Gateway Solo 2300 SE

Gateway Solo 2300 SE

The notebook price war has led to another first--Gateway's Solo 2300 SE, the first Pentium MMX-200 notebook we've seen to break the $2000 price barrier.

Not too long ago, you had to shell out $3000 for this class of notebook. Now for a budget price of $1949, you get the fastest PMMX-200 portable we've tested in a long time.

How did Gateway get the price down? It left out a modem, and went with a 12.1-inch dual-scan screen instead of using costlier active-matrix technology. Like most dual-scan displays, the Solo's is difficult to view from anywhere but directly in front of it. The screen was also unevenly lit. These limitations will drive graphic designers nuts, but most people who process words and crunch numbers on their notebooks will be satisfied with the screen and happy to save a little money.

You can also take advantage of the Solo's docking station port and turn the boxy gray notebook into a desktop alternative with an external monitor. Or you can pull the 8-pound system from the docking station and bring it home or on short trips--without tearing your rotator cuff. When you're away from a wall socket, you'll appreciate the Solo 2300 SE's battery life of nearly 6 hours. But if you travel a lot, do yourself a favor and buy a lighter portable.

This solid-feeling Solo has several useful design features not found on all notebooks. The port covers fold all the way back and attach to the bottom of the unit--a clever trick that helps prevent the covers from breaking. In addition, the snap-out hard drive makes it easy to remove data from your notebook and lock it in a drawer for safekeeping.

The speakers produce unusually clear sound for a notebook, but their placement near the wrist rests might be a problem if you have large hands. The Solo's single modular bay holds either a CD-ROM drive or a floppy drive. An optional external cable will let you connect both.

The keyboard is adequate--neither too crisp nor mushy. The function keys are large and the touchpad is adequately responsive. But the buttons below the touchpad are a little too small for comfort.

In each of our technical support calls to Gateway this month, hold time was less than 10 minutes, which we consider good. But the advice could've been better: The staff resolved our modem problem correctly but blew our hard drive question.

SUMMARY

PRO: Great price, good performance CON: Dual-scan screen, no modem