Review: Gateway LT2104u Netbook

After my 6 year old little laptop started having issues, which caused it to become unreliable, I knew the need for a new laptop was necessary. I was lucky because my birthday came around and I received a brand new Gateway LT2104u netbook as a birthday present.

This is my first netbook. My last laptop was just as small, 10.1 inch screen, but back in the day they didn't technically call anything a netbook and it was the first of its kind to be that small.

On very first experience with the Gateway LT2104u I found the mouse to be a bit too close to the edge, compared to my last laptop and I found it quite awkward to use, but I have since gotten a little use to it. The mouse pad is a multi touch pad and I find it at times touchy. Sometimes it will randomly go back a page when I'm on a website or the mouse will end up on the other side of the screen. And, on occasion I will try to move the mouse and it will move in seemingly slow motion. The touchiness and the slow motion not so touchiness are few and far between but annoying when the do happen. I try to use a wireless mouse instead, when I can.

The power button can be conveniently inconvenient sometimes. It is a nice size and placed in a convenient spot that at times can be really inconvenient. I have a couple times lifted the computer with my left hand and ended up barely pressing the power button with my thumb and the computer instantly shut down. My last laptop at least popped up the shut down option but never shutdown unless I held the button down. When it does that, I end up loosing anything I didn't save and any websites I am at.

The only good thing I can say to when something like that does happen is start up on this Gateway LT2104u netbook is instant. Gone are the days when I push the power button and go do something else while I wait for Windows to finish loading. Literally the second you see the desktop screen the computer is ready and waiting for you to go. You still have to wait for Windows to load but once it hits the desktop it is ready.

One thing the Gateway LT2104u does not have which I find a bit boggling in this day and age is bluetooth. Even my 6 year old laptop had it. I use bluetooth especially for printing purposes on my computers, as I don't have a wireless network. So, the netbook not having bluetooth is annoyingly inconvenient.

Something showing a sign of the times which it does have is a webcam. I will say it is super easy to work and convenient. The webcam menu is always there but hiding until you need it. By default it is at the top of your screen and will show when you move the mouse in that area. It can be moved to other areas and you might do that as it can continuously get in the way popping up when you are trying to do something else. I have made videos with it but have not used it on Skype or anything like that. Basic videos the quality it good.

I have yet to find out where the speakers are but wherever they are not that loud. I don't like the location of the volume buttons. My last laptop had them as independent buttons right on the front. This one has them on the up and down arrow keys, but you have to hold down the Fn button, on the opposite side of the space bar, to activate them. Very inconvenient.

The keyboard keys on the Gateway LT2104u are slightly bigger than normal small laptops. It is nice but the arrow keys, instead of having the space above them, like a normal keyboard, they have the PgUp and PgDn buttons. You know how many times I have hit those keys on accident and ended up somewhere completely different on my computer than I wanted to be? I kind of wish the buttons weren't there. I have never in my life purposely used those buttons anyway.

The speed is not the fastest out there but it is decent for basic portable computer use. I sometimes have to wait a little longer than I want for a program to open but it isn't too bad. The screen is an 1024 x 600 LED and it is nice and clear and bright.

The battery life alone will make you like the laptop. The Gateway LT2104u has a battery life of 8 hours. And, yes, it does last that long. I am on the computer all day long and I rarely need to plug it in.

It comes with Windows 7 Starter edition which I did not know how unhappy I would be about it until I discovered what Windows 7 starter lacked, the ability to customize your computer. That alone is my biggest gripe about this netbook.

All in all I really like it. It is small, very portable and the battery life is amazing. It is great to travel with or use it everyday, like I do, for surfing and researching on the internet or typing up documents on a word processor program. I would recommend the Gateway LT2104u to anyone looking for a basic laptop and doesn't care about it having Windows 7 Starter Edition.