Hi. I just found this site while looking into th

[Stumble03]

Hi. I just found this site while looking into the m275. I originally was going to buy the Gateway M280 but then I heard that it didn't use a Wacom digitizer. So now I have my eye on the M275.

I was wondering what you guys think of the M275? (Hows the screen, image resolution, performance...) I can not find one where i live to test drive so I cannot try one my self. If there are any m275 owners out there that can tell me their experience on their m275, what they like, what they dislike, i would be thankful.

[eclipse115]

You won't be able to find one to test drive. I found the Toshiba r10 and r15 to be comparable screen wise. The screen is "glassier" than the toshiba and it is real smooth to write on which I love. The performance is comparable to a standard desktop. My startup was extremely slow but once I removed Norton Antivirus it ran perfectly. I now use AVG for antivirus and Zone Alarm for firewall.

If you have any specific questions then let me know and I'll tell you what I can. I'm running the M275X which is 1.5 Ghz and 512 RAM with 60 GB harddrive.

[Stumble03]

Eclipse, (or other m275 owners)

Answer any of these question if you can

How long have you had your M275?

How long does the default battery last for you?

Have you encountered any design problems with the M275? Like the known hatch problems or any other problems?

If you use Adobe Photoshop. How does Photoshop perform on the M275? Is the default pen good or would you recommend buying one from wacom.com?

Do you encounter problems with the screen recognizing the pen when using it on the edges of the screen?

Have you had to contact customer support regarding your M275? If so, how was your experience?

Have you had any hardware problems with your M275 that needed to be sent back to Gateway? If so, how did it turn out?

Sorry for so many questions. But this is basicly what im wondering about currently and would love any responses anyone can give me. Thanks.

[Stergas]

Question for all on the M275:
Is it correct that the M275 has the Wacom tablet? And if so, has anyone downloaded the Wacom tablet drivers offered for free on their site? And lastly if so, do they work?

Thanks,
Jim

[eclipse115]

Ok . . . here goes:

How long have you had your M275?
Admittedly, I just bought it off of ebay. But it was used and fully broken in. So it should be exhibiting the signs of wear.

How long does the default battery last for you?
Again mine is used so I'm getting a little over 2 hours. I'm running quite a few memory intensive programs though.

Have you encountered any design problems with the M275? Like the known hatch problems or any other problems?
Mine is used and the hatch is still sturdy. I was at first concerned that the wrist rest was too deep(as one review stated) but once I got it I found it was perfect. I wish there were configurable buttons for tablet mode but that's merely a dream of mine. All buttons are properly place and I don't find myself accidentally doing anything wrong.

If you use Adobe Photoshop. How does Photoshop perform on the M275? Is the default pen good or would you recommend buying one from wacom.com?
I use photoshop primarily. Photoshop runs without any hitches and 512 memory has always been enough memory to handle it. Illustrator and Photoshop together might be a little taxing though. The pen is decent but does not have an eraser and only has one button. I might get an extra Cross pen for the felt tip but definitely want to keep one that fits in the slot.

Do you encounter problems with the screen recognizing the pen when using it on the edges of the screen?
My tablet recognizes the pen at the edges but it can be a little jumpy i.e. moving just a hair back and forth. I seem to have problems more with accessing the system tray corner rather than the Close application X in the upper right. I understand that the edges are always going to be less accurate with any tablet due to the way the technology is made.

Have you had to contact customer support regarding your M275? If so, how was your experience?
I contacted technical support in order to transfer my warranty and ownership. The man was pleasant but towards the end of the call he was having problems completing the transfer. I do have to call them back to follow-up but I haven't had time.

Have you had any hardware problems with your M275 that needed to be sent back to Gateway? If so, how did it turn out?
Not far enough into it to need to send it back yet. I am more apt to fix it myself rather than sacrifice weeks without it though. There are many spare parts available on ebay should something go wrong. Its one of the reasons I bought the m275 over others was its wide availablity of parts. I know that in a pinch I can do it myself.

Is it correct that the M275 has the Wacom tablet? And if so, has anyone downloaded the Wacom tablet drivers offered for free on their site? And lastly if so, do they work?
The m275 was the last to have a wacom tablet. i did download the drivers and they work perfectly. My style in art though (or maybe its using a mouse too long) don't really require the pressure sensitivity but I wanted the option. I have not tested it for Corel though.

Hope that helps you guys. One more reason I chose the m275 was the standard 14 inch monitor. I don't like widescreen very much and I can't help but feel I can see more with the normal monitor.

[Mental]

Wow nice response Eclipse. I myself really appreciate this because I'm considering buying the M275 also.

PS: Concerning your statement for configurable buttons on tablet mode. Maybe this can help? http://www.tabletpcbuzz.com/forum/to...74&whichpage=1

I am not quite sure if it works on the M275. But EinsteinTech is from the boards so you can always ask him.


Cheers

[eclipse115]

Thanks! ^-^

I'll check it out in detail later (I fear it means fiddling with the registry >.<)

I also came across this but haven't tried it yet.

http://www.tabletpcbuzz.com/forum/to...TOPIC_ID=25105

There is an app mentioned in that thread that will enable a ctrl click or a shift click which would be helpful for Photoshop users used to the keyboard shortcuts.

[eclipse115]

Just another quick ovservation/tip. I'm really obsessive about keeping the screen clean. So I bought some microfiber gloves so that it can clean the screen while I draw and rest my hand on the screen. I don't recommend wearing them in public because you will get more stares than usual if you do. But it helps curb my obsessive compulsive tendency in this respect! ^-^

[Big Wes]

I did the Tablet button hack on my CX200 and it works great. I'm not too keen at messing with the registry, so I backed it up beforehand. However, I followed Josh's instructions and it worked like a charm.

[egylte]

Hello Stumble03,

I purchased my M275 new two years ago (Dec-2003) and have been happy with it. It has seen a lot of heavy use and trans-Atlantic travel. To answer your questions:

How long have you had your M275?

Two years


How long does the default battery last for you?

I don't remember what the battery life was when new, but now I'm getting a little better than 2 hours.


Have you encountered any design problems with the M275? Like the known hatch problems or any other problems?

Not much that I would call a design problem. The rubber bumpers on top of the key board fall off too easily. This causes the lid to get scuffed when using in tablet mode.

I recently did break the latch, but I don't contribute that to a design problem.


If you use Adobe Photoshop. How does Photoshop perform on the M275? Is the default pen good or would you recommend buying one from wacom.com?

I don't use Photoshop. The default pen feels cheap, I use the Cross pen.


Do you encounter problems with the screen recognizing the pen when using it on the edges of the screen?

No real problems, but the calibration isn't always consistent across the entire screen. It is most notable in portrait mode at the right side (when the hinge is on the left).


Have you had to contact customer support regarding your M275? If so, how was your experience?

Not yet, but need to get several issues fixed on my next visit to the US. Items needing repair include: broken latch, cracked bezel and bad sound card. It's certainly not as durable as the Thinkpads I've had, but don't know if it is worse than most other convertibles.


Have you had any hardware problems with your M275 that needed to be sent back to Gateway? If so, how did it turn out?

See above.

This spring I will most likely be purchasing a replacement TPC. I'll take a look at Gateway's newest offerings along with the other brands. While I would buy another Gateway, I don't have any brand loyalty.