First Look at Gateway's Sleek New PCs

Silver-and-black industrial designs highlight 500 series of desktops and notebooks.

Gateway hopes to shed its beige-box image by launching this week its new silver-and-black 500 series desktop PCs, ranging in price from $999 to $2799. PC World's exclusive first look at a 500S PC finds the system's changes are more than skin deep.

Following in the footsteps of companies such as Dell and Compaq, which have also launched flashier cases, Gateway plans to spread its new look throughout its desktop line. The company is also unveiling Monday three notebooks sporting similar designs. More than just a new coat of paint, the look is accompanied by greater durability as well as ease of access for desktop users, according to Gateway representatives.

The plastic and metal casing on the 500 series is more than double the thickness of standard PC designs, according to the company.

PC World tests found accessing the interior of the new chassis is a breeze. You just grip the latch at the top of the sturdy side panel and pull it off. You don't need tools to add components, and as with Gateway's earlier case design, there's an outside thumbscrew for releasing each of the PCI slot covers. Push-tabs lock and unlock the drive bays' guide rails.

News source: PCWorld.com