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widmer69


quality posts: 14 Private Messages widmer69
bookworm656 wrote:Doesn't the fact that it has Vista Home Basic mean it's not eligible for a Windows 7 upgrade?



Even if it was Vista Ultimate, there's no chance of a 7 upgrade. Unless, of course, you bought 7 and did the upgrade/install. The Windows 7 deals are only from stores/online sites that sell new pooters.

hooray beer!

dangela424


quality posts: 18 Private Messages dangela424

Rooker156


quality posts: 2 Private Messages Rooker156

I picked one of these up a few months ago. I absolutely love it.

I upgraded to Windows 7 Ultimate edition, and it works great with no problems.

Only issue is you need to uninstall the ATI catalyst control panel first.

shirts galore....

caniac45


quality posts: 12 Private Messages caniac45
ItsMorph wrote:Does this qualify for any kind of Windows 7 upgrade?

"They" say Windows 7 is easier on the single processors. I'm currently running Vista on a Celeron.....wheee.



if you're in college you can get it for $30, if you're not.... make some friends.

widmer69


quality posts: 14 Private Messages widmer69
bookworm656 wrote:Probably not, since it's an AMD processor.



Oh yeah, you are correct. I didn't read the specs before I posted (shame on me).

hooray beer!

sucre98


quality posts: 4 Private Messages sucre98

This is one of those double edged swordbooks.

The CPU isn't an Intel Atom, so it's not quite as efficient, but Athlon 64s do have a little bit of oomph. Unfortunately, the fan runs all the time because of the extra heat.

There are two gigs of ram, but Vista will eat up all 2 and ask for more.

The screen is larger than a typical netbook and its 720p, but the color reproduction is a little off sometimes (reviewers think so, too).

The hard drive is large (250 vs 160 for most netbooks) but it's a little noisier than most.

I guess for less than three bills, one has to consider his options.

RWallmow


quality posts: 1 Private Messages RWallmow
mink wrote:Run away, run away. this is not the adam processor.



FAIL, first of all its ATOM, secondly the atom is slow as heck, I would take a mobile Athlon over it any day of the week.

stevem00


quality posts: 1 Private Messages stevem00

Bought one of these from Best Buy two months ago and this was a vast improvement from my 10.1" Asus 1000HA. The additional screen space is enough to justify the purchase, but it's also faster all around. I added an SSD, 802.11n, and a 4GB DIMM. For someone who hates heavy laptops but finds a 10.1" display too small for real work, this is the ticket.

scorpshockey


quality posts: 7 Private Messages scorpshockey
widmer69 wrote:Could this be turned into a "Hackintosh"?



Here's one of the more complete lists of Hackintosh-friendly netbooks. This Gateway isn't on it. You'll want a Dell Mini 9, 10, or an MSI Wind for the best experience.

Snow Leopard will only work through 10.6.1, however, as Apple just removed support for the Atom processor with 10.6.2. I've stuck with Leopard on my Mini 9. Runs perfectly!

dichroic


quality posts: 6 Private Messages dichroic

I'm tempted...someone give me an excuse to buy this. I've picked up one of each of the last 3 netbooks. I kind of wish I had waited. My husband's netbook is soooo heavy.

Can I put a different OS on this machine?

kiwijaws


quality posts: 3 Private Messages kiwijaws

not a great deal Frys has an Acer Atom notebook same specs otherwise (only available for pickup now)
only $298 +tax brand new
http://www.frys.com/product/5956574

ChefRAZ


quality posts: 20 Private Messages ChefRAZ

the webcam is a 3 mp or .3 mp?

jmclaug8351


quality posts: 5 Private Messages jmclaug8351
dichroic wrote:I'm tempted...someone give me an excuse to buy this. I've picked up one of each of the last 3 netbooks. I kind of wish I had waited. My husband's netbook is soooo heavy.

Can I put a different OS on this machine?



I would think ubuntu 9.10 should be great

Zcyber i3 Mini Speaker - IntelliTEC Digital Water Purity Tester - Hitachi 4GB Microdrive - Designer Vision 512MB MP3 Player - Sima Atomic Watch - Delphi USB 2.0 Lighted Cable - Delphi USB 2.0 Lighted Cable - Hawking Technology Net-Vision Wired Network Camera

osiris73


quality posts: 1 Private Messages osiris73

Wish this had HDMI. I'd be all over it.

caniac45


quality posts: 12 Private Messages caniac45
ChefRAZ wrote:the webcam is a 3 mp or .3 mp?



.3

meaning bad.

TheMrDomino


quality posts: 2 Private Messages TheMrDomino

I can't believe woot has this now. I spent days trying to get the last one from an unwilling Best Buy (the only place that had them, anywhere) and eventually had to buy the only one on ebay.

Anyway, I love this little hybrid thing. The screen is great, very clear, nice high resolution. It's glossy though, so while it's nice and sharp, outdoor or brightly-lit rooms can be a bit more difficult. Another bummer is that, while more powerful than its Acer Aspire One twin because of the ATI graphics and AMD processor, it still isn't quite as powerful as I'd like it to be.

