The Gateway P172X FX Laptop - Hardware Survey
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The Gateway P-172X FX is ripe for gaming with its beautiful 1,920x1,280, 17.1 inch monitor. The picture illuminated nicely and was very crisp and clear. It would be wise for other laptop makers to mimic the finish on this Gateway display. The glossy finish on the P-172X FX’s display was not too glossy like most consumer notebooks and not too dull like most business notebooks. The gloss was just the perfect mix between both extremes.
Watching your favorite movie on the P-172X FX is a pleasure. Good viewing angles are easily attainable. One does not have to be directly in front of the monitor to see everything without distortion. The quality of the color on screen was excellent as well.
The P-172X FX comes complete with the conventional full-sized keyboard and the added bonus of a number pad for those gamers who prefer easier access. The keyboard is very responsive and easy on one’s fingers, which is a must for those hardcore gamers that spend hours upon hours in front of the computer.
The track pad seemed to work pretty flawlessly and was responsive to the touch. The track pad’s buttons echoed this sentiment as well. One slight annoyance, though, was the fact that the track pad seemed to be awkwardly placed to the left of the keyboard. This took a bit of time to get used to.
The number keys on the P-172X FX matched the glossy black and red coloring of the rest of the computer, making them hard to read at times, especially while playing in the dark. This could become a nuisance for those who are used to the typical white lettering found on most standard keyboards. Another problem with the keyboard existed with the left-handed control and function keys. As most gamers know, these keys are widely used when playing, and it is hard to understand why Gateway switched their usual placement this time around.
A row of media controls sit above the keyboard, etched into the laptop’s metal border. The keys are backlit. They are aesthetically pleasing upon first glance, but when it comes to functionality they are lacking, since it is sometimes hard to tell if you pressed the buttons with enough force or not. Adjusting the volume was a breeze thanks to a very responsive touch sensitive volume slider included in the media controls.
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