Gateway

Dell pulls ahead of HP in U.S. sales

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 06:59:59 -0500

They must be popping the champagne in Round Rock, Texas today: according to Q4 2007 sales data from analyst firms Gartner and IDC, Dell has managed to inch ahead of HP as the largest vendor of PCs in the United States. Dell shipped 5.5 million units in the U.S. in Q4, accounting for 29.6 percent of all PCs sold during that period. HP, meanwhile, shipped 4.5 million units, accounting for 24.3 percent marketshare. Rounding out the top four were Acer, with 1.5 million units and Apple, with 1.06 million units.

While the folks at Dell must certainly be happy to have wrested the #1 spot in the States back from HP, the battle isn't quite over yet: HP still rules the roost in International sales, with 14.7 million PCs shipped worldwide. Dell was number two with 11.3 million; Acer was number three with 7.4 million; and Lenovo was number four with 5.8 million. A rising star to keep an eye on here is Acer, which saw strong growth in both U.S. and International sales thanks to its acquisition of Gateway and Packard Bell last year.

For more on the latest sales data:
- see this PC World article

ALSO NOTED: Vista SP1 RC1 due next week?; Motorola CEO Ed Zander to step down;

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 06:59:51 -0500

> Intel takes aim at SMB server market. Article
> Vista SP1 RC1 due next week? Article
> Gateway lays off 100 employees. Article
> OS X getting ready to run Windows apps natively? Rumor
> Mysterious HTC device shows up at the FCC. Article
> Number of mobile phones is now half the number of humans on earth. Article
> Motorola CEO Ed Zander to step down. Article
> How to: Replace an iPhone battery. Video

And Finally... Remember that Korean man who was allegedly killed by an exploding mobile phone? Turns out it was a negligent co-worker, not the phone, that killed him. Article

Dell XPS One gets reviewed

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 06:59:53 -0500

Dell's XPS One is finally making its way out into the wild and you know what that means, folks: it's review time. PC Magazine managed to get their hands on the widescreen all-in-one and while they managed to come up with a few gripes, the overall tone of the review is overwhelmingly positive--especially in contrast to reviews of the similarly-named Gateway One. "The Dell XPS One...easily outclasses its all-in-one competitor (and namesake), the Gateway One, and matches or surpasses the Apple iMac, which has long been the gold standard of all-in-one PCs," PC Mag writes. Particularly noteworthy were the machine's design, performance, component quality and user serviceability. Still, it wasn't all roses, as the reviewer found that the "relatively anemic Radeon HD 2400 graphics with only 128MB of graphics memory" makes the XPS One a no-go for all but the lightest of 3D tasks. Regardless, PC Magazine still feels that "This is the all-in-one PC to beat-for now."

For more on the XPS One:
- read the full review from PC Magazine

Video: Walt Mossberg reviews the Gateway One

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 13:19:16 -0400

Mossberg gives Gateway One thumbs-down

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 07:59:53 -0400

Old Walt Mossberg has taken Gateway's forthcoming all-in-one One PC for a test drive and has posted a video and written review, as he is wont to do. The verdict? Not so good, folks. "I can't recommend the Gateway over the iMac," Mossy writes. "It offers smaller screens and lower resolution--huge factors in an all-in-one machine --for prices that can exceed the iMac's." Additionally, Mossberg took issue with the One's slow start-up and shut-down, lack of a built-in webcam, noise output, crapware-filled hard drive and reliability (it crashed twice during a few days of testing, including one BSOD). "The Gateway One may appeal to style-conscious Windows users, but I think the iMac remains the best consumer desktop on the market."

For more on Mossberg's thoughts on the One:
- watch the video review
- and read the full review at the Wall Street Journal

Gateway busts out 22/24" displays

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 06:59:54 -0400

You might recall that Gateway unleashed a 30" LCD display not too long ago that was pretty well received by tech critics far and wide. Looks like the company is hoping to make similar waves with two more displays in the sub-30" space. Unfortunately, these two aren't quite as spec'd out as the 30" monster, though they look to offer a pretty solid value regardless. The 22" HD2200 features a 1680 x 1050 native resolution, 300 cd/m2 brightness and a 1000:1 contrast ratio. Meanwhile, the FHD2400 24-incher offers 1080p support, a 1920 x 1200 resolution and the same 1000:1 contrast ratio. Both should be available now, for price points of $350 and $550, respectively.

