Review: Gateway Profile 3 computer packs compact punch

The Gateway Profile 3 CX packs a full-fledged PC into the size of a flat LCD monitor

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By Jack Poorman
CNN.com Reviewer

(CNN) -- Gateway's Profile line of PCs fall into a comfortable place between desktop and notebook computers in both price and convenience. If Samantha of "Bewitched" could wriggle her nose and morph a laptop into a desktop you'd get something like the Profile 3 CX. In fact, the Profile 3 packs an entire computer into what looks like a solitary LCD monitor.

The biggest advantage of this computer is the aesthetic comfort level for the gadget-averse, those who want the bang without the box, the wires and the cords.

You may have seen the Profile computer on "ER" -- Gateway is aggressive in product placements. But it is the space-saving nature of the unit that gets it placed in real-life emergency rooms.

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Like the ER, this computer works well in highly trafficked with lots of visibility -- like the kitchen -- without the attendant wire jungle. The Profile 3 does not give up power for size. It is a full-featured PC, packing the punch of a Pentium III 866 with 128MB of RAM. On one side of the monitor you can hook up 2 USB devices and load the DVD/CD ROM drive, on the other, the floppy drive.

The back of the monitor features easy access to printer and serial ports, audio, modem hookups and 2 more USB ports. You can also insert an Ethernet card and other peripherals in the PC slot on the side of the unit.

The unit has legacy connections like serial and parallel ports, standard keyboard and mouse connects, output for speakers and headphones, and 2 PS/2 slots for Ethernet cards and other add-ons.

For a few dollars more, you have the option of adding a wireless keyboard for a more streamlined operation. Given that this computer comes so close to ergonomic nirvana, Gateway should have made a wireless keyboard standard. But the upgrade is only $60, so I'll let it go. (For the aesthetic price of another cord around the back of the unit, you can buy the Logitech Cordless Desktop and get a wireless mouse in the process.)

The Profile 3 uses a 15-inch Active Matrix monitor, but it should be noted that in LCD monitors, 15 inches is 15 viewable inches, giving you just an inch less screen real estate than a traditional 17-inch monitor. If you have lusted over flat panel displays, this may be your chance. The Profile 3 sells for the same price as other PCs in its class with the same size LCD monitors. You even get 66MHz more computing power than typical systems at this price.

The prevalence of USB technology goes a step further selling this machine. The low upgradability factor traditionally favors desktops over portables. Not in a USB world. You don't have to sacrifice expandability anymore. Hard-core techies will miss being able to add a wider variety of off-the-shelf hardware cards, but many peripherals are available in USB.

The Profile 3 feels like a super-charged monitor. If the need arises, you could easily move the Profile to another location in your home or take it on the road. You have only a LCD unit, keyboard, mouse and power supply to uproot, and you're on your way.

While people might like this brand of computer, a disadvantage in past models was that it was cheaper to buy a comparably powered system with a traditional monitor. This is still true, but for the price of an LCD monitor upgrade on most computers, you can have the Profile 3.

The Profile has managed to add enough processor power and customization that it has now gained ground on competitively priced computers while alleviating the need for the bulky PC tower and its wires. It also brings a little more fun to computing. Consider it a desktop on a diet -- or a computer with cordless cool.

Jack Poorman is executive producer for CNN Inflight, a Turner Private Networks program featured on Delta Air Lines flights.

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