Gateway ML6720 Laptop: 3 week review

While in Miami I picked up a Gateway ML6720 laptop which, because of the death of my main system, has been my main system for the last 3 weeks. Like any system, it has its pros and cons and I've found quite a few when it comes to this laptop.

For better or worse, Windows Vista was installed by the manufacturer (Gateway), which also has its pros and cons. It is difficult to separate the two in the review, and since the manufacturer packaged the operating system with the laptop I have decided that I shouldn't.

Why Did I Choose It?

Good question. I spent some time between CompUSA, Best Buy, Walmart, TigerDirect and Office Depot before honing in on this system. One of the keys to my selection was the performance index that is provided to Windows Vista - I was running around these places, opening 'Control Panel-> Performance Information and Tools' and checking the performance of different aspects of the machine. There were machines that were close and even better, but balancing the performance with the price was really a deciding factor. Paying $600 bucks more for an overall 0.3 increase in performance does not make sense.

That Microsoft uses a scale of 1 to 5.9 is unintuitive. Most people would immediately think that the scale is 1 to 10.

The performance index for the Gateway ML6720, at least the one I have, is an overall 3.1/5.9. The best machine I indexed was 3.4, and cost over $1200 US. This machine cost $599. Do the math. Competitive machines as far as performance index and price included some Acer models, but Acer doesn't have much credibility for me at this time - I've seen too many Acers crash and burn. Gateway, while there are questions of support by some, has not needed me to contact support yet after 2 years with the older laptop I have - and I am not kind to my machines (which means I have to know more about them if I expect them to work).

When it comes to processor performance, the Intel Pentium Dual-Core Processor T2310/ 1MB L2 Cache/1.46GHz/533MHz FSB scored a 4.6/5.9. Respectable, and something I look for: Throughput. The truth is that most users don't need as much processing power, though Microsoft's packages require a lot of processing overhead (they write code to sell processors, it seems). Still, I am not the average user.

Memory operations per second are at 4.3/5.9 - again, respectable. Graphics are a bit of a downside and are responsible for the overall 3.1/5.9 as far as performance. 3D business and gaming graphics are at a 3.3/5.9, which seems to be median and was pretty average for most of the machines I looked at.

The hard drive transfer rate, a 5.2 of 5.9, is pretty extraordinary and is something which is important for most users.

The Trials of Fire

I didn't go out and do benchmarks on the system - I don't have the time or inclination; there are people out there who do that specifically. Instead, I have pushed this system in my own ways. I have crunched 200 megabyte MySQL databases, used large OpenOffice.org documents (greater than 10 megabytes - figure the equivalent in text of a 30 megabyte Microsoft Office file). I have edited 110 megabyte images in Gimp, and I have done some playing with fractals as well. Overall, the system has done well and surpassed my expectations.

The Pros

I hate to say it - I am not kind to Microsoft - but Windows Vista has stood admirably. The constant requests to run applications at the administrative level demonstrate that Microsoft learned something from Linux. Whether it is effective or not, time will tell.

The Windows Update works fairly well, and when set to only inform is not a problem for the most part. Not using Microsoft Office probably saves me some downloads; OpenOffice.org has been my writing tool for documents for so long now that I don't see the reason for Microsoft Office. And OpenOffice.org 2.3 does not stutter when it opens for the first session as it did on the older laptop - the code probably got better, and the RAM and processor probably help.

For just about everything I have attached this laptop to, from wireless networks to cameras to Belkin cables... Windows Vista and Gateway's integration have worked seamlessly. For the average user, I can find no problem with Windows Vista that would be considered an annoyance except one.

The screen is clear - enough so that in high glare areas, such as under a tropical sun, the screen is unusable. Of course, all screens are unusable under a tropical sun - but few make good mirrors.

The Cons

For some reason, Gateway took a 110 Gigabyte drive and made 10 Gigabytes of it available for recovery. This is rather stupid, since if the hard drive goes down so does all your recovery data. Further, 10 Gigabytes will net you some warnings from Windows Vista - annoyingly so - when you have too many restore points. In my experience, it has been all of ONE restore point. It is annoying, stupid and will drive most users completely bonkers. Further, figuring out which files need to be burned to DVD are annoying - and something I still have to fumble through Microsoft Documentation about because while Microsoft's new operating system appears fairly usable for most users, their documentation is, for lack of a better word, befuddled.

