Gateway MT6840 Core Duo Notebook Review

It wasn't very long ago that if you wanted a laptop, you were looking at making a sizable investment.  The idea that you could buy a sub-$1,000, let alone a sub-$500 laptop seemed absurd.  And, if you could find one, what a puny, sorry little thing it would turn out to be.

Well times have certainly changed.  Recently, as contention for our big muscular Sony Vaio desktop that sits in my office has heated up, I became convinced that another laptop was urgently needed.  I know that there's an old laptop somewhere in the house (IBM ThinkPad), but I haven't a clue where I put it.  No matter.  It's so ancient that I believe the serial number on it is 0002!

Research

Gawd.  I do love doing my research.  I'll spend months on end looking into the latest, greatest, fastest (you fill-in the blank here), only to come back down to earth and figure out what I really need.  Case in point? The Gateway MT 6840 Laptop.

Gateway MT6840 15.4in. Widescreen Notebook Computer

Before going into the features of the computer, let's look at what I generally use it for.  Well most of you know that I'm a writer, so it isn't surprising that I need a word processor.  I love doing research, so I need to be able to web-surf quickly.  I own some cameras, so I want a pretty big hard-drive and a processor muscular enough to do some photo editing.  Of course I like my music and I have been known to download some.  This gets back to the roomy hard-drive and the need for a quick wireless broad-band connection.

I occasionally watch some streaming video (a missed series episode) so I need decent video performance, but since I'm not a gamer I don't really need great video processing.  Do these needs sound familiar?  Do they resonate with you?  If they do, this could be a great choice of laptop for you.

So let's take a look.  The Gateway MT6840 15.4in. Widescreen Notebook Computer features an Intel Core Duo 2.0 GHz Processor (T2450).  Not the latest Intel dual core chip, but muscular just the same.  The screen of course is 15.4" and it's a wide-screen, great for viewing video.  The screen is the new shiny finish that seems to be the rage now and it produces brilliant vivid colors.

The hard-drive is a very spacious, fast 160GB SATA 5400RPM drive.  It's more than ample for music and digital images and of course all my writing.

Of course in this day, no computer would be complete without a DVD Burner.  Fear not.  It's got one.

In terms of connectivity, the notebook sports 4 USB2.0 ports in addition to 1 Firewire port.  Its wireless LAN supports the a/g/b options of the 801.11 protocol, so it's pretty fast regardless of where in the house I am. A 4-in-1 memory card is included.

The speakers are, well, laptop speakers.  A little tinny but okay for general use.  External speakers can be plugged in for those Stairway to Heaven moments.

The system runs the Vista Home Premium operating system.  Additional software includes: Microsoft Works, Quicken, Microsoft Office Home Edition (Trial Version), and McAfee Security Suite (Trial Version).

Okay, for the geeks in the crowd, I promise to give you the detailed specs at the end of this review (you can scroll ahead now if you have to).

So, how much?

Several weeks ago I found this system on sale at Best Buy for $599.  Did you know that Best Buy has stores in Delaware?  They do.  And, as luck would have it, I was going to pass through Delaware the next day.  Why is this important?  There's no sales tax in Delaware!  That was about a $40 savings.   Hmmm, maybe I'll pick up that compact wireless laptop mouse.

But, it gets better.  A week later Office Depot put the Gateway MT 6840 on sale  for $499.  Armed with my receipt I went into the local Best Buy and after a few minutes of discussing the Delaware aspect of my purchase I walked out with a $100 credit to my Best Buy account.  Interestingly, this week Office Depot is selling this computer for $749.  It pays to watch the weekly flyer!

My Viewpoint

How could I possibly pass this up?  After a couple of months of using it, I can say that I've suffered not a moment of buyer's remorse.  And, for this reviewer, that's saying something.  I recommend it.

Okay, for those of you addicted to detailed specs, the Gateway MT6840 notebook offers:

Regards,

Rudi