Gateway C-140 + M-Audio FireWire 410

 

The past few days have seen the delivery of two new additions to my studio setup. But first, some back story.

Ever since my old Macbook kicked the bucket several years back and I transitioned to using my desktop PC full-time, I've been pining for the mobility of a notebook computer again. Recently, a near-death experience with my desktop's hard drive caused me to seriously consider the purchase of a new computer. With nary the funds to bust at this point in time, I managed to work out a deal with my dad to split the cost considering that it would be a justifiable business expense. With the two of us set to collaborate on a new CD project, the timing was perfect.

So, I began to research and plot and figure out how exactly my new studio would look and function. Especially taking into account the fact that I'll be moving into an apartment soon. Ultimately, I decided to create a modular studio that could work in several different configurations. At home, everything would combine into Voltron. You have the laptop functioning as the central hub and secondary monitor, my 20" widescreen serving as the main monitor, a new M-Audio interface hooked up into the mixer and speakers, and hooking up the mouse + keyboard of my current PC for ease of use, along with any other devices that need to be used (printer, scanner, etc.)

In portable mode, there would be two main configurations. Along with the audio interface, the laptop could be used remotely as a portable audio recording setup so long as I have access to a power outlet for the M-Audio bit (since my laptop's FireWire port isn't a 6-pin). And then as a standalone, the laptop I chose is one of the best combinations I could find of durability, power and ease of use. Gateway has been in a bit of a slump previously, but they're slowly returning to their former glory with some very smart configs being put out there. The C-140 is one of them, and it's a very fun and functional notebook/tablet.

 

I always love it when computer manufacturers surprise you with an overestimated shipping date. The day I was given was November 7th, this coming Wednesday... However, upon returning home after working overtime on Thursday the 1st, I found this lovely box awaiting me!

 

Having shed its cow-like exteriors, the box within was very slick and handle-ready, much like a certain line of Apple-produced products. Considering the look and functionality of Gateway's new "One", you can definitely tell they're going for that hip aesthetic that works so well.

 

Out of the box, a very unique shape for a laptop. This was before attaching the battery, which made it even more curvy. It has a rubber bump to it that feels very nice when toting it around, and doubles as a prop to angle the keyboard for better typing posture.

 

Open, it looks like your typical laptop. Yet, with a few additional buttons on the left-bottom of the screen. That, and the conspicuous hinge. One thing to note about this photo is that the touch pad is indeed as uncomfortable as it looks. Particularly the buttons, as their clicks are extremely stiff. A minor gripe, considering that I'll mainly be using a USB mouse and the pen.

 

Ah yes, the hinge. What's this? Has my laptop gone exorcist on me?

 

Apologies for the shoddy photo. Damn phone cameras. However, this is the result of the transformation! A nice littlebig tablet PC all ready for toting around and writing or drawing. While I am admittedly a faster typist than I am a writer, the writing functionality (especially with Vista), is very smooth and satisfying. A bit of an example, with some intentionally sloppy handwriting:

It's not perfectly accurate at first, but you can edit exactly what you're writing and it will adapt over time to your various quirks. Using made-up words is slightly more challenging, so the handwriting recognition is mainly for more formal purposes rather than typing out messages to friends. There's all kinds of great applications for this too, such as writing directly on sheet music. Even used with Sibelius, there's a certain satisfying feeling in "writing" in the notes onto the staff rather than lots of clicking.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the laptop from both an aesthetic and performance standpoints. The thing is very fast with its 2GHz dual-core and 2GB of RAM, rivaling my desktop PC in certain tasks. The graphics card isn't the hottest thing out there, but it can run Hellgate London on Medium settings just fine which is good enough for me. The more hardcore PC gaming will have to take a back seat, but considering that my game queue is obscenely high already, I can deal. Oh yeah, and the M-Audio FireWire 410 works like a charm. Bet you didn't think I'd mention that did you? It sounds beautiful, looks great, and was a snap to set up. Now I just need a 7.1 speaker setup to use its full potential! Hah.