Opinions of Gateway M250XL

I'm looking for a good 14" widescreen laptop, and I've come across the Gateway M250XL, but I can't seem to find an opinions or reviews on it. If anyone could help me out before I possibly buy this system, it'd be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

 

Well, I just ordered M250X about week ago, but haven't received it yet so can't tell you much. Suppose to get it on the 24th. I can help you with any questions you might have once I receive it then

 

Ok. With a little delay, I got my Gateway M250X today.

Spec:
Pentium M 730 1.6GHz
915GM chipset
14.1 wide ultrabright
60GB 5400rpm HDD
8x Multi-Format Double Layer DVD Writer
512MB 533Mhz DDR2 (256MB x 2) (Samsung)
9-cell battery
Intel 802.11 b/g

I've used laptops before, but never owned one. This is my first notebook so can't really compare to anything. so if anyone have specific questions, I'll try to answer them. Below is some info slash some questions embedded in them:

1) When I ordered the 9-cell online, it didn't mention about it being any larger than the 6-cell. It only said that 12-cell is larger and sticks out. So I figured 9-cell is same size as 6-cell, but I was wrong. It sticks not out the back, but at the bottom, like the HP DV1000 12-cell battery pictures I've seen online. I called Gateway asking if I can exchange the 9-cell for a 6-cell, cause I don't like it sticking out the bottom, and they said call them back tomorrow and they'll have defiinite answer. How likely is it that they'll just exchange the batteries for me?

2) I ran cpu-z, and under memory, it says Channel #: Dual. Does this mean that it is running in dual channel? None of the specs mentioned dual channel, so I am not sure. If this means it is running in dual channel, i would have to order 2x 512MB sticks, instead of extra 1GB stick I was going to get. Is there any definite way to check whether it is running in dual channel?

3) Does anyone have experience with DVMT? I think its like Dynamic Video Management Technology? In bios it says its DVMT 3.0. Does this work pretty well?

4) I did not see anywhere in the bios or windows power settings where I could turn off Intel Speedstep. But I changed the scheme to Always On, and it seems to stay at 1.6Ghz. Can I just run it always at 1.6Ghz? Or will this give me heating problems? Does Intel speedstep work well where I can just leave it on and not notice any difference in performance? The fan seems to run constantly if it stays at 1.6Ghz.

Overall it seems to run quiet, and pretty good build quality.

So with above 4 general questions I have, anyone is welcome to ask any specific things that you would like me to see.

cheers!

 

I ordered the same configuration as you after the sales rep assured me that the 9-cell had the same dimensions as the 6-cell. How much does it stick out the bottom? I'm still waiting for mine to ship, hopefully I'll get it next week.

 

It sticks out 6/8 inch from the bottom. It might not be too bad, but I like it that the notebook is relatively thin, and this ruins it.

So I call gateway gazillion times, and they forward me around for like hours over 2 days. They all kept on saying they cannot exchange it. that there is no way. i like dudes, its just a battery and why would i pay 100 dollars to get an extra 6 cell? however, I was transferred to customer service that told me they can swap it, but then i got disconnected while holding... gateway holding has worst connection. so after about 5 transfers, I finally got another guy that tells me that they will gladly swap it and put in the order for the 6-cell battery. I'll just have to ship back the 9-cell one when i get it.

Talk to Customer service, and not technical support whenver you call them. customer service is 100 times happier (well at least they sound like it) and 180 degree attitude change from tech support people...

 

gosh they are confusing the heck out of me. I talked to sales, and they indeed say that 9-cell and 6-cell are same size, and that only 12-cell is bigger and sticks out. So it might not be that 9-cells stick out like i previously posted, but that I actually received a 12-cell battery instead. i don't know. enough confusion for me today so i'm gonna let it sit til tomorrow.....

 

After I ordered, they posted the 'Interactive Tour' on the website. If you look at the Accessories, it looks to me like the 9 and 12-cell batteries stick out the back, and not the bottom!?! I did notice that if you go to support and select the M250, you can get a list of the components. You could check there to see if your part number is for the 9 or 12. I've got the same opinion as you; I don't mind the battery sticking out the back a bit; I do not want it making the laptop any thicker.