For example, for all those asking about hulu: I've used the in-browser stream to watch some tv shows at standard quality. Certain shows run smoothly at full-screen, but most are a bit choppy. As for switching to hi-quality, for the in-browser stream at least, it's not an option. Just not enough power. It handles standard youtube videos fine, but again, HD ones really choke it up.

I also did a test of a 1280x720 from media player classic, reading the file from the hard drive, and it played smooth for a second or two, but would then become choppy. It followed that pattern for the duration of the video.

As for word processing, surfing the internet, etc., it performs absolutely wonderfully. Battery life is usually between 3-5 hours, depending on use and screen brightness. Would definitely recommend over the other netbooks out there (that is, if you're looking in this price range).

jmclaug8351


quality posts: 5 Private Messages jmclaug8351

The good:
full size keyboard
6 hourish battery life
Readable screen size
Large hard drive
Lite weight

The bad:
Something cheaper and faster will be out if you wait forever!

Zcyber i3 Mini Speaker - IntelliTEC Digital Water Purity Tester - Hitachi 4GB Microdrive - Designer Vision 512MB MP3 Player - Sima Atomic Watch - Delphi USB 2.0 Lighted Cable - Delphi USB 2.0 Lighted Cable - Hawking Technology Net-Vision Wired Network Camera

GreasyCoffee


quality posts: 1 Private Messages GreasyCoffee
bookworm656 wrote:Doesn't the fact that it has Vista Home Basic mean it's not eligible for a Windows 7 upgrade?



No, the fact that it is a refurb makes it not eligible for a free Windows 7 upgrade.

WindRunner


quality posts: 4 Private Messages WindRunner

So the only question I still have is...


Does it ship with an invite???

black99m3


quality posts: 1 Private Messages black99m3

How much RAM can you put in it? Only expandable to 2GB?

samhuff


quality posts: 0 Private Messages samhuff
caniac45 wrote:

.3

meaning bad.



.3 interpolated not even a real optical .3 Maybe it's 8x8 and they interpolate to .3 megapixels. Who knows.

jmclaug8351


quality posts: 5 Private Messages jmclaug8351
black99m3 wrote:How much RAM can you put in it? Only expandable to 2GB?



Should be able to install up to 4GB with a full swap (based upon my same sized gateway slightly newer)

Zcyber i3 Mini Speaker - IntelliTEC Digital Water Purity Tester - Hitachi 4GB Microdrive - Designer Vision 512MB MP3 Player - Sima Atomic Watch - Delphi USB 2.0 Lighted Cable - Delphi USB 2.0 Lighted Cable - Hawking Technology Net-Vision Wired Network Camera

rulzwrld


quality posts: 1 Private Messages rulzwrld
yeawuteva wrote:if I play Hulu videos will this have high def quality?



Don't disregard this laptop for not able to watch hulu content in Hi Def, since they are stopping the free service at end of the year anyways!!

gordhad


quality posts: 0 Private Messages gordhad
stevem00 wrote:Bought one of these from Best Buy two months ago and this was a vast improvement from my 10.1" Asus 1000HA. The additional screen space is enough to justify the purchase, but it's also faster all around. I added an SSD, 802.11n, and a 4GB DIMM. For someone who hates heavy laptops but finds a 10.1" display too small for real work, this is the ticket.



Re the memory you put in...are there 2 slots for dual channel, or did you have to put in a 4gb dimm?

mscjba


quality posts: 0 Private Messages mscjba

I'm not biting 'til the Ab straps show up.

oio


quality posts: 8 Private Messages oio
mink wrote:Run away, run away. this is not the adam processor.

Please tell us more about this "adam" processor. Is it a companion to the "eve" coprocessor?

zwizer25


quality posts: 3 Private Messages zwizer25

I guess this is a question about netbooks in general, but can you use a smartphone to tether with it?

stargatewoot


quality posts: 0 Private Messages stargatewoot
caniac45 wrote:if you're in college you can get it for $30, if you're not.... make some friends.



tell me more the wife is in college

A good friend will bail u out of jail... but a true friend will be sitting next to u saying, "Damn, That was fun!!"

rsciore


quality posts: 0 Private Messages rsciore

how would this compare with the following. it's cheaper and brand new

Acer Extensa 15.4" Laptop $250, Nov 11

Best Buy (in store only) has Acer Extensa 15.4" Laptop for $250.

•Intel Celeron 900 (1MB L2 cache, 2.20GHz, 800MHz FSB)
•15.4" WXGA (1280x800), 2GB DDR2, 160GB, DVD Burner
•wireless 802.11b/g/Draft N, 6-cell battery, Windows 7 Premium

Naris


quality posts: 11 Private Messages Naris
stargatewoot wrote:tell me more the wife is in college



http://www.win741.com/

rsciore wrote:how would this compare with the following. it's cheaper and brand new

Acer Extensa 15.4" Laptop $250, Nov 11

Best Buy (in store only) has Acer Extensa 15.4" Laptop for $250.

