You may consider the M255-E if you are thinking about purchasing a Gateway laptop. At first glance, the M255-E is an attractive enough computer, a nice blend of black and silver. It is not too bulky and can be easily used in most any situation, including the sometimes cramped confines of an airplane.

This Gateway laptop has been promoted as being designed for the business professional on the go who desires ultimate performance at a reasonable cost. And you could visit Gateway’s website and reasonably configure one of these laptops for around $1,100 to $1,200 and still get a lot of value for your money.

The design of the laptop is aesthetically pleasing incorporating slightly more silver than black. The plastic casing is solid, the hinges are strong, and the cover latches snugly. So a considerate laptop user should have no qualms as far as durability is concerned.

The M255-E Gateway laptop also features a glossy “Ultrabright” screen with resolution of 1280 x 800. Watching a movie on this computer is a pleasurable experience. If you are going to be using your laptop more for business, though, you may decide to choose the non-glossy screen option, as the glossy display is a bit too reflective in brightly lit environments.

The computer features the Intel Core Duo T2500 processor, so you will definitely want to purchase a model with enough memory to handle the drain the processor will inevitably cause. In short, 512 MB of RAM is not going to be enough. It will slow down the computer considerably, and you will definitely not achieve an ultimate computing experience you desire.

Battery life for this gateway laptop is adequate. You should be able to squeak out 2 to 2.5 hours with a fully charged six-cell battery. This is with the LCD screen set at maximum brightness. Adjusting the power settings go a long towards improving battery life.

The M255-E Gateway laptop is a good choice for notebook users who wish to save money yet still achieve a decent computing experience. It is attractive and easy to carry and should hold up well under normal usage. It is a solid choice if you are looking for a good mid-grade computer.