Thin, stylish, and a change from the company's previous designs, the silvery Gateway ID49C series has a slim form factor paired with an optical drive and Core i3/i5 processors. When last we reviewed Gateway's new thin laptop, it was in the form of the budget-price $629 ID49C07U in our 2010 retail laptop and desktop back-to-school roundup.The ID49C08U costs significantly more--$849--but has an Intel Core i5 processor and a Nvidia GeForce GT330M GPU with Optimus automatic-switching graphics. Though the specs are tempting and the price is good, many similar systems with higher-end touches don't cost much more, including the HP Envy 14, which offers a similarly performing configuration for about $1,000. If, on the other hand, saving $150 is your greatest concern, this could be a thin gaming-capable laptop worth consideration.
