Gateway announces NS notebook range

The Gateway NS line-up is due in mid-July

Gateway has unveiled its NS notebook range designed to meet the needs of professionals by incorporating a high-def webcam, extensive connectivity and up to eight hours of battery life.

There are four models in the range, the NS10, NS30, NS41 and NS51. The NS10 is more like a netbook, weighing in at 1.35Kg and measuring 285mm x 206.3mm x 20.2mm.

It includes an 11.6in HD WXGA screen with 1,366 x 760 resolution, up to 640GB hard drive storage, multi-card reader, Intel i3 or i5 processor and optional USB optical drive.

The next model up, the NS30, includes an 8X DVD-Super Multi double layer drive and Intel's i7 processor.

The flagship NS51 model, meanwhile, comes with a 15.6in HD 16:9 aspect Ultrabright LED-backlit TFT LCD screen, multi-card reader, numeric keypad and a claimed battery life of up to 11.5 hours.

The Ultrabright technology reduces energy consumption by up to 33 per cent compared to standard notebook panels, according to the manufacturer.

All the notebooks feature a 1,280 x 1,024 resolution webcam to facilitate video conferencing, and Gateway includes extras such as Adobe Reader 9.1, Norton Internet Security and Online Backup and Microsoft Office Ready SP2.

The NS41 and NS51 come with Windows 7 Professional, while the other models have the option of 64-bit Windows Home Premium or 32-bit Windows Professional.

Gateway plans to release the devices in mid-July, and pricing has yet to be confirmed. The range will go head-to-head with the Samsung Q-Series and Toshiba R700 laptops.