FX design fails

I have had this computer for almost two years and there are a few things I have come to hate among the many that I love:

1) Volume jack on right ride of computer. I have my laptop hooked up to speakers- the aux cable runs through my mouse space.

2) Ethernet cable on right side of computer. Again, the cable runs directly through my mouse-space.

3) Usb port in the right side of computer. It would have been better if they put it higher up on the comp, towards the screen. But AGAIN, it runs through my mouse-space. I have a wireless mouse that uses a wireless USB thumb drive. It sticks out into my ***ING MOUSE SPACE!

I promised myself I wouldn't freak out...
*deep breath*

Overall, this comp. is one of the best purchases my 20 yr old butt has bought. But if the FX line decides to hop out of the grave, these issues need to be fixed.

oh yeah, back-lit keyboard. do it gateway.

 

Pretty much the main design flaw for right-handed people is that the disc drive is on the left side and the cords on the right when it should be the other way around. What I do about the cords is I have them immediately go to the left under my cooler.

I don't like how easily the plastic is scratched and the cracks where the metal and the plastic come together and around the touchpad.

I don't think I would care much for a backlit keyboard since there is already the bumps on the f and j keys and using your computer in a dark room strains your eyes so I always have a dim light on at least.

Also the speaker system really sucks! Voices at any volume have the speakerphone-too-loud effect.

Oh yeah and the laptop is plenty thin when it is open but with the screen closed it is thick because the screen does not fit snuggly.

 

I don't like all the ports on the right side also. I also don't like how the number keys are orange.

 

I forgot to mention that I hate the location of the caps lock and num lock lights and the flashing hard drive light sometimes gets on my nerves.

 

I am left handed, I love the port placements

 

For right handed people the USB ports do get in the way of a mouse. I resolved that problem by purchasing a USB hub.

 

I don't like how the "A" key is right next to the "S" key!

Geez, Gateway, what were you thinking?!

 

Me too but I bat right handed

I ended up running a USB hub out of the left slots but the express card adapter and the esata cable are killing me..at least it's not full time.

I would hope that these would be placed out the back, for DTR style, but this is why desktops shine

 

I wish they made more laptops with a docking station port.

 

I am right handed - and use wireless mouse with the nano dongle and have no issues at all.

 

I don't know what people's issue with the mouse is either because you can just plug it into one of the left-side USB ports. However, being right handed, my laptop is on the left most part of my desk and I have to run 4 cables on the right side over to the cable hole in the desk that is on the left side. If went through the hole on the right side then the cables would float over the right side of the desk. With my cooler though running cables to the other side isn't a big deal since they go under the laptop and move when I move the laptop/cooler.

 

"I don't know what people's issue with the mouse is either because you can just plug it into one of the left-side USB ports."

Well, some people have other stuff in those ports. Like me, I have a external drive, a card reader for compact flash cards, a external sound card and a printer. All using those two ports on left-side.

 

Main niggles are -

Super flexy chassis. The metal trim piece around the trackpack is bent upwards a bit. It's not really that big of a deal though. If it was built with no flex it'd weigh a lot more and the laptop isn't moved that much anyway.

USB ports on left side too close together. Sometimes plugs have to fight for space there.

Harddrive cooling is insufficient.

Benefits a lot from using a cooling pad. This is ok though, if the laptop had amazing cooling built in, it would be a lot more bulky.

Bright Blue LEDS. It would be nice if you could tone it down a bit. It works better than a nightlight. You could cover it with tape though.

 

1. The Bright Blue LED's, I agree, I have electrical tape over them.
2. Orange colored w,a,s,d, and numbers, what were they thinking, I told Gateway a month after they released the FX, I guess they did not listen

 

I agree to some degree on all above mentioned design flaws and here are some more:

1: Gateway Support(oxymoron)
2: Glossy finish (fingerprint magnet) Looks great until its touched.
3: Volume button on keyboard, for that matter the whole row of lighted
touch buttons at top of keyboard are wonky and give no feed back when
being pressed like on screen animation or a noise.

 

For the volume I installed a general driver from Microsoft's website that makes a volume bar pop up when you change the volume. It also makes your media keys work in programs like iTunes when they are minimized. If you already have the iTunes media keys plugin then you will have to disable it. I wondered why my pause button would pause-play/play-pause iTunes for like a week.

The volume bar definitely sucks. You're supposed to be able to scroll on it and then hold your finger on one side to keep having the volume change but with mine you either have to scroll or hold it down and because both causes it to do nothing.

 

Can you provide a link for the Microsoft driver?

 

I found an installer for itype on my hard drive which might be it: Download details: Monotype iType font engine for Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R2

If that isn't it then try finding a program for "volume on-screen display".

 

I use all my ports too but I still plug my mouse in on the left side.

 

This is what I have been using;

Free On Screen Volume Display 3RVX for Windows - Tech Salsa

 

That is really cool. Does the volume adjustment work with the touchpad instead of scroll wheel?

