Gateway to Low-Cost Computing
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Gateway’s E-1400 Desktop units are designed specifically with the education environment in mind. A low profile, highly serviceable, convertible (meaning it can be positioned either horizontally or vertically, depending on your workspace) case means it is well-suited for computer labs, or wherever space and ease of serviceability are high priorities.
Gateway’s E-1400 Desktop units are designed specifically with the education environment in mind. A low profile, highly serviceable, convertible (meaning it can be positioned either horizontally or vertically, depending on your workspace) case means it is well-suited for computer labs, or wherever space and ease of serviceability are high priorities.
The unit Gateway sent us for review featured a 500MHz Celeron processor, 64MB SDRAM, 10GB hard drive, 3.5" floppy disk drive (crucial for student assignments), integrated Intel graphics with 4MB SDRAM, two USB ports for easy connectivity of peripherals, 24X CD-ROM, two PCI slots, 3-bay small form factor case, integrated Intel 10/100 Ethernet connectivity, Windows 95, Intel LANdesk 6.0, Intellimouse, Integrated Business Audio, external speakers and a multi-function keyboard. In other words, the only thing "budget" about the E-1400 is the price – our unit rang in at just over $1,000.
This PC couldn’t have been easier to set up and live with. Everything worked the way it was supposed to, from the very first time we turned it on. We installed an internal 3-Com V.90 56 Kbps modem and experienced nary a glitch or hang-up. We plugged Iomega’s new ZIP 250MB USB drive into one of the two USB ports and have been happily transferring large files back and forth without any problems. We plugged in a USB joystick and evaluated various games and edutainment titles. We’ve used the E-1400 to flawlessly download images from an Epson PCZ 750 digital camera. We’ve even hooked up a Garmin eMap GPS (Global Positioning System) unit to the PC, without any bugs of any kind.
If you haven’t figured it out yet, we’ll just say that we’ve been extremely pleased with the user-friendliness of Gateway’s E-1400. We feel these units would be of great use in most educational environments. Because of their upgradeable, trouble-free nature and network connectivity, they are ideal for computer labs. And their user-friendliness makes them well suited for classrooms or administrator and instructor offices.
Gateway, Inc.
North Sioux City, SD
(800) 846-5211
www.gateway.com
This article originally appeared in the 02/01/2000 issue of THE Journal.