Gateway revamps its aging thin-and-light laptop design with the new M320. Gone are the square touchpad, square mouse buttons, and wasted wrist rest space. Their absence results in a case that is thinner and lighter, with some thoughtful touches like a convenient 4-in-1 card reader for flash memory cards and a coated rubber wrist rest that helps keep your hands in place while typing. layer. Although there are several configurations to choose from, the M320 we tested included a number of nice components, such as a speedy 1.7GHz Pentium M processor; a large 80GB hard drive; and a versatile DVD+/-RW drive. Despite being powered by a low-end Intel 855GME graphics chip, the system achieved respectable scores on CNET Labs’ mobile benchmarks, beating out most thin-and-light rivals while keeping pace with the powerful IBM ThinkPad T42. Unfortunately, in our lab’s battery drain test of the IBM ThinkPad T42, things weren’t so positive – the M320 came in last, with TheGateway M320 battery life is just 150 minutes of usage. Given the disappointing battery score, we have a hard time justifying the M320’s $1,800 price (as of September 2004); for the dollar, the slightly more expensive ThinkPad T42 offers far more value. Weighing just 5.5 pounds and measuring 12.9 inches wide, 10.5 inches deep, and 1 inch tall, the Gateway M320 is one of the smallest thin-and-light laptops and is 0.2 pounds lighter than the smaller IBM ThinkPad T42. Still, the M320’s full-size design elements make it feel large. Its bright 14.1-inch screen is bright enough for long workdays, but the native resolution of 1,024×768 doesn’t allow for extremely detailed graphics. The system’s keyboard, touchpad, and mouse buttons are also larger. Like the HP Pavilion zt3000, the right side of the M320’s The touchpad is enclosed for easy scrolling. We wish the M320 included the on/off button for the zt3000’s touchpad, as our thumbs were kept brushing against the touchpad while typing, resulting in unnecessary cursor hide-and-seek games.
The M320 has integrated 802.11b/g wireless, which you can activate using the keyboard’s function keys; a row of helpful blue LED status lights below the touchpad will show you when Wi-Fi is on, when AC power is plugged in, and Other system statistics. We like the rubberized coating of the wrist rest, which provides a secure feel while typing. The integrated DVD+/-RW drive is a fairly rare feature in such a lightweight system.
While we like the M320’s overall build, we’re unhappy with its graphics chip: the Intel 855GME, which borrows a whopping 64MB of video RAM from main memory. The chip didn’t hurt the system in CNET Labs’ mobile performance benchmarks, but we know it will struggle when faced with demanding graphics tasks. We wish Gateway offered a better chip option, like the 128MB ATI Mobility Radeon 9700.
Since it’s intended for both home and business use, you can buy the M320 with Windows XP Home or XP Professional. Gateway bundles enough software to get you started; it includes the Microsoft Works mini office suite, Ahead Software’s Nero Burning ROM for CD and DVD burning, and CyberLink’s PowerDVD for DVD viewing. You can also purchase dozens of optional games on Gateway’s website.
Mobile app performanceWe tested the Gateway M320XL, the most powerful configuration of the M320, equipped with a 1.7GHz Pentium M. Its performance is about 12 percent faster than most other laptops we’ve tested with the same processor; however, the M320XL’s performance is virtually identical to that of two newer systems, the IBM ThinkPad T42 and WinBook W360. That said, all three systems are solid, with the Gateway M320XL getting the job done for office, productivity, and content creation applications.
The Gateway M320XL laptop battery life is disappointing. Despite its 49WHr (watt-hour) battery capacity, it only lasted 2.5 hours in our power consumption test. The WinBook W360 has a similar 49WHr battery that lasts nearly 3.5 hours, and the IBM ThinkPad T42 has a 48WHrIBM ThinkPad T42 battery that runs strong for 4 hours. Two and a half hours isn’t bad, but we expected more from the Gateway M320XL Batterylife analysis was written by Eric Franklin, assistant lab manager at CNET Labs.
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