For more on the new displays:
- see this press release

Build your own all-in-one with a VMPC

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 06:59:53 -0400

Whether you hate the iMac, find the Gateway One too expensive or have simply always dreamed of building your own all-in-one PC, the vm7700 VMPC (Vesa-Mountable PC) from Via is clearly for you. Featuring the ability to be bolted onto the back of any VESA-compatible display in place of a mount, the vm7700 turns a run of the mill display into an all-in-one PC in mere minutes. Here's what's under the hood: a Via C7 1Ghz or Eden ULV 1.5Ghz CPU, up to 1GB of RAM, 802.11b/g WiFi and a standard SATA HDD pre-loaded with either Windows XP or Linux. Also, it's completely fan-less, so folks won't be left wondering why you've got the loudest display on the block. In all seriousness, this thing probably has a pretty limited range of use for consumers, though I can see enterprises with a few spare displays in the closet and a need for kiosks bolting a few of these on.

For more on the vm7700:
- watch this nerdy video demonstration (what's up with the funky soundtrack?)
- and read this Engadget article

Gateway 30-inch display gets reviewed

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 06:59:53 -0400

When we briefly noted yesterday that Gateway was releasing a 30-inch LCD display, you probably thought to yourself, "Oh great, yet another ridiculously large, re-branded Samsung panel, exactly the same as existing models from Apple and Dell but with a different case." Well my friend, you would be wrong. As it turns out, the XHD3000 Extreme boasts a number of unique features, the most notable of which is a ludicrously high native resolution of 2560x1600, which Gateway is calling "1600p." While you probably won't be able to find any 1600p content anytime soon, the XHD3000 will be happy to upscale lower resolutions up to 1600p and according to Gizmodo "everything, even good old 480p, looks amazing stretched to full size." With a resolution like that, you might be tempted to use this display as an HDTV as well, so you'll be glad to hear that Gateway has seen fit to outfit this behemoth with DVI, VGA, HDMI, component video, S-video, composite video and USB inputs. While the XHD3000 is meant to serve as a computer display, Gizmodo reports that it's more than capable of serving double duty as an HDTV: "in general it is at least as watchable as any of the bestselling Chinese LCDs on the market, if not better." If you're tight on space and picky about your resolutions, this $1700 LCD just might be for you.

For more on the XHD3000:
- check out Gizmodo's review

ALSO NOTED: Zune 2 release date confirmed: 11/13; Google and Verizon fight it out over 700Mhz;

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 06:59:51 -0400

> A novel solution for using your iPod in the shower. Article
> Zune 2 release date confirmed: 11/13. Article
> Gateway launches a 30" LCD display. Article
> Symbian to support ARM multicore chips. Article
> iPhone with built-in projector in the works? Article
> Google and Verizon fight it out over 700Mhz spectrum. Article

And Finally... Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Sputnik. Article

Gateway One gets reviewed

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 06:59:53 -0400

Remember the Gateway One? How could you forget: the sleek all-in-one is easily the most striking PC design since...well, the new iMac. Yesterday, we reported on the machine's unique design and innovative features but we left one question unanswered: how does it perform overall? The answer appears to be "not as good as you would hope it would." Both Computer Shopper and CNET found that the machine fails to match the similarly-priced iMac's performance in tests, with the former characterizing the machine as being capable of only "Run-of-the-mill performance." Still, the machine impressed Computer Shopper with its hardware design, most notably, the ease with which it can be upgraded. "Unlike Apple, Gateway doesn't discourage you from opening the case to make upgrades. Just place the unit flat against the table (screen side down), flip two catches on the bottom of the unit, and lift off the rear of the case to upgrade the memory or add or change a hard drive." Despite its flaws, both Computer Shopper and CNET saw fit to rate the machine a 7/10 or better, which makes it seem like the One is a solid bet for anyone looking for a simple, elegant desktop PC.

For more on the Gateway One:
- see this Computer Shopper review
- and this one from CNET