Gateway - NX100X

Gateway NX100X

By: dreambux November 5, 2007

Review:

The Bottom Line
Gateway's NX100X ultraportable is well priced for an ultraportable notebook, but many of the leader features are now standard on competing notebooks.

Pros

    * Full Gigabyte Memory
    * Stylish Design
    * Includes Productivity Software

Cons

    * External DVD Drive
    * Limited Expansion Ports
    * Intel Core Solo U1400 Mobile Processor
    * 1GB PC2-4200 DDR2 Memory
    * 80GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
    * External USB 8x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner
    * 12.1" WXGA (1280x800) Wide Screen LCD
    * Intel GMA Integrated Graphics with 128MB Shared Memory
    * v.92 56Kbps Modem, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g Wireless and Bluetooth
    * Two USB 2.0, FireWire, Type II PC Card Slot and 6-in-1 Reader
    * 11.4" x 8.9" x 1" @ 3.5 lbs.
    * Windows XP Professional, MS Office Basic

Guide Review - Gateway NX100X

9/6/06 – Powering the stylish Gateway NX100X is the Intel Core Solo U1400 mobile processor. While not as fast as the dual core Duo models, the Solo processor does provide decent performance for non-multitasking and does help some with the battery life. Users will need that battery life too as the small battery does provide limited time on this model. A full gigabyte of memory does allow the system to avoid slowdowns with memory intensive applications.

Like many other ultraportable notebooks, the NX100X forgoes an internal optical drive and instead includes an external USB multiformat DVD burner. This wouldn't be too bad except for the system only has two USB 2.0 ports making expansion restricted without possibly using a USB hub. The 80GB hard drive is sizable though and has good performance thanks to its 5,400rpm spin rate.

The 12.1” wide screen LCD display provides plenty of space for applications to run and is large enough so that those with vision problems should be able to read it without issue. Like most small systems, it uses an integrated Intel graphics processor that limits the 3D functionality.

Most ultraportables are geared towards businesses and as such they don't come with software. Gateway has elected to include the MS Office Basic suite with the system that can help but down costs for consumers need basic productivity applications.