 

Yes, the volume works with the volume touch pad above the keypad, is that what you were asking?

 

how can you gripe about the LED's and the utility buttons above the keyboard? You know that Fn F1 turns the lights off, right?

I do however hate the orange writing on the buttons. If this thing had a backlit keyboard, or even an semi-easy option to make one fit, I'd be in heaven.

 

I would turn them off but I gotta be able to see the media keys. How can people complain about the orange writing? Do you look at the keyboard to type?

 

Yes I do, really, what's wrong with that? Orange was a bad choice, Gateway even admitted it.

 

They are not even orange, more like brownish-orange

its a pretty laptop to look and durable one hardware aspect

 

lol, that's funny

 

I've been using the p-7805u for about 18 months, I agree with other posters to, but my main list is:

1. Wireless switch on front can get moved by accident.
2. Battery sticking out of back.
3. Glossy laptop is a fingerprint magnet.
4. Media buttons should have been touch response like volume slider
5. Volume slider is terrible to use.
6. Speakers sound too tinny and don't have enough bass.
7. Not having the ability to turn off the media bar lights permanently.
8. Left Fn button on the keyboard should be elsewhere and not next to the ctrl button. I sometimes press this instead.

but other than that it's the best laptop i've owned

 

this laptop is kinda old now but I have been using this laptop everyday for a little over a year and mine still looks great and the build quality could be better than some of the others that ive used but for everything that you get and the price they ask its really dirt cheap. the last few weeks its just been collecting dust since I picked up a smaller laptop for taking around. As far as that mouse issue. i donno. I popped in a nano receiver and its not a problem. Also I upgraded to a bluetooth mouse and now theres another free port avail.

 

A few of us ordered "glow in the dark" stickers that sit directly over the keys. No problems now in a dim room

I should search for a $20 lighted keyboard like the one I ordered for my UL30vt back in March..

Why all the manufactures do no have this as an upgrade option kills me.

 

Well i wonder too, less time and manpower at assembly department

Bright orange lighted keyboard would be awesome, better speakers, media bar, and hdd cooling.

laptop is solid except for me splitting some water on touch pad and now its dead for a year now. i like the aluminium touches lol

 

good chunk of business class laptops do, but I hav'nt had a business class Gateway since my M275 Tablet .... which has a docking port

 

Does anyone know of any business-quality gaming laptops? I've looked at Alienware laptops, and price aside, I remember them being 3 inches thick and 100lbs! (Ok more like 15lbs, which is still way too heavy.)

As for universal docking stations, you can get Expresscard ones that would obviously be way better than USB for those of you who are bothered by all the cords sticking out of the thing.

 

sure, i game all the time on my Elitebook 8740W, it has the firepro M7820 which games exactly like its little brother the mobile Radeon 5870.

granted decked with the DC2 panel and the 3 year onsite warranty shes a little hard on the pocketbook too

I still find them nowhere as nice as a true docking port/port replicator, better then the cable nightmare though

 

I totally agree with you about the universal docking stations.

I never knew you could get such a powerful graphics card in a business laptop. Does it have hybrid graphics? You do pay a high price for the build quality though, but it's cool to know that perfection exists in case I ever have that kind of money.

However I did see this review:
What? Date: September 22, 2010
"Certain colors appear fuzzy and have a sort of movement in them indicating bad LCD panel timings - no wonder because the monitor is set up as a generic monitor under windows with no driver from HP. I have to get powerstrip if I don't want my screen to appear fidgety.

Also the DVD burner tray face broke off with little provocation, or shipped broke."
13 of 22 people found this review helpful.

 

I have to say my 8740W as well as my wifes are pretty much perfection. many of the reviewers did not get the laptop with the upgraded 10 bit IPS panel in it ( 178 degree viewing angles and 150%sRGB gamut )

nope no hibrid graphics in this monster as its made as a mobile workstation but battery life isnt bad. go hunt down Akimox's review in the review area for a good read. some of the eraly adopters did have some strange issues but they seem ironed out for everyone now.

 

LOL, and for HD Light issue ... I just turn them all off Fn + F1 (on 7811 anyway)

 

yeah, and not enough usb ports...

 

same here
it's like it was designed for me ^^

 

I used to not like the volume slider all that much but now after having a g73 that has no volume controls other than fn+f11/f12, I really miss the volume slider and media keys.

 

I found the greatest volume OSD: matt.malensek. It automatically sets Win+Scroll Wheel as a hotkey for changing the volume, and it lets you set other hotkeys like Win+Up/Down Arrows for controlling the volume without the mouse. The default skin is the Mac's volume OSD which made me think how the Mac OS does have some improvements over Windows.

 

It is a great OSD for this laptop, I have used it for a long time

 

The OSD changed the sound when I close the laptop to the Mac "plop" sound. I miss the do-do . (Do these sound like poop references to you?)