 

yeah that is weird how on their interactive site, it sticks out the back, not to bottom, but mine sure as heck sticks out the bottom, and none to the back. I'll take a picture of what i have tonight and post it. Might take a while cause i'm new to the world of digital cameras also and never posted pictures to forums before...

 

Ok I got a email from customer service saying that 4-cell, 6-cell, 9-cell, and 12-cell are physically same size, just different in weight. I don't get it. How can they say that when on their website it clears shows that some of the batteries are bigger, and even on the order page it says that 12-cell will extend out the back of the laptop. Anyways, here's some pics of my laptop with supposedly 9-cell battery, sticking down, not out the back. Last two are how it should be with regular sized battery...

 

Thanks for the pics. If that is the 9-cell; it is definetly going back. It doesn't look anything like the interactive photos; nor the sales rep's description.

 

Pitch971, please post and let me know when you get your laptop what yours looks like since you said you ordered a 9-cell also. Thanks.

 

I was interested in this notebook as well, and I got the same response from the sales dept. as some of you, "The 6 and 9-cell batteries don't stick out, but the 12-cell does." I was browsing the site again, and I went through the Interactive Tour which shows something quite interesting. Click here for the tour, go over to accessories, and click on each of the battery options. The 9-cell is titled "Extended Battery" and the 12-cell is titled "High Capacity Battery." If you look at the pictures you will see that from what they are showing, the 9 and 12 cell batteries both protrude from the back at about the same dimensions.
Anyone else who purchased the laptop, please post back with more pics. I really want to see more of this one...

 

That sure is odd. I am also interested in this laptop. Slimbim, have you checked to see if there is a way to rotate the battery so that the part sticking out of the bottom can be rotated up to stick out the back? I used a Compaq EVO 610 once that had an extended battery that stuck out the back but could be rotated down to raise the back of the laptop up to tilt it just like yours - my guess as to the reason for the option was to tilt the keyboard towards the user like you can a full sized keyboard. From what I understand in checking with gateway is that the 9 cell should be able to just stick out the back and the 12 is out the back and out the bottom. If you can rotate it there may be little plastic clips or locks to keep it down or back so that it doesnt swing around when moved. Just a thought.

 

well, no, there is no moving parts of any with the battery. It is just a solid piece. I think its just jumble of information and miscommunication in gateway's part. Even after sending the customer service person I was corresponding with the pictures, he insisted that they are the same size and told me to go here:

http://support.gateway.com/s/Mobile/Gateway/M250/2900783faq4.shtml

to install the battery properly, and told me to go to this link to see the picture of 9-cell battery.

http://support.gateway.com/s/Mobile/Gateway/M250/ACEB0185010000005/ACEB0185010000005tc.shtml

Of course the above page shows same exact picture for all 6 cell, 9 cell, and 12 cell batteries. So i think its obvious that the customer service people themselves are just going by whatever information is provided on Gateways website, and does not really have any more accurate information than we do....

But after he sent me those links, I was mad, cause I sent him the pictures and everything and he was just telling me to properly install the battery.... so I pointed out all of the pages that have conflicting information. and he finally came back with below reply after days of claiming that they are ALLLL same size:

According to your email, you want to replace
the battery that you have right now due to the issue. The battery is
sticking out at the bottom. Again, your current battery in your system
is the right one. The 9 cell battery has more capacity compared to a 6
cell. It is by the design why the battery will stick out from the
bottom of your laptop compared to your standard battery.

Note: The issue you are having right now is normal and due to a design
of the battery. The 9 cell battery is much thicker compared to a
standard battery.

I hope that the information I have provided is more clear now to you. ​

Ok.... so why couldn't you have just told me that first time i contacted you rather than telling me for 3 days that he doesn't know what i'm talking about....

Anyways, I had spoken with another customer service rep and alreayd put in an exchange order for the 6-cell battery. Suppose to come on 11th, and i'm suppose to just send back the one I have right now. I'll let you know what kind of battery they send me this time around....

 

Yeah makes you wonder, if it is a normal design issue then they should have told you that the first time around, and they should change the pictures on the laptop tour. Good luck!

