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Midway through school year, Mayville State University's rollout of Gateway Tablet PCs a pen-ultimate success

Sets the Curve in Innovative Educational Technology

IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 26, 2005 -- Call it the high-tech heartland. Call it PCs on the plains. Call it what you will, but Mayville State University in eastern North Dakota has joined a select group of pioneering colleges adopting tablet PCs as part of its computing mandate program campus-wide.

Halfway through Mayville State's first year of rolling out Gateway M275 convertible tablet PCs campus-wide, the experiment has been nothing short of a major success. Mayville State, which enrolls more than 900 students, selected Gateway, Inc. as its technology provider of choice after weighing several factors -- including how user-friendly the technology was, the availability of on-campus training and the quality of customer support.

As one of the nation's first tablet PC universities, Mayville State elected to standardize its students, teachers and staff on Gateway's M275 convertible tablet PC, which offers all the features of a mainstream notebook, plus pen input functionality. More than 750 university-leased M275s were distributed to all full-time students and current faculty members. The university chose the Gateway M275 over a more traditional notebook because of the tablet's interactive features that allow students to take notes on-screen, professors to annotate live presentations and more.

"Mayville State is always looking toward the future. We were one of the first laptop universities in the nation and our partnership with Gateway enabled us take the next step toward tablet PC computing," said Brian Larson, director of marketing and sports information at Mayville State University. "By integrating cutting-edge tablet PC technology into our day-to-day activities, we have improved all aspects of campus life -- from teaching, learning and research to administrative tasks."

Armed with M275 tablets, Mayville State's students and professors have found unlimited ways to use their tablets both in and outside the classroom. Professors have traded in their chalk for in-class presentations that allow real-time notes to be added by the instructor or students. Paper has essentially been eliminated in the classroom; assignments are turned in electronically, enabling professors to interact with students by using in-tandem editing and grading. Voice recognition and wireless access are among the many tablet PC benefits that introduce students to a different way to learn, to study and collaborate with their instructors and peers.

"Mayville State's campus-wide implementation demonstrates the endless versatility of Gateway's convertible tablet PC," said Bridget Winders, vice president of education for Gateway. "Students can take notes in class, professors can give presentations without a screen barrier, and wireless capabilities enable everyone to be more productive and mobile. Gateway views technology as a critical element in providing quality education to students."

Mayville State University joins Winona State University in Winona, Minn., Florida A&M Law School in Orlando, Fla., and Dakota State University in Madison, S.D., in pioneering the adoption of tablet PCs on campus.

The Gateway M275 offers traditional notebook features a full-size keyboard, Intel Centrino technology(1), optional 768MB RAM, 40GB hard drive(2), four hours battery life(3), CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive, integrated wireless combined with Tablet PC pen input that allows users to write on screen. And unlike many other Tablet PCs on the market, Gateways M275 is priced starting at $1,799, only $150 more than a similarly configured notebook. The M275 also boasts the largest screen size in the industry (14.1 inches), so students and faculty don't have to strain to see the screen.

From value-priced servers to ultra-reliable desktops to comprehensive services, Gateway has served organizations for more than 15 years. Gateway uses its multi-channel approach to make the purchase, use and support of technology simple. Gateway customers include many of the world's leading organizations, such as the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency, the University of Arizona, Harvard University, California Highway Patrol and others. For more information on Gateway Professional solutions, visit http://www.gateway.com/business.

About Gateway

Since its founding in 1985, Irvine, Calif.-based Gateway (NYSE: GTW) has been a technology pioneer, offering award-winning PCs and related products to consumers, businesses, government agencies and schools. After acquiring eMachines in early 2004, Gateway is now the third largest PC company in the United States and among the top 10 worldwide. The company's value-based eMachines brand is sold exclusively by leading retailers worldwide, while the premium Gateway line is available at major retailers, over the web and phone, and through its direct sales force. See http://www.gateway.com for more information.

All offers valid in U.S. only and are subject to change without notice or obligation. May not be available through all sales channels. Prices exclude shipping and handling. Applicable taxes extra.

(1) Intel Centrino performance may vary. See http://www.intel.com for additional information.

(2) Accessible capacity varies; GB = 1 billion bytes; MB = 1 million bytes.

(3) Battery life will vary depending on actual use factors.

SOURCE Gateway, Inc.

Web Site: http://www.gateway.com



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