Yeah I don't have any kind of CFW. I've just always used GW's red card to boot into emuNAND any play .3ds ROMs and eShop games I've actually bought.
The only thing that really interests me is cold boot into emuNAND, but Plailect's guide looks way too long and complicated. Maybe I'll bite the bullet one day when I'm feeling more patient or hopefully there'll be a much easier way to install it by the time I get the motivation to go through with it lol
Technically, you are using Gateway's CFW when you do that.
Anyways, the guide is only long because it does it's best to cover every possible scenario, from people who are on fresh//new systems, to people who already have CFW setup (menuhax+rednand//emunand) - As well, as having a lot of safety nets so you don't brick.
Anyways, Gateway's TM will probably only ever support GW-A9LH, and that means you'll be locked down to GW only. GW's method also doesn't take the same level of safety precautions as Plailect's guide does, so the chances of bricking go up, that's not to say some people haven't used it and come out unharmed, but hey, if you want to take the risk, go for it!
But anyways, I would never recommend you setup GW-A9LH, as it does not come with the same benefits as traditional A9LH offers.