 

I won't have any pictures of the battery. I just cancelled my order. My original delivery date was 6/20 (I ordered the first week of June). Then 6/29; then 7/19. I was told it would be shipping over the weekend, and this morning I talked with yet another non-helpful CS rep, who again had no clue as to the status of my notebook.

How does GW stay in business?!?!

 

I have been reading this post/thread and was really interested in your situation. I just ordered an M250X last night and got it with the 9 cell battery (seemed a good deal for $20 extra and the guy said it didn't stick out any further, side or bottom). Anyway, how is your notebook? Did you get the battery issue resolved? Do you like the machine? Should I cancel my order now and run? Gateway seems to have treated you pretty badly.

Any insight you can give would be appreciated. I bought this for my college bound daughter and paid for a 3 year tech support contract. It doesn't sound like support is all that great.

Thanks!

Mike

 

Well, I really don't like the 9 cell sticking out the bottom, and have been trying to get them to send me a 6-cell battery. 3 differnt times, they will give me a case number, and everytime I call back, none of the case numbers were in system. Two different customer service people have put in the order for replacement/exchange 6-cell battery, but both orders were cancelled for same reason, no payment method on the order. But they never asked for payment method when they entered the order for the battery, since they were exchange order, in which they will send me the battery, and i return the other battery. I don't know what they are doing.

Overall, I really like the laptop. So my solution was to return the laptop, and re-order the laptop with a 6-cell battery. With the special they are having, i can get a better spec one for the same price i paid. Thing now is to convince them to waive the restocking fee since I will be ordering another system to replace it..... we'll see how well that one goes.....

 

Back to the topic of the thread, I am interested in what those of you using the m250 think of this laptop overall (in addition to the battery difference ). A quick review would be great as I am thinking of getting one of these. A few questions I have for m250 owners:

1. How is the heat facter and where is it? Do the palm rests heat up?

2. Bettery life on the normal 6cell?

3. Finally, is there something wrong with gateways? The specs and the price look good, but is near impossible to find reviews. Do hardly any people own this laptop, and if so then why? Do gateways suck? I am trying to understand how the v2000/dv1000 model recieves so much discussion and attention while solid reviews of this laptop are virtually nil? Is gateway going under or something?

Thanks.

 

Thought you may find this interesting on the battery issue -- it's the response I received from Gateway when I asked about the battery:

My Question to them:

"...Also, could you let me know if the battery I ordered, the Primary 9-Cell Lithium Ion battery for M210/M250, protrudes past the end of the computer?
I have seen many complaints about the size on the internet and would like to know."

The answer from them:

"...I checked the battery size and I found that it fits perfectly on the
laptop computer. Rest assured that we have improved our product based
on previous concerns reported to us by customers. The battery size
issue has been resolved."

This was from:

Gina
Badge GWPC037
Online Customer Support Team
Gateway

I thought you may want to know this in your hunt for resolution. I also don't know if it's true since the people communicating in this thread seem have excellent information with pictures.

Good to hear you like the laptop. Do you think I ought to keep my order intact? Should I change to the 6 cell?

Mike

 

Well, since Gina has assured you that 9-cell fits the computer perfectly and they have fixed the issue (i don't know how though... 9 cells has to take more physical space then 6-cells, unless each cells are smaller in size), I think you can wait for your 9 cell, and if she was wrong, you have someone specific to go back to complain. As for me, I am not going to call them everyday to place a replacement order for the 6-cell battery only to have it cancelled by them in 2 or 3 days. Its obvious there is no way for me to get them to send me the 6-cell to replace the 9-cell I have, so I am returning the laptop.

Overall, it is nice laptop, and I like it, which is why I'm planning on ordering the same laptop again, only this time with 6-cell battery.


As side note, I feel like I stole this thread away from the original poster... I apologize

 

can you let us know how you fare with the restocking fee?
also, while you were using it did the palmrests get hot?

