Netbooks have really become popular, considering the slew of new models manufacturers are introducing in the market. Dell, HP, Asus, MSI and Samsung have been very active with updating their entire netbook range, and the reviews we have been doing have shown an evolution towards constantly improving performance, and a marginal increase in price, which now is at just above the Rs 20k price margin. The Gateway LT-21 netbook series is the latest arrival in the netbook market. How does it distinguish itself in the quite crowded market?
This machine is designed to look classy. The one we had was dressed in metallic red, combined with black and steel grey. The lid is red, the area around the keyboard is steel grey and the underside is black. The red gives a metallic look, probably because of the imprint design. The area around the keyboard is steel grey and the keys themselves are matte black?less prone to scratches and fingerprints.
Switch on the machine, and the power button immediately catches your eye with the wave effect blue lighting. This is to the left of the screen, while to the right is a similar looking LED indicator? this one is the Wi-Fi indication. However, that one is only an indicator and not a button. Could have been a button, I guess.
The LT-21 comes powered with Intel?s Atom N450 processor which is paired with 2GB RAM. This is a welcome change we are witnessing, because any operating system on any laptop/netbook with 1GB RAM, is a pain to use. But this one is quite speedy, and comfortable to use as well. The keyboard is still very comfortable to use.
The touchpad has white dots on it. Why? I don?t really understand why laptop manufacturers have suddenly started feeling the need to tinker with the touchpad. A case in point being the MSI U160, which ended up with a truly horrible touchpad. Please, stop tinkering. As it is often said, ?If it ain?t broke, don?t fix it?.
Even after an hour of being switched on, the machine did not heat up. Good news for those who actually use the laptop on the lap. The battery life of just over 4 hours could have been better, but it?s still decent enough from a tiny battery. Reduce screen brightness, switch off Bluetooth or Wi-Fi when not in use and the battery life will be improved.
Getting back to the LT-21, it has a 10.1 inch screen, integrated graphics, 3 USB ports, a memory card reader, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Overall, I could not find anything negative against this machine. If I do not try to find something, I would only be nitpicking. The LT-21 is brilliant. It is not going to burn a hole in your pocket, it does what it is supposed to do, is comfortable to use and looks good while doing it. What more can you ask for? Buy this, if you want a laptop. Don?t be confused by the brand ?Gateway?. It is essentially an ?Acer? machine.
? CyberMedia www.LD2.in
Mail:talkLD@cybermedia.co.in