Gateway NV series offers dual-core, 320GB HDD, 4GB RAM; $499

Gateway on Thursday debuted its new Gateway NV Series notebook, an entertainment-minded laptop that packs a dual-core processor, 320GB hard drive and 4GB of RAM starting at $499.

The 15.6-in. NV series touts a 16:9, 1366 by 768 resolution display for HD video and Dolby Sound Room for audio. An HDMI port rounds out the portable home theater appeal.

Elsewhere, the NV features 802.11b/g Draft-N connectivity, an integrated webcam and one-touch backup. The Gateway offers a "PowerSave" button on select models to prolong battery life in one step, and a dedicated numeric keypad on the keyboard. Outside, it comes in black, midnight blue, cherry red and coffee brown, with rounded edges trimmed in silver and a barrel hinge with power button inside.

It also offers an integrated media card reader and DVD burner.

The NV series will be available "soon" (it's already listed on Gateway's site) from $499 to $599. Example configurations are as follows:

Model Number: Gateway NV5214u ($499.99; Best Buy)

• AMD Athlon 64 X2 QL-64 Dual Core Processor (2.10 GHz, 1MB L2 cache, 667 MHz FSB)
• 15.6" HD Ultrabright LED-backlit display with 16:9 ratio and 1366 x 768 pixel resolution
• 4GB Dual-channel DDR2 Memory
• 320GB hard disk drive
• AMD RS780MN Chipset
• ATI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics
• Integrated webcam
• DVD-Super Multi double-layer drive
• 802.11a/b/g/Draft-N WiFi Certified
• Digital media card reader: Secure Digital (SD) Card, MultiMediaCard (MMC), Memory Stick (MS), Memory Stick PRO (MS PRO), xD-Picture Card (xD)
• Ports and connections: HDMI port with HDCP support, Four USB 2.0 ports, External display (VGA) port, Headphone/speaker/line-out jack with S/PDIF support, Microphone-in jack, Ethernet (RJ-45) port and Modem (RJ-11) port and DC-in jack for AC adapter
• Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (Service Pack 1)
• MyBackup Button
• 6-cell Li-ion battery (4400 mAh)
• Coffee Brown chassis

Model Number: Gateway NV5807u ($599.99; Micro Center, New Age)

• Intel Core 2 Duo T6500 processor (2.10 GHz, 2 MB L2 cache, 800 MHz FSB)
• 15.6" HD Ultrabright LED-backlit display with 16:9 ratio and 1366 x 768 pixel resolution
• 4GB Dual-channel DDR2 Memory
• 320GB hard disk drive
• Mobile Intel GM459 Express Chipset
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
• Integrated webcam
• DVD-Super Multi double-layer drive
• Intel Wireless WiFi Link 5100/5300 (dual-band quad-mode 802.11a/b/g/Draft-N
• Digital media card reader: Secure Digital (SD) Card, MultiMediaCard (MMC), Memory Stick (MS), Memory Stick PRO (MS PRO), xD-Picture Card (xD)
• Ports and connections: HDMI port with HDCP support, Four USB 2.0 ports, External display (VGA) port, Headphone/speaker/line-out jack with S/PDIF support, Microphone-in jack, Ethernet (RJ-45) port and Modem (RJ-11) port and DC-in jack for AC adapter
• Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (Service Pack 1)
• MyBackup Button
• 6-cell Li-ion battery (4400 mAh)
• Midnight Blue chassis