I am very close to odering this but that you all are making me a bit nervous about support and return issues.

thanks

 

Very interesting discussion! I'm also thinking about buying one of these but couldn't find any reviews on the web. Could somebody who owns an M250 comment on:

1. battery life - with 6-cell and 9-cell battery
2. screen brightness - especially if it is viewable outside (either in the shade or in direct sunlight)
3. temperature of the case under normal working conditions
4. noise
5. build quality - anything that looks cheap or easy to break?

Thanks a lot!!

Something interesting about the batteries. Apparently both the 9-cell and the 6-cell batteries use the same LiIon cell: Sanyo UR18650F. A quick calculation shows that six cells fit in 14" nicely. The 9-cell battery has to be larger - either extending to the back or being thicker.

It is also interesting that the web site lists two 9-cell batteries. Does anybody know what the difference is?

Cheers,
-- Georgi

 

Hello,
I've been monitoring this thread for a week now, trying to assess the M250. I recently placed an order for the 250X and it'll be here within "3-5 business days". It shipped Fedex from China today.. yes, China.

Thank you forum members for the insight you've shared regarding the battery, etc. Not to brag, but in case you're looking to purchase this model and how to configure it, this is what mine will be setup with: PentiumM 1.73Ghz/533FSB, 512DDR2, 60gb, 6cell, ultrabright screen, DVD burner. I'll be happy to share how the system performs once I get it (21st or so).

I'm also concerned about the palm rest heat, the retail version at Best Buy did not feel hot, even though the hard drive sits underneith the palm rest.

 

Okie Dokie. Finally I got through someone who helped me out.
From this whole experience, I think the email support works better than phone support, plus I have something that's documented. Anyways, I put in a return request through the email customer support, the lady replies back asking for information. She then forwarded that information to appropriate department, who called me yesterday.

I told her the whole ordeal, and she said that she'll just send me an extra 6-cell battery free of charge and I won't have to return the other 9-cell. However, with the special that is going on right now, I could get a better spec'ed out M250X for the same price I paid month ago when I purchased it. So I asked her if I can return my laptop and re-order a new one. At first she was hesitant and also said since there is nothing wrong with the laptop, that I will be charged a restocking fee. 15% fee would be around $180, and I explained to her from my point of view, there is something wrong with the laptop since I received something that was different then what was said it would be when i purchased it. After putting me on hold 3 different times, each about 3 minutes long, she finally agreed that I could just evenly swap out my current laptop for a new one, and pay the difference. But I already knew that the new configuration I would be ordering will come out to exactly same amount with free shipping

So the order is on the way for the new laptop, and they just sent me a RMA form to take to FedEx and ship the old one. The new laptop configuration is as follows:

Pentium M 740 (1.73GHz 533Mhz 2MB)
1GB 533Mhz DDR2 (2x512MB Dual Channel)
14" Ultrabright screen
60GB 5400RPM HDD
8x Multi-format dual layer Dvd writer
6-Cell Battery
All for $1169.99

That was same amount I paid for the original laptop month ago, but with 1.6GHz Pentium M and 512MB total RAM.
I think that's an awesome price for that spec, so i'm really really hoping everything goes through smoothly from here.

As far as heating and noise, palm area did not heat up much. The fan does not run much unless you leave your power setting to always on, keeping the cpu at 1.6Ghz constantly then the fan was on all the time. But even with the fan on, I didn't really notice that much noise, but then again, this is my first laptop so I don't really have much to compare to other than my desktop, which is decently loud. Only place I noticed that was really hot was at the bottom of the lcd screen in the middle, like the bottom lcd frame, but I probably will never touch that area with my hands so doesn't bother me, unless this is abnormal.

so there it is for now. just hope i get my new one in one piece, and they don't mess up with my return and charge me anything....

 

Regarding the big 9 Cell battery question, I actually have gotten more confusing information from Gateway. Last night a technician told me the 9 Cell battery is bigger and doesn't sit flush. I sent him your pictures and he said that picture was correct. This morning the sales department said the batteries are about the same size and referenced me to the links:

http://accessories.gateway.com/Acce...es_316800/Batteries_316803/6500944_ProdDetail

and

http://accessories.gateway.com/Acce...es_316800/Batteries_316803/6500974_ProdDetail

Apparently these are accurate pictures according to them. I asked them for dimensions or better diagrams, and again said these don't match posts here. I asked if they would give me a 6 cell battery along with the 9 cell I ordered for all the time I've wasted and they said yes, no, maybe, no (serveral answers). I am still trying.

