14 DAY TRIAL // The laptop manufacturer Gateway introduced two brand new notebook families (named M and T), available now in two more colors, beside the traditional dark gray casing: Crimson Red Ridgeview, Slate Grey Ridgeview and Pacific Blue Ridgeview. Gateway is not the first manufacturer to launch such colorful notebooks, the trend was set by Dell. The new M-150 and T-140 series multimedia notebooks are based on Intel's Santa Rosa Core 2 Duo processors and include a HDMI port, an integrated webcam, a DVD writer and wireless capabilities. A new slot-load optical drive should allow users to easily switch between CDs and DVDs, the insertion and ejection of discs was simplified.
The main difference between the T and M series is the display, while the T-series comes with a 14.1 inch screen, the M-series offers as a standard 15.4 inch screens that can be upgraded to 1080 support. A really powerful discrete graphics card, driven by an ATI HD 2400XT chip is available as an option. Another optional component for the M-series is the Blu-ray or HD DVD drive. The integrated webcam has a standard 1.3 megapixel resolution, being perfect for setting up video conferences.
Both the M and the T series come equipped with an advanced communication technology, the Intel Next-Gen Wireless, featuring support for 802.11 a/b/g/draft-n standards, as well as a built-in 10/100 Ethernet network card. A Bluetooth 2.0 adapter is included too. Wired connectors are also available, as both series have 3 standard USB 2.0 ports and a 5-in-1 digital card reader. To make the most of the Core 2 Duo processor, up to 4096MB DDR2 of RAM running at 667MHz, can be installed. An optional biometric fingerprint reader can be purchased for increased data and access security.
Prices start at about $900 for laptops purchased from retail dealers, or at $1000 for those sold from the Gateway website.