Ive reviewed laptops for decades; and this $499 Core i7 2-in1 laptop is perfect for freelancers
Date:
Fri, 03 Feb 2023 22:00:45 +0000
Description:
A Walmart-exclusive deal, this Gateway laptop comes with plenty of bells and whistles that make it an appealing purchase.
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When I first started writing about tech in the late 1990s, Gateway 2000 was one of the computer companies that tried to do things differently, with its bovine-themed design filling the pages of computer magazines (aka dead tree with ink on it). No matter how close you look, the quality shines through reads one of the slogans.
Fast forward to 2023, and Gateway 2000 is now an Acer brand thats exclusive
to Walmart, the worlds largest supermarket chain.
Gateway is probably one of the most underrated computer brands around, and
the GWCC71416-BK, a svelte 2-in-1 convertible laptop that sells for $499
(down from $699) , is perhaps the best example of the type of astounding
value for money products Walmart can extract from its suppliers. Gateway 14.1 inch 2-in-1 Elite: A brief look
Three things make this laptop stand out for a freelancer: a Core i7 CPU, a stylus and a $499 price tag (with an optional $79, 3-year product protection warranty from Allstate). From afar, it looks like one of these expensive-looking Lenovo Yoga laptops but at a fraction of the price.
The stylus is particularly useful when paired with mind mapping software as part of a brainstorming session with a client or as an electronic sidekick with a note taking app like Onenote .
Other than the 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPU (with an integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics card), theres 8GB non-upgradable DDR4 RAM and a 256GB SSD (likely to be a PCIe NVMe Gen 3).
The display is a 14.1-inch touchscreen full HD IPS with a rather large bezel to help with holding the device - a good choice given that the device is
about 1.5kg/3.4lbs.
We're not sure what Wi-Fi card is bundled with the Elite but given the presence of Bluetooth 5.1, wed say that the GWCC71416-BK uses an Intel AX201 NGW which offers Wi-Fi 6, with Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 being the faster wireless iterations. Audio is handled by THX technology and theres two stereo speakers that should deliver good enough sounds.
Walmart also didnt disclose the battery capacity of this laptop, but states that it can last up to 10 hours which is believable given the low power consumption of the Core i7. In fact, it is likely that the screen will be the biggest power hog of the system; which brings us to another important point. We dont know how bright the screen is, although wed expect it to be at least 300 nits.
While the keyboard is backlit, theres no fingerprint reader and the 2-megapixel front facing camera doesnt have a privacy shutter, two key features to make it a proper business laptop . That said, the GWCC71416-BK does have adequate expansion capabilities: two USB ports, a microSD card slot and a headphone jack. Theres no Ethernet or HDMI ports so you will have to
get a docking station if you want extra connectors.
Lenovo Yoga 6
If you want a bit more oomph (and for an extra $160), consider the award winning Yoga 6 from Lenovo which comes with a more powerful 6-core processor, dual microphones, a fingerprint reader, a privacy shutter, a more compact/lightweight chassis and an infrared camera.
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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/news/ive-reviewed-laptops-for-decades-this-dollar499 -core-i7-2-in1-laptop-is-perfect-for-freelancers
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