Anyway, is this a good machine? I can't believe I've wasted so much time researching a stupid battery but I really appreciate all the help out on this forum!

 

HI
I'm interested in this model very much.

1)Can any user tell me if M250 only supports reolution 1280 x 768?
I've read user's review:
" This widescreen only has ONE view setting that doesn't squish the circles into ovals or bypass the edges of the screen leaving blank space. This one resolution (1280 x 768) is quite small"

Is it true???

2) what about viewing angel of screen? Is it good?

thanx

 

I received my laptop, earlier than expected. Here's a quick summary of what I think so far.
1) The palm rests do get warm, not hot (Left side heat is from the wireless, right side is the HD). I previously had a Dell Inspiron 600m with HOT palm rests, this is nothing compared to that. The 250's heat is not a disturbing issue for me.
2) I can't speak to the 6 cell battery life yet because I haven't tested it much. I can say that turning on the wireless does reduce it significantly.
3) Do not erase the D: restore partition that the HD ships with (unless you Ghost it or back it up somehow)! I did erase it because I wanted to "rearrange" partitions and such, plus I don't think much of restore partitions anyways. Gateway now has to ship me another 'fresh' HD because the drivers for the machine are not available online (yet?), the unit doesn't ship with a driver CD, and the System restore/Win XP CD does not restore the HD to it's original condition. And it's coming slowly (via ground shipping) unless I paid the $20 expedited upgrade shipping cost.

There's my knowledge so far. I'm impressed with the screen, unit size, and keyboard so far. There are other resolutions than just 1280 x 768. Horizontal viewing angles are good (with ultrabrite screen) but vertical isn't so good (it's expected I guess).

 

I got my new replacement one the other day and i'm loving it!! and 6-cell battery makes the laptop so much better than the 9-cell I had that stuck out.

Also, I'm sure you can set the resolution to different settings other than 1280x768, but most LCD's, desktop and notebooks, have what is called their native resolution on which the screen looks the best. If you change the resolution to any other settings, it might look fuzzy and not clear ( I could be wrong).

And metroman3, if you need the drivers, I can send them to you or tell you where to get it. I was able to find drivers for all components of the laptop. I too did delete the partitions and reinstalled XP Pro on the first machine I had received, but had no problem restoring everything to original state (partitions and all) before returning it to Gateway (from the recovery disc I had created since the first machine did not come with a Gateway recovery disc). But the new machine came with a Gateway recovery disc, so I am not sure how that one is suppose to work.

 

"And metroman3, if you need the drivers, I can send them to you or tell you where to get it. I was able to find drivers for all components of the laptop."

I think that it'd be a benefit to all of us who own the m250 to know where these drivers are, since gateway isn't providing them yet. Would you be able to post links to the drivers here? Thanks slimbim!

 

Hey all,
I was able to find all of the drivers from general places (well, at least the ones that I needed after reformatting and installing Win XP Pro.):

Intel Chipset Driver: Intel Website
Intel Graphics: Intel Website
Intel 2200BG Wireless: Intel Website
Broadcom 10/100/1000 NIC: Broadcom Website
The top part, BCM57xx drivers, and select your operating system.
Media Card Reader (what comes up as Mass Storage Controller under Device Manager): Gateway M360 driver download page
Sound Driver: Gateway M250 Download page
Touchpad Driver: Gateway M250 Download page
Modem Driver: Gateway M250 Download page
Modem driver on there currently did not work for me. It did not correctly detect the modem. But it might work for you. However, the one I downloaded from there few weeks ago does correctly detect and install the modem, so if you need it, I can email you the old one (name of file is same, but just happens that one I downloaded while back just works, but what I download now doesn't).

hope this helps.

