The Gateway E-155C (aka C-120X) serves as both a new laptop series and a fresh new look for the company’s offerings. While the CX210/M285 remains available, many people will be put off by the heavy weight and large size. At the same time, this heavyweight is attractive for those who still want the fastest processors and largest tablet screen available. The E-155C “Thin & Light Convertible” offers an ultra-low voltage processor to reduce battery drain and heat. Many users find their most natural use for a Tablet PC is on-the-go note taking and reference (like a PDA on steroids) and for this type of use, the E-155C fits the bill.

The first thing we noticed when we unpacked our unit was the solid build quality. One thing we always worry about with a PC that will likely be mishandled more often than other PCs, is making sure the system is solid. Out of the box, you get the basics: PC, power cord, battery, stylus, replacement tips, and software CDs. The E-155C offers the usual ports. Along the left side we have the VGA output, dock connector, gigabit Ethernet, PC Card slot, 6-in-1 card reader, and stylus holder. The front surface is home only to the latch release. The right side contains two USB ports, FireWire, CD+/-RW, headphone and microphone ports. Power, modem, and Kensington lock slots are located in the back. The standard battery also features a meter that doesn’t require the laptop to power on in order to check battery life. Around the touch-sensitive screen, you’ll find the power button, lock, screen rotation, Windows Mobility Center (for Vista), wireless on/off, enter, and back buttons, along with the built-in dual mics and fingerprint scanner. The black and silver motif is classy and conservative, accented by a dark brushed metal finish around the keyboard.

Base features include the 12.1” WXGA LCD with sunlight readability filter and ambient light sensor, which was pretty clear during both indoor and outdoor viewing. Outdoor viewing was especially clear for a laptop, though, as expected, colors were significantly washed out. The onboard Intel GMA950 won’t win any F.E.A.R. matches, but then again, this isn’t a gaming machine. The only processor option is the Core 2 Duo ULV U7500, clocked at 1.06GHz. We found the processor to be capable of most applications, though there was some borderline significant lag on OneNote during digitizing. Ram is under-clocked to 533 MHZ to reduce power consumption, and offered at up to 3GB (our model had 1GB). Hard drive offerings max out at 120GB, and there is an option to upgrade the CD-RW drive to a DVD-RW one. Rounding out the configuration is Bluetooth 2.0 and 802.11a/b/g. It should be noted that as an option, this system includes Windows XP Tablet Edition, which does not support many of the tablet enhancements available in Vista. We recommend that you stick with Windows Vista. If Bill Gates uses a Tablet PC for his day-to-day computing, you know he added his two bits on what could be improved, and people hopped to it. Overall, the E-155C scored a 3.1 in the Windows Experience Index, which isn’t horrible, but could be improved upon.