Laptop and Computer Reviews

The Gateway M-1626 is a fixed configuration version of the manufacturer’s midsize M series and is currently available through Office Depot. As with the M-1618 we reviewed last summer, we like the design of the Gateway M1626, which combines a lovely display and a comfortable keyboard inside of a relatively sleek and stylish case. We like the laptop’s price tag even more: at $850, the M-1626 undercuts similarly configured Toshiba Satellite A305D ($999), Dell Inspiron 1525 ($949), and HP Pavilion dv6700z ($915) models. As with any low-cost laptop, you will have to make concessions; in the case of the Gateway M-1626,

Gateway M-1626 Reviews From amdzone

The Gateway M-1626 is a fixed-configuration, retail-only laptop that’s currently available at Office Depot. The $850 price tag includes a 2.0GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-60 processor, 4GB of RAM, and integrated ATI Radeon X1270 graphics. The laptop uses 64-bit Windows Vista, which lets it access the full allotment of memory; 32-bit operating systems typically cannot access more than 3GB. On CNET Labs’ benchmarks, the Gateway more or less matched the performance of the similarly configured Toshiba Satellite A305D ($999), but it fell behind a $1,024 Dell Inspiron 1525 built on Intel’s Core 2 Duo processor. The sole exception came during our Photoshop test, where the Gateway’s generous RAM allotment helped it finish at the head of the pack. During our use, the Gateway M-1626 hung in there while we simultaneously surfed the Web, typed a Word document, and listened to a CD.

Gateway M-1626 Reviews From gateway

Think of the Gateway® M-1626 Notebook as 6+ Pounds of Power: a 2GHz AMD dual-core processor propelling the new SP1 64-bit version of Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium with 4GB of dual-channel memory and a huge hard drive. The great OS interface shines on a 15.4″ Ultrabright™ widescreen backed by ATI graphics with Hypermemory™. So go create high-quality files, play games, enjoy digital media and multitask to your heart’s content.

Gateway M-1626 Reviews From cnet

The good:
Inexpensive; slim profile; comfortable keyboard; Webcam; HDMI output; generous RAM allotment helps offset the pokey AMD processor.

The bad:
Highly reflective screen finish; uneven benchmark performance; pathetic battery life; lousy speakers.

The bottom line:
If you can look past the terrible battery life, the low-cost Gateway M-1626 is a decent midsize pick for a student laptop or for use as a secondary computer.