 

HI, Slimbim
Have You already tested the 6-cells battery life?
What about fan noise? Does the fan turns on often?
Has anyone noticed any problems with this laptop?
Thanx for answers

 

For what it's worth,

Gateway has apparently changed their text in the M250 "customizing" pages to clarify that the 9 and 12 cell batteries extend further:

"Primary 4-cell Lithium ion battery with AC pack and 1 yr. limited battery warranty [ +US$0.00]

Primary 6-cell Lithium ion battery with AC pack and 1 yr. limited battery warranty [ +US$0.00]

Primary 9-cell Lithium ion battery with AC pack and 1 yr. limited battery warranty (to accommodate additional cells, this battery extends beyond the end of the system) [ +US$30.00]

Primary 12-cell Lithium ion battery with AC pack and 1 yr. limited battery warranty (to accommodate additional cells, this battery extends beyond the end of the system) [ +US$45.00] "

I'm still waiting for a formal review, but I appreciate the comments here.

-psydeways

 

I just ordered mine yesterday, and they said it should take about a week to get here. As a nice bonus for calling my order in, they actually upgraded my warranty to a 1-year onsite plan. After it comes, I will try to post a formal review of it.
Here are the specs:

Gateway M250X
Operating System: Microsoft(r) Windows(r) XP Home (SP2)
Operating System Software Backup Media: Microsoft(r) Windows(r) XP Home
(SP2) Backup CD
Application Software: Microsoft(r) Works 8.0
AntiVirus Software: Norton Internet Security 90 day introductory offer
Processor: Intel(r) Pentium(r) M Processor 740 (1.73 GHz, 533MHz FSB,
2MB L2 Cache)
Mobile Technology: Features Intel(r) Centrino(tm) Mobile Technology
Memory: 512MB 533MHz DDR2 SDRAM (1-512MB module)
Hard Drive: 60GB 5400rpm Ultra ATA hard drive
Floppy Drive: Integrated 6-in-1 Media Card reader
Optical Drive: Integrated 24x/10x/24x CD-RW / 8x DVD combo
Expansion Slots: One type II PC card slot
External Ports: (3) USB 2.0, VGA, IEEE 1394 (FireWire)
Screen: 14" Widescreen XGA TFT Active Matrix (1280 x 768 max.
resolution)
Video: Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900
Keyboard and Mouse: Full-Sized Keyboard and EZ Pad(r) Pointing Device
Multimedia Package: Integrated sound and stereo speakers,
headphone/speaker jack, and mic jacks
Battery: Primary 6-Cell Lithium ion battery with AC pack and 1 yr.
limited battery warranty
Modem: Integrated V.92 56K modem
Network Adapter: Integrated Broadcom(r) 10/100/1000 Ethernet Adapter
Internet Service Provider: Six months America Online(r) Internet access
Integrated Wireless Networking Adapter: Integrated 802.11b/g wireless
networking card
Extended Service Plan Including Limited Warranty: Notebook Value
Service
Plan -- 1 year part/labor/on-site/1 year technical support
Additional Software: Adobe(r) Acrobat Reader(r) 6.0, McAfee AntiSpyware
30 day introductory offer and Google Toolbar
Software Packages: Microsoft(r) Office 2003 Student & Teacher Edition
(6616287)
Carrying Case: Casual Carrying Case

 

I had been part of this discussion prior to receiving my M250X and, now that I have received it, I thought I'd put my thoughts out here.

I actually think the machine is GREAT! I had ordered a 9-Cell battery and found the height difference on this forum. Gateway shipped me a free 6-Cell battery. They also fixed their website.

The delivery was about 1 week late, but I did change my order too. When I changed the order I was told it may cause a delay, and it did (but not a problem).

The 6-cell battery has been running at times up to 2~3 hours and the 9-Cell from 4~5 hours. I had no setup problems and it worked like a champ out of the box.

I also think the value is good. I got mine with a Centrino 740, 80gb HDD, 512mb ram, DVD writer, XP Home and also got a 3 year ADP warranty. I also opted for the free printer deal (via rebate). All this came in far cheaper than anything I'd seen in the retail stores.

I know Gateway takes a lot of heat but this is actually a pretty good buy and very lightweight / compact.

