Gateway unveils 11.6-inch, AMD-based netbook
updated 08:45 am EDT, Tue June 23, 2009
Gateway LT3100 Netbook
Gateway this morning chose to follow an unusual tack and launched the LT3100 as its second-generation netbook. The crossover PC is just an inch thick and about 3.1 pounds but uses an 11.6-inch, 1366x768 display and has components closer to a regular notebook's: it uses a low-power, single-core 1.2GHz Athlon 64 with Radeon X1270 graphics and a full 2GB of RAM. Consciously breaking Microsoft's rules for netbooks means the system uses Windows Vista Home Basic instead of XP, but the faster components should support the full Aero Glass interface where Atom netbooks usually struggle.
The system is outfitted in other areas like a regular notebook with a 250GB hard drive and a 6-cell battery that should net up to 5 hours of battery life. A webcam and card reader are joined by a multi-touch trackpad that supports pinching to zoom, two-finger swiping through pages and scrolling through circular gestures.
Multiple trim levels will be available in black or red, but the entry model at has all the above specifications plus 802.11n Wi-Fi for $400. Shipments start today.
