Gateway Solo 9300 Xl

With the entrance of the mobile Pentium II/400 on the scene, most manufacturers are refreshing their product lines at the top end. However, Gateway hasn't been content just to improve the internal components when upgrading its Solo 9150 XL (reviewed issue 59, p153) and has also made changes to the physical design. Having said that, the Solo 9300 XL is similar to its predecessor in many ways, with much the same core specification (although now improved by the addition of a mobile Pentium II/400) and the same determination to push its way into the territory once held only by desktop PCs.

The thickness of the case has been reduced from the 55mm desktop-replacement doorstop of the 9150 XL to a more manageable 41mm. This drop has also affected the weight - the older machine weighed a barely movable 4kg, which pretty much marked it down for a life in the office. The 9300 XL weighs 3.6kg, which is more of a viable proposition for carrying around. The build quality remains good, with a solidly constructed body and a reasonably strong lid surface providing protection for the screen.

The 9300 XL has been given a more consumer-orientated spin, with the addition of features like dedicated case-mounted play controls for audio CDs and an IEEE1394 FireWire interface. Gateway hopes that this will increase the 9300 XL's appeal beyond those in the business market to include those put off by heavier notebooks but still after power and features. This obviously includes some SoHo users wanting a high-end notebook as their primary machine.

Although the drives all co-exist within the case they're still removable, allowing you to swap the standard-issue Toshiba 24-speed CD-ROM for an optional DVD-ROM drive (£60), or exchange the floppy module for an LS-120 when it becomes available towards the end of the year. Removing the CD-ROM drive also provides access to the hard disk, which likewise is easy to replace.

There's 32Mb of RAM on the motherboard, along with a further 64Mb occupying one of its two readily accessible SODIMM sockets, so you could add up to 128Mb more at a stroke without needing to replace the existing module. Other neat touches include the LED battery-charge meter on the outer side of the pack, which allows you to check the condition of the battery without removing it or turning the machine on, and the spring-loaded tilt feet for improving the typing angle. There's even an attachment point for a Kensington lock.

The keyboard is spacious, commonly used keys haven't been doubled up to save space at the expense of usability, and the spacebar, Enter and Shift keys are all large. The action is fairly light but the keytops don't wobble. There are also four programmable keys intended to start your email program, Web browser, Windows help and one unassigned shortcut, but they can be re-assigned to whatever apps you like. As usual the best sound will be from headphones or external speakers. The integrated units will be okay for business audio, but more demanding uses will need other hardware. If you have a DVD-ROM drive you can make use of the S/PDIF digital audio output to connect a 5.1 surround-sound speaker system - in fact, the notebook could easily act as the core of a home cinema setup.

Graphics get a degree of 3D acceleration from the ATi Rage Mobility AGP 2x accelerator, using the Mach64LT chipset and 8Mb of local memory, but it's left standing by current desktops. The big, 15in XGA screen of the 9150 XL has been retained, so you get treated to the sort of display a desktop replacement deserves - not far short in area and characteristics from a 17in CRT. As well as being large, crisp and easy to read, the screen is also fairly well lit.