I would recommend the notebook and I REALLY think this forum is EXCELLENT! Thanks to all of you for answering all of my specific questions and I enjoy reading your opinions.

 

I got my M250X with Windows XP Home and was considering upgrading to XP Pro. I noticed the driver research you provided, and had a few questions:

1. Can I upgrade to XP Pro without messing up the installed applications / settings on the machine?

2. Is there a big advantage to XP Pro?

3. If I install XP Pro will I have to reformat the HDD?

Let me know.

Thanks!

Mike

 

Just yesterday I took interest in M250X, and that's why I am here following you guys' opinions. It seems like most of you are happy with the overall quality of the product after the battery problem was resolved, and it has made me lean toward to buy M250X more now.

I believe most of you probably had read this already, but I see some earlier people asked for more reviews, here are couple of links that might be helpful:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1841081,00.asp

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/30/AR2005073000124.html

Anyhow, has anyone ordered a 12-cell battery? If yes, how is it? To me, 7 hours of battery life is very attractive, so I'm thinking getting a 6-cell and another 12-cell so i can choose between weight and battery life depending on the situation. You guys think that's a good idea?

 

Hello,
I am looking into purchasing the M250x notebook as well. I just had a couple questions for anyone willing to answer. I read in the above washington post article that there were problems playing DVD's. Anyone have any similar problems? What about burning, any "coasters?" Does Gateway provide software for burning? (ie: Nero) Also, I am looking at this notebook for leisure use, and was wondering how connecting wirelessly in say coffee shops or libraries faired? Simple to connect and use?
Thanks for humoring me and take care.

 

The 12-cell battery does have a long battery life, I'm getting about 5-6 hours with a wireless connection, just surfing and chatting. The battery does however raise the back of the system, but it is not a problem for me. Also buying a 6 cell would let you choose between weight and battery life. I think its a good idea.

 

Can anyone answer my questions above? (and/or point me in the right direction to find the answers?)

 

Saw one of these the other day, it seemed really snappy just moving in and out of programs and on start up. I also was really impressed with the screen... looked better to me than the toshiba m50's side-by-side.

 

Hey all,

I'm very interested in the M250X, and am mostly comparing it to the Sony Vaio S-Series. I'm leaning towards the Gateway, mostly because it's such a better value, but I'm wondering about how solid the machine is; how well it's built, does it feel chincy (sp?) at all etc. I find the S-Series well built and sexy, but the price difference is pretty huge.

Any thoughts would be appreciated ... thanks so much!

 

yes, I read this somewhere and it says you can do this

"One tip,if you have problems with PowerDVD freezing for a milisecond
every minute or so the issue is the Intel 915 graphics chipset. You
need to go to the Intel site and download the latest driver. The
driver that came with the box was causing the prob's despite several
reinstalls. While customer service was readlily available and did
their best to respond to my issue (told me to reinstall), I had to
figure this one out myself."

by the way, hello all! Im new here and have a M250X coming in the mail on Friday....thanx for having me

 

Hey, thanks for that tip z mann r2. Ill try that when/if necessary. I also ordered a M250X. I should get it by next week sometime. How did you configure your notebook; just curious.

 

well I got the Pentium M 1.6 GHz that it comes with, I got the 5400RPM 60gig HD, the DVD burner upgrade, and the ultrabright screen, the only thing i feel I shoulda done was to get the 1-512Mb stick instead of the 2-256Mb sticks for the extra $20 or $30. It comes in on Friday, can't wait, its in San Antonio Right Now, I live in Corpus Christi, TX

I found out that this processor, is great for overclocking, I found an excellent website on how to do it, check it out.... How to overclock your Pentium M (or anyother for that matter) <----take a look at the processor they use in the example, its the same exact one that comes standard in the M250X. They were able to up the 1.6 GHz to a 1.92 GHz!!

 

Just received the M250 I bought for my daughter:
Processor 760 (2.00 GHz), 1MB RAM, 80GB hard drive, DVD Writer, bright screen, 9 cell & 6 cell batteries

DVD played fine. Haven't tried burning yet. Used it on my home wireless network to transfer my daughter multi-GB itunes files & download all the MS & virus updates - speedy & no problems. Signal strength excellent throughout my house (same as my Thinkpad).

