Blue Gateway 14: A Review

I have just completed a day using the Gateway 14 laptop, which is highly talked about in the budget Windows market, and I must say, I am very impressed. We purchased this device from Walmart for $279, which was discounted from its original price of $360 due to it being a few generations old. The laptop features the iconic cow spots on its lid associated with the 1990’s Gateway brand that has now become a Walmart-exclusive brand licensed by Acer.

The laptop model I used came with an Intel Core i5-1135G7 chip, which is also found in many premium ultraportable devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Book, Acer Swift 5, Dell XPS 13, and Lenovo Yoga 9i from 2020. There is 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, which is an excellent deal for $279, offering some of the best specs at that price point. The only downside is the touchpad, which is mediocre, but that issue is balanced by a robust collection of ports available to conveniently connect a mouse.

The chassis of the laptop is the sturdiest and best-built Windows device I have seen, with no flex in the keyboard or screen and impressive fingerprint rejection capabilities. Additionally, there is an empty drive slot on the bottom secured with two screws that allow users to add the storage space they require. The laptop also features a stylish blue color, with the Microsoft and Intel stickers placed on the bottom of the device, leaving the rest of the palm rest surfaces undeleted blue.

The Good:
– Affordable price for the specs
– Fast performance without any noise
– Good selection of ports
– Easy to upgrade storage
– Stylish blue design

The Bad:
– Poor touchpad
– Mediocre microphones
– Tinny audio
– Non-backlit keyboard

I started using the laptop in the morning, right before 9 AM. It ships with Windows, not S-mode, but I did notice that it came with a lot of preinstalled applications, including helpful ones like Spotify and games such as Solitaire pinned on the taskbar. I cleared out all the preinstalled applications to streamline the laptop and improve its performance.

The laptop performed very well, with no lags or freezes, even while running a dozen Chrome tabs and streaming Spotify. At first, there were some lags due to outdated software, but once updated, the laptop sailed through all tasks without any issues, working all day long without any overheating or problematic fan noise. The laptop’s battery lasted for nearly seven and a half hours, lasting well into the afternoon before it was time to recharge.

I worked on writing and researching agents for a manuscript into the evening, opening multiple Google Docs and tabs related to my work, and performing many resizing, clicking, and swapping tasks with ease. The laptop’s keyboard worked well even in poorly lit conditions, with bright white text against a dark key making it easy to type in the dark.

One significant downside of the laptop is its touchpad, which is one of the worst I have ever used before. The clicking mechanism is difficult, and clicking and dragging doesn’t work correctly, which is frustrating for anyone who works on a laptop. However, the vast selection of ports makes it easy to connect a mouse, which solves the problem. The microphones are also functional but not very good, requiring users to keep an external microphone.

In conclusion, if you want a Windows laptop for under $300, the Gateway 14 is an ideal option. It has excellent specs, fast performance, impressive battery life, and a good selection of ports. While the touchpad and microphones aren’t great, they can be quickly resolved by connecting external devices. Users should be aware of the various mandatory and optional agreements required to use this laptop before agreeing.

 

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Denial of responsibility! TechCodex is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.