless keyboard and mouse, inbuilt WiFi, gigabit Ethernet, six USB 2.0 sockets and a pair of five-watt speakers. The Gateway One ZX6900 family sports a 23-inch LCD (1,920 x 1,080), and while the vast majority of the specs mimic the others we've mentioned, the Core i3 power plant is a notable reason for paying extra. Speaking of which, the ZX4300-01e is slated to first hit stores next month for $749.99, while the ZX6900-01e lands alongside of it for $1,019.99. %Gallery-93320%
Gateway NV has a new matte lid and social networking button, same tempting price
Remember the Gateway NV Series laptop that we reviewed? Of course, you do -- it's pretty hard to forget a laptop with a Blu-ray drive and Core i3 processor for $650. Well, Gateway didn't forget about it either, and has updated the 15.6-inch NV5 and 17.3-NV7 with new blue, black and red matte lid options, and a one-touch social networking button. The former is pretty self-explanatory, but the latter seems um, interesting. Apparently, a button on the keyboard deck will launch some sort of Facebook, YouTube and Flickr interface that will display a feed of updates. We're not sure why you wouldn't just launch your browser to check out those things, but we know, we know, it's hip to include social networking features. Other than that, the laptop still has an Core i3-330M processor, 320GB hard drive, Windows 7 Home Premium, and a 4x Blu-ray drive. The 15.4-inch NV59C09u will turn up on shelves at around $799, but we don't have final word on the 17-incher's price yet. Hit the break for the full PR, and sift on through the warm press images. %Gallery-92910%
Gateway busts out Core i3, Core i5 NV series laptops
Gateway's just launched two 15.6-inch laptops -- the NV59C-H34E and the NV59C-H54E. Both of these Windows 7 Home Premium bad boys boast 1366 x 768 HD displays, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 640GB SATA HDD. They also have Intel integrated graphics, HDMI, VGA and three USB 2.0 ports, plus Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, and Gigabit Ethernet LAN. So what is the difference between these two lookalikes? Unsurprisingly, it's their CPUs. The NV59C-H34E packs a 2.13 GHz, Core i3 processor, and is available in silver and blue, while the NV59C-H54E (which sadly only comes in silver) boasts a 2.26GHz Core i5 CPU. These will be available on April 23rd in Japan, but you can already score Gateway's Core i3 NV5933u in the U.S. right now.
Gateway brings back business division with DT, DS-series desktops (update: Europe only)
In 2007 -- right before Acer swallowed the firm whole -- computer manufacturer Gateway sold their entire business lineup to MPC. Three years and one bankrupt MPC later, Gateway's ready to give it another go with brand new business desktops, and some decently specced ones at that. The new Gateway DT-series mid-towers support up to Core i7 CPUs and 16GB of DDR3 memory alongside a 1TB hard drive, and wonder of wonders, the small form factor Gateway DS-series can hold just the same. Both run on Intel's Q57 and H57 Express chipsets, both have slots for optional PCI Express x16 graphics cards, and both have chassis stolen directly from their parent company -- Google "X480G" and "M480G" if you don't believe us. Compared to your shiny new gaming rig, the specs may seem ho-hum, but a Core i7 rig that fits underneath an LCD monitor is still a fairly big deal inside that cube of yours. Update: Looking to bolster your business with a few of these machines? You'll have to get in touch with your international associates; Acer tells us the DT and DS desktops are only headed to Europe.
