Gateway Notebooks Offer New Wi-Fi Option That’s 5 Times Faster

June 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- With 802.11g gaining momentum since its ratification last week, Gateway today announces its award- winning line of notebook PCs will be offered with an option to use 54g, Broadcom Corporation's maximum-performance implementation of the 802.11g wireless LAN standard. Gateway customers now can get the most powerful wireless mobile technology available; in addition, Gateway plans to offer mobile products employing the new wireless standard to easily work with each other as well as PCs, DLP projectors, and soon, PDAs.

Gateway has led the industry with notebooks that deliver integrated 802.11b wireless connectivity, which enables business, SOHO and home computer users to access the Internet and share resources without having to connect with a wire. Now, Gateway's notebooks with 802.11g wireless will let customers shop online, browse the Internet and send and receive emails and instant messages wirelessly at speeds up to 54Mpbs -- nearly five times faster than the 11Mbps speed of 802.11b.

The complete Gateway 450 and Gateway 600 notebook products lines, and several configurations of the Gateway 400 line, are now available with Broadcom 54g wireless as an integrated option. By the end of July, Gateway's entire notebook line will have the option for integrated 802.11g. In the meantime, Gateway is offering 802.11g add-in cards for notebook and desktop PCs not covered by the new release, so that business and home users can move to the latest wireless technology.

"Wi-Fi lets people use their mobile PCs the way they were meant to be used -- wherever and whenever they want, without being tied down by a cable," said Mike Stinson, Gateway's vice president of mobile products. "Gateway has been a leading proponent of Wi-Fi, helping consumers and business customers with integrated notebooks, home wireless network installation and lots of add- in options. Now, by delivering the option for 802.11g in our mobile products, we're continuing to give our customers access to the latest wireless technology with enhancements for greater security and speed."

Broadcom's 54g technology is fully compliant with the IEEE 802.11g standard, and provides Gateway customers with ample wireless bandwidth for streaming media and large files. Products based on 54g technology provide the highest throughput and range, and are completely interoperable with the 40 million 802.11b nodes currently in service. 54g products also offer the industry's most advanced security features, including certified support for Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), hardware accelerated Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), and support for Cisco Compatible Extensions (CCX).

"As home and business networks transition to high-speed wireless networks, 54g has become the premier technology for PC and network equipment vendors implementing 802.11g solutions," said Jeff Abramowitz, senior director of marketing for Broadcom's Home and Wireless Networking Business Unit. "By equipping its notebooks with 54g technology, Gateway can assure its customers that their notebooks will achieve optimal performance with wireless equipment found in retail stores and through broadband service providers."

The cost of adding in Broadcom's 802.11g 54g wireless into a new Gateway notebook at time of purchase will be approximately $30. Gateway will also continue to offer 802.11b options for customers who want to continue using that wireless specification.

Gateway's focus on delivering innovative mobile products with 802.11g technology is the latest step for the company as it transforms itself from a traditional PC maker to a branded integrator of technology solutions. As a branded integrator, Gateway will launch an array of branded products across a host of new categories for the balance of the year, and will integrate those products into customized solutions for its consumer and business customers. For more information, visit http://www.gateway.com/about/ir/pdf/gtw_webcast_01a_035.pdf .

For more information, visit www.gateway.com .

Source: Gateway, Inc.