•Intel Celeron 900 (1MB L2 cache, 2.20GHz, 800MHz FSB)
•15.4" WXGA (1280x800), 2GB DDR2, 160GB, DVD Burner
•wireless 802.11b/g/Draft N, 6-cell battery, Windows 7 Premium



Gateway/Acer are the same company, so I'd imagine build quality would be about the same.

Personally I'd get this one if I were looking for a basic notebook. You don't have to go out in the morning, and you can order this Gateway at home in your underwear.

jmclaug8351


quality posts: 5 Private Messages jmclaug8351
rsciore wrote:how would this compare with the following. it's cheaper and brand new

Acer Extensa 15.4" Laptop $250, Nov 11

Best Buy (in store only) has Acer Extensa 15.4" Laptop for $250.

•Intel Celeron 900 (1MB L2 cache, 2.20GHz, 800MHz FSB)
•15.4" WXGA (1280x800), 2GB DDR2, 160GB, DVD Burner
•wireless 802.11b/g/Draft N, 6-cell battery, Windows 7 Premium



Major diff is size this one is about the size of a 8.5 & 11 piece of paper and is only 3 pounds

Zcyber i3 Mini Speaker - IntelliTEC Digital Water Purity Tester - Hitachi 4GB Microdrive - Designer Vision 512MB MP3 Player - Sima Atomic Watch - Delphi USB 2.0 Lighted Cable - Delphi USB 2.0 Lighted Cable - Hawking Technology Net-Vision Wired Network Camera

wiley2484


quality posts: 1 Private Messages wiley2484
scorpshockey wrote:Here's one of the more complete lists of Hackintosh-friendly netbooks. This Gateway isn't on it. You'll want a Dell Mini 9, 10, or an MSI Wind for the best experience.

Snow Leopard will only work through 10.6.1, however, as Apple just removed support for the Atom processor with 10.6.2. I've stuck with Leopard on my Mini 9. Runs perfectly!



This does not run an ATOM PROCESSOR. My hat is a lobster. Your argument is invalid.

Solecs


quality posts: 1 Private Messages Solecs

I bought one of these from best buy for about $100 more, and I think it's a pretty good little machine. The screen is great, and the athlon cpu feels more responsive than the comparable atom cpu. It will also handle a bit of light gaming. It runs World of Goo pretty well, along with other similar 2D games. Some older 3D games work as well, I've played the first half-life and civ 4 on it. Though civ was pretty slow, but playable.

I get about 4 hours on battery with general usage. Also, I can generally play 720p video (h.264 video, not flash) using coreAVC. For the adventurous you can also overclock the processor a little using a program like setFSB. As for downsides, it does get pretty warm on the bottom and the fan tends to run constantly if that bothers you. I only really notice in a quiet room though.

pootietang


quality posts: 8 Private Messages pootietang

Would be better if it had Windows7 and the price was $260+$5!

Seems like a so-so deal for a refirb model.

netcomrade


quality posts: 1 Private Messages netcomrade
zwizer25 wrote:I guess this is a question about netbooks in general, but can you use a smartphone to tether with it?



there appears to be no bluetooth on this laptop. so either with a cable, or with a bt adapter you can.

campincarl


quality posts: 0 Private Messages campincarl
jmricca wrote:Head-to-head comparison with the comparable Acer Netbook:

http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/08/03/netbook-fight-gateway-lt3103-versus-acer-aspire-one-751h/



I would avoid Acer products, anyway. They have a reputation of sucking.

skidude6200


quality posts: 3 Private Messages skidude6200

Does that really say a 0.3 megapixel webcam? I'm not an expert or anything, but it seems like that would take worse video than my old Motorola KRZR phone =[

Off to do a little more research... I've been looking to downgrade my 17 inch HP but didn't like the idea of sacrificing browsing experience or the full keyboard that you get from the 10 inch models.

Might depend on whether or not I can find my XP-Pro CD lying around the house... I hate vista enough as it is, and running it on this little thing would drive me insane >.<

LarryCebula


quality posts: 6 Private Messages LarryCebula

I just pulled the trigger. Now to buy that $30 copy of Win 7.

campincarl


quality posts: 0 Private Messages campincarl
kiwijaws wrote:not a great deal Frys has an Acer Atom notebook same specs otherwise (only available for pickup now)
only $298 +tax brand new
http://www.frys.com/product/5956574



Except Acer is a mediocre brand with lots of 'defects' and horrible customer service.
Their computers are cheaper for a reason.

shmafancy


quality posts: 0 Private Messages shmafancy

I have one of these bad boys now. It's awesome. Fast, small, 5-6 hours of battery. Dont let the 1.2GHZ fool you, this thing is faster than any netbook.