P172X FX - Impressions, Issues and Questions

Hello all,

Here's my first impressions and issues thus far (over 1 week in)-

Good:
First off, the laptop is almost everything I expected. It is blazing fast after applying the Vista 32 tweaks (thanks!) and unloading the bloatware. The resolution is top notch and it does play the very CPU straining EQ2 on balanced setting hichup free.- (high quality had quite a bit of stuttering) The build quality is great with a real nice keyboard feel. Function key is located where ctrl usually is (weird). All in all the thing is nice.

Now for the bad:
Lefthand side of screen is clouded, totalling about 25% of the screen - This is, I'm afraid, unacceptable. Also, right touchpad button works about 1/2 the time - its like it sticks or something.

The Exchange:
So I have opted to return the laptop for a new one, which Gateway was more than willing to do. Problem is the 12-18day exchange period was not acceptable as I need the laptop way before then. Solution was to buy another one outright and ship this one back.
Talk about a MAJOR HASSLE to try and get the 15% restocking fee waived - even with the purchase of a new laptop they did not want to budge on this - finally after a few threats from me they did.

Questions:
Because I have already completely configured the current machine with the updated video driver, vista tweaks, and my personal data, what is the best way to transfer all this to the new machine?? Image? (if so how?)- I know there are variuos partitions that I dont know how to re-set-up. I don't think swapping the harddrives would be a good idea. What do you think?

Any ideas on the swap are greatly appreciated. And thanks to all who recommended this laptop. It is a screamer and even with the above problems, is still of great value and performance.
Thanks.

 

if you can wait to ship the one you have now till you get the new one in hand then just yank out the drive of the old and slap it in the new . other then that ya your going to have to make some images of the drives. these machines basically have all the same hardware except for the screens and HDs so everything is interchangeable .

 

Quad,
Ya, the machines would be identical - but wont the serial numbers of the HD's and the windows vista registration get all fouled up if I swap them??

 

nope, takes more than switching or adding a hard drive....... remember...these machines are made off of one or two images them selves...

 

ya basically they just take drives ghost the image to them and slip them in the machines as needed and alot of times with laptops the windows number in the registry wont even match the one on the bottom of your comp and the activation for windows is actually in the bios so if say you format you wont have to reactivate as long as you use the factory disk. oh and as far as tracking the harddrive serial number thats never going to happen

 

So solution = just swap hard drives and good to go right?
Thanks!

 

pretty much so...

 

Argh! Mine has the same problem! Only 10% of the screen but still. What's up with this?

 

can you take a picture of the screen?

 

I uploaded 2 pics taken from my cell phone camera (2 megapixel). Notice how on the left side the white background suddenly becomes grey.

 

yep. send it back. that is unacceptable.

edit: it's probably the inverter.

 

Yep. They should ship out my new one tomorrow hopefully. It's a shame . I love this laptop! I just wish the screen was fully functional. I hope the next one they ship is error-free.

 

Looks quite similar, but mine is just over a larger area . In fact if you look at the screen from a skewed angle my fog actually covers over 1/3 of the screen. The replacement machine is supposed to be be here monday (Gateway lied again about 2-day UPS air - sent it ground, not cool). I'm gonna do what Johnksss and quad suggested, and swapthe hard drives to keep all my data and send them back a basically clean machine - hope it works. I suggest sending yours back as well, that just isn't acceptable.

 

Yeah, I ordered my replacement on Wednesday night. They still haven't shipped it out though . I'm slightly worried they no longer have it in stock... they took down the link from their website. It only has the 172X and the 172S FX now. I really hope it ships by July 3rd like their order tracker says... we're having a family reunion and I want to show my brother my laptop! I also wanted to keep the one I have now until the next one gets here so I can compare but that's unfortunately no longer an option. They gave me a week to send it back and it doesn't look like the new one will be here by Wednesday

 

Since we're on the topic of Gateway quality/defects, is it normal for the power adapter to emit a continuous staticky hiss while the laptop is closed and inactive?

 

I doubt it's normal. Mine doesn't.