Not a bad deal:

• AMD Turion 64-Bit Dual Core CPU
• 2 Gigs of speedy RAM
• 160 Gig Hardrive (4400 rpm – eeek)
• Nice Wide Screen
• WindowsXP Media Edition
• McAfee Internet Security for 90 Days, with discounted purchase option

There were other niceties, like a competitive 2-year parts replacement option and a 50% discount on a Microsoft Laser Mouse (for laptops). MS-Office is fully functional for 90 days, but to be honest I’m not thrilled about the idea of paying for it. I went ahead and activated it, but downloaded:

• Firefox
• Thunderbird
• OpenOffice
• SSH Term

Time will tell if I fall victim to the Microsoft desktop domination, which is already happening with a requirement to use IE over Firefox (for a proprietary app I use). Thunderbird is a nice program, but it also may not be able to overcome my familiarity with Outlook.

In a few days, the next investment will be on one of the Sierra Mobile 3G Wireless Cards. One of my reasons for the Gateway purchase is that it supported the card that the three major mobile providers still use in my area. Other laptop manufacturers, like Sony and HP, have already switched over to the smaller card format.

This laptop wasn’t a significant investment, and it will likely get handed off to my family in a year or so. By then, the business-grade laptop choices won’t be so difficult.