Compressing the logical drive for the restore points doesn't work out too well, and still nets you warnings - in fact, when I stopped the compression of the folders (it said '8 more hours!') I found that I only had 547 megabytes free on a drive that I used to have 4.4 Gigabytes free on! Annoyed? YES.

And while Windows Vista will warn you, annoyingly so, about the fact that more than half of your Recovery drive is being used - it will not give you any options to deal with it sensibly, instead offering you to remove applications, clean the recycle bin and, I'm sure its in there, tell you to go wash your face and quit smoking. All of these things might be useful, but when it comes to this specific problem you're better off hitting yourself over the head with your laptop. And, with all of this, you don't actually know that the Restore works. There is only one way to find out, but I am not so brave with this machine as my main system right now... and, since it will probably become similar to many users, I suspect that this, too, will be a problem for them.

The answer? Format the bloody drive. THEN - more intelligently - don't save the data on the same physical drive but put it on an external drive, such as a USB device or a few DVDs.

Never back up your data to the same drive. NEVER. That the Gateway folks designed this charlie-foxtrot is not an excuse for you to lose your data. Be smart. Backup elsewhere.

Incidentally, I didn't get a DVD/CD with the machine. However, getting drivers off the Gateway site is rather simple once your laptop is acrobatic - they of course placed the information they request on their site at the bottom of the laptop, where I had to figure out which one of those numbers was 13 digits long so that I could enter it in the site. This is not a feat the average person will get right the first time. Someone at Gateway should be drug tested. And while I was performing this acrobatic, semi-sexual act with my laptop (show me your digits, baby...), my hand caught on the DVD/CD player so it would open in some strange mechanical concert - at one point, the front cover of the DVD/CD player partially came off (I snapped it back in). Annoying? Yes. I'm all for public stoning of the person who came up with this system, and I'm not making a marijuana reference.

For automating things, Windows Vista pretty much sucks - especially since I'll have to update all my batch files to the 'new and improved' directories. While I was able to pull over files from the Windows XP partitions using a Belkin Easy Transfer Cable for Windows Vista, many things still did not work off the cuff - most annoyingly anything that is Open Source. If it is open source, such as SeaMonkey , get your USB key out - Belkin fails.

Physical

Weighing in at 6.24 pounds, this machine is definitely not the lightest machine in the laptop kingdom. Still, for the processing power and screen usability - which is awesome except under a tropical sun - I find it worth lugging around. With a proper backpack, it rides easy.

The KnowProSE.com Score

The Gateway ML6720 with Windows Vista gets a 6 out of 10. It is usable and friendly, but at the first signs of trouble the average user is going to be frustrated. This is no different than many other brands of laptops, but there are some serious issues when it comes to backups which are of great importance to users. Still, it offers great value for the money.

To be clear - this is not a relative scale. The 6 out of the possible 10 is not a comparison to other laptops - rather, it is a reflection of how this machine performed in practical use. A laptop which scores a 10 probably does not exist, or if you think it does - send it to me. I'll put it through the paces in hostile environments against one of the most hostile users on the planet: me.

Random Laptop Tips

Keep your laptop battery as cool as possible. Because of the integration of all these heat producing stuff in your laptop - as well as the battery - keep your laptop off of desks for long periods of time because they do not breathe well. They can use some help, such as the USB Powered and Most Efficient Metal Cooler Pad with 3 Built-in Fans for Laptop Computer. Keeping your battery cool keeps the happy little ions in your battery less likely to do naughty things - arguably, extending your battery life.

Whenever you have an outlet - use it. I've found all sorts of fun areas in airports - behind vending machines, plants and even - in a pinch - the bathroom.

Use some of those anti-static things you use in your dryer to wipe your computer now and then - it actually keeps dust off of them, and if you use the ones with Febreeze in them, your computer smells nice.

And last, but not least, do not sit on your laptop. I have seen this done, and it is not pretty.