Gateway M505X Notebook (1.4-GHz Pentium M (Centrino), 512 MB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Drive)

Rating:
Summary: This is one SUPER computer!!
Review: Greetings - I ordered this laptop from Amazon in May - and it was forwarded to me all the way to FOB Dagger, Iraq (Amazon will not send lots of technology products overseas so I had to have it forwarded). First of all, my full-time job is computer support so I have quite a bit of laptop/notebook experience. This M505x is a super, super machine. Build quality is great - no 'flexy' case, cheap plastic (think "D*ll") or crooked lines here and there - its top-notch in this respect. It is made in the Phillipines vice mainland China by the way. The display is bright, responsive and not grainy (and the case lid appears to be aluminum). No dead pixels on mine by the way, quite a feat considering how far it traveled!! One of the greatest features of this laptop is the ATI Radeon 9600 (64mb DDR) graphics. It absolutely rocks with the games I've played. Raven Shield looks great - and the Far Cry demo is awsome. Oh, also by the way, in view of all of this praise, you might think this is either a vaporware review - or that I'm somehow connected to Gateway. I really ordered and possess the system and I'm not in any way connected with Gateway. One little downside is that it came with a 4200-rpm hdd - but I had pre-ordered a spare Hitachi 40-gb 5400-rpm drive (not from Gateway or Amazon). Here's another M505x advantage - Gateway didn't take the cheap way out with a garbage-software-infested restore CD - the "restore" CD appears to be a relabeled XP Home CD! No problems with the restore to the new hdd - and the software/apps CD gives you the option to pick and choose what to install. All of the buttons/SD card slot/graphics worked perfectly after the restore. I cannot say enough good things about the M505x - I am thrilled with mine!! One last comment - I am sending this review from an Army morale computer in an internet cafe. I had never cared much for Gateways until I arrived here at FOB Dagger. The 20 Gateways in this Cafe take an enormous beating from GI's, heat, dust, viruses - you name it. Most of them have a few bad pixels now - but they are running very well considering the use and abuse they get. The only thing they all need is 256mb of ram instead of the measly 128mb that they each have. Ok - last but not least - there has to be some negatives: Gateway uses cheap cardboard for shock protection in their boxes - although my system was not damaged. And, to be honest, some users have reported dark areas in their displays (not mine, though) - as reported on notebookforums.com.

Rating:
Summary: M505X Seventh Month Update
Review: I previously reviewed the M505X in January 2004 when I initially purchased it, comparing it to the Toshiba M35-S359, and giving it 5 stars.

Since then, I have had a few issues. The most annoying problem has been the resolution when attached to a projector. Neither I nor Gateway support was able to find a setting that allows the screen to be viewed properly, and I've tried a few different projectors. The image is always to big for the viewing area. This is important to me since I make presentations frequently and bought the laptop for this purpose.

Also, the subwoofer developed a sound problem, and wasn't as clear and vivid as when new. Gateway promply sent a new one however, and it seems to be working better.

I still feel that the M505x has the best screen (except for Sony's xbrite), the best keyboard, and the best sound compared to all the competitors. If it weren't for the projection problem it would be outstanding.



Rating:
Summary: nice
Review: Very fast. I like the buiilt in cd control on the left. I own this computer. Very nice for the price.