My daughter likes the high gloss screen - DVD's look great. I'd likely find the reflection annoying in my office - if I buy one later this year, I'll skip the "ultrabright" screen. My daughter is now keeping her microfiber eyeglass-cleaning cloth next to her computer to wipe off the fingerprints & smudges!

Boots & hibernates quickly, even with 1GB RAM. Feels solid. SD card slot works as it should with cards from camera & Palm. Internal speakers sound tinny, but fairly loud for a notebook. Old external speakers sounded good with DVD.

The 6-cell battery fits flush with the bottom of the case, so will be the primary battery. I bought the additional 9-cell as a backup & for extended use. It does add noticeable weight and a lump on the rear bottom that angles the keyboard up (fine on a desk, lumpy in a briefcase/backpack).

I ordered a Shoreline 14.1" neoprene notebook sleeve for her to use when she keeps it in her backpack. I'll let you know how it fits.

I ordered it August 1st, it was shipped from SHANGHAI August 4th, and it arrived in Buffalo NY August 8th. Not bad at all. The additional battery came the next day.

-psydeways

 

Hey,

1. I am not sure, as I've never tried it. If you take the upgrade path instead of the fresh install, then I believe Windows will tell you which programs might need to be reinstalled or may not work after the upgrade before it actually does it. But in most cases, I think it should work fine.

2. I think only advantage to XP Pro over Home is mainly in networking and security (file security), multi-processor support etc. You could go to Microsoft website and I believe they have a feature comparison btw the two.

3. It depends. If you do fresh install, then yeah reformat, which means you will lose everything. If you take the step 1 above and do an upgrade, then no. But if you do an upgrade, the recovery partition probably becomes useless...(not 100% since I've never tried this either)

Personally, I just repartitioned / reformatted everything and just installed a fresh copy of the XP Pro. If you do not have a particular need or have your own copies of the programs came pre-installed, and have a need for XP Pro, then I say just reformat and fresh install (but make a full recovery disc just in case you want to go back. It also becomes handy when you want to sell/return/whatever the laptop later).

Regarding someone stating about DVD playing/burning, I've not had a problem both playing or burning the DVD at factory configuration and after I've fresh installed XP Pro. As soon as I received the laptop, I've watched a movie and burnt the recovery dvd disc without changing any settings or drivers, before I installed XP Pro.

I really do think this laptop is a great deal for the price. I know the construction isn't top notch, but think of all the money you saved compared to another laptop of same hardware spec. Screen is great, but now I want a bigger screen...... I thought 1280 x 768 will be enough.... but its not for me. I need a 14" widescreen with UWSXGA or whatever resolution

 

ok so im going to go ahead and reinstall windows, but just to be safe i wanted to download my drivers. heres what i got off the gateway website:
Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet v8.27.1.0
Calexico 2 Wireless Network Card Driver v9.0.1.21
Conexant V.92 Modem v7.20.00.00
Media Card Reader v1.0.3.3
SoundMax audio driver v6.14.10.0545
Touchpad Driver v7.12.3.0
Intel Express Chipset Family Video Driver v6.3.0.1007

i checked in device manager, and these all match up with my current drivers, however, i have a few questions:
1. i have no idea where to find the Intel Express Chipset Family Video driver information. is this the intel chipset driver or the intel graphics driver?
2. also, i read that i should update the intel graphics driver to fix video playback, but i dont know where to get that from.

i found these under drivers for Mobile Intel 915 Express Chipset Family:
INF Update Utility [INFINST_AUTOL.EXE] v7.2.1.1003
INF Update Utility [INFINST.EXE] v6.3.0.1007

and i found this under drivers for Mobile Intel 915GM/GMS, 910GML Express Chipset Family:
Graphics Driver [WIN2K_XP1415.EXE] v14.15

if my post was confusing at all please let me know, i will clarify as best i can. thanks in advance.

joe cocco
Gateway M250X - Pentium M 1.73 GHz - 1 GB RAM - 80 GB Hard Drive

 

does anyone know of any good laptop sleeves that fit the m250 well?