Gateway E‑1400

[Vin193]

The Gateway E‑1400 represents a classic early‑2000s educational and small‑business desktop PC that showcased Gateway’s focus on affordable, serviceable, and network‑ready systems tailored for labs and institutional settings. It typically shipped with Intel Celeron or Pentium‑class processors, modest SDRAM, and easy‑access internals, emphasizing ease of maintenance and practical utility over cutting‑edge performance, features that made it particularly well‑suited for computer labs and administrative deployments in universities and schools.

  • Manufacturer: Gateway
  • Type: Compact desktop personal computer
  • Release Date: 2000
  • Cost at release: $2,500 (adjusted for inflation)
  • MIPS: ~250

Hardware Specifications

  • CPU: Intel Celeron ~500 MHz (Socket 370, single‑core).
  • Memory: ~256 MB SDRAM typical on stock configurations.
  • Storage: IDE hard drive (commonly ~40 GB).
  • Optical Drive: 24× CD‑ROM drive (plus 3.5″ floppy drive).
  • Graphics: Integrated video via Intel 810 family chipset graphics (PCI video)
  • Audio: Integrated AC97 audio (basic stereo support).
  • Network: 10/100 Mbps Ethernet onboard for network connectivity.
  • Expansion: Standard PCI slots for additional cards.
  • Weight (desktop unit): approx. 17.4 lbs (7.9 kg).

Operating System & Programming Languages 

  • Operating System: Windows 98 (some configurations shipped with Windows 95 or Windows 2000 Professional for business/education deployments).
    • Optional: Linux distributions of the era could also run on it
  • Supported Languages:
    • High-level / Application Languages:
      • Visual Basic 6.0
      • Delphi / Pascal
      • C / C++ (via Microsoft Visual C++ or Borland compilers)
      • Java 1.2/1.3 (via Sun JDK)
      • Python 1.5–2.0
      • Pascal (Turbo Pascal)
    • Scripting / Web Languages:
      • JavaScript / VBScript (for Windows scripting and web development)
      • Perl / Tcl / PHP (if installed separately on Windows or via Cygwin)
    • Educational / Hobbyist Languages: LOGO, BASIC, QBASIC
  • Effectively, any x86-compatible language supported on Windows 95/98/2000 could run on the E‑1400, making it versatile for educational labs, programming courses, or small business applications.

Notables

  • Circa 2000, representing the turn-of-the-millennium affordable desktop for education and small business.
  • A workhorse PC that helped democratize computing in labs and classrooms, bridging the gap between high-end desktops and low-cost PCs.
  • Easy-to-service small-form desktop, Intel Celeron CPU, integrated graphics/audio, network-ready for labs.
  • Gateway marketed it as a “full-featured PC for under $1,000”, emphasizing value over prestige, contrasting with Apple or high-end Dell machines.

Donated by: Dr Arlen Michaels

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