Are Gateway computers any good?

[tomson75]

Unless you're a computer dweeb, or someone that relies on heavily on using it for business applications, the Mac is more user-friendly, more reliable, and more convenient. It's a smarter computer for the layperson needing a tool for basic to moderately complex computer use. If you're picky about every last thing...the type to complain when you get an occasional ? where an image should be, or die of frustration when yo can't view some video formats....then you're better off paying 2K for a high end PC. IMO, of course.

 

[Kangaroo]

Unless you're a computer dweeb, or someone that relies on heavily on using it for business applications, the Mac is more user-friendly, more reliable, and more convenient. It's a smarter computer for the layperson needing a tool for basic to moderately complex computer use. If you're picky about every last thing...the type to complain when you get an occasional ? where an image should be, or die of frustration when yo can't view some video formats....then you're better off paying 2K for a high end PC. IMO, of course.

You never need to pay 2k even for a gaming machine if you know what you are doing.

 

[YosemiteSam]

You never need to pay 2k even for a gaming machine if you know what you are doing.

This.

My last PC I built cost me less than $1,500. The high end gaming PCs (like AlienWare at the time) were over $3,400 and their performance was below mine.

The markup alone on the high end gaming PCs is enormous. (basically, just like Macs)

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

My advice would be to consider what you want the computer for and make a decision based of the actual requirements you have in mind. I don't love Gateway. Never have. They don't use a standardized equipment list. Like other PC manufactures, they buy whatever components are cheapest and use those in build. If your going to buy, you should probably look at Acer. They will almost certainly be cheaper and will offer, same options and performance.


Yeags is correct on the support side. Look into what, exactly you get on the support and warranty side. That's more important then the rest IMO.

 

[bbgun]

Bought a Gateway too weeks ago:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat...?EdpNo=6270999&csid=ITD&body=MAIN#detailspecs

And paired it with this videocard

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150467

And this monitor

http://www.amazon.com/2210m-21-5-Inch-Diagonal-Full-Monitor/dp/B003FMUL6S/ref=dp_ob_title_ce

So far, so good. Unlike the old days, however, the Gateway doesn't come with manuals or backup disks.

 

[tupperware]

Bought a Gateway too weeks ago:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat...?EdpNo=6270999&csid=ITD&body=MAIN#detailspecs

And paired it with this videocard

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150467

And this monitor

http://www.amazon.com/2210m-21-5-Inch-Diagonal-Full-Monitor/dp/B003FMUL6S/ref=dp_ob_title_ce

So far, so good. Unlike the old days, however, the Gateway doesn't come with manuals or backup disks.

Why not just build it?

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

The problem with building it yourself is that you don't get the benefit of SW licensing and warranty with the actual computer. You would have to buy the licensing aside and load it all yourself. As a rule, the packaged SW that you get when you buy a PC is much cheaper then buying all of those licensing yourself. Now, if you only need a few applications and you know what they are, then maybe you can do that. You have to way it all.

 

[bbgun]

Why not just build it?

I've never done it before and don't want to deal with the hassle. Just putting the new power supply in and making sure I hooked up the right connectors was nerve-wracking enough.

 

[Wimbo]

Gateway used to be the corporate computer of choice. quote]

That never happened.

 

[Dallas]

I got the family an iMac for Christmas last year and we absolutely love it. There are some small but noticeable differences in how you do things between the two. But Apple has great support and you can make an appointment any time to go into the local Apple store and get help learning to use it if you need.

There is a program called VMWare fusion that lets you run your old Windows programs on your Mac, and it appears as though they are running natively. It's far cheaper than purchasing all new version of office and Photoshop.

You can always PM me or post questions here or elsewhere to get help if you need.

You forgot to tell him not to try and play any popular games on his Mac because they aren't supported nor written for them.

Unless LoadRunner is your love...

 

[Dallas]

Gateway used to be the corporate computer of choice. quote]

That never happened.

Agreed

I worked for BP and Conoco and National Semiconductor and our PC's of choice were ALWAYS IBM/Dell back then.

It's all pretty much Dell now.

 

[fannypack]

Just buy a PC from Dell.

 

[YosemiteSam]

The problem with building it yourself is that you don't get the benefit of SW licensing and warranty with the actual computer. You would have to buy the licensing aside and load it all yourself. As a rule, the packaged SW that you get when you buy a PC is much cheaper then buying all of those licensing yourself. Now, if you only need a few applications and you know what they are, then maybe you can do that. You have to way it all.

This is not true.

The parts you purchase come with warranties. You can buy OEM software without paying retail prices.

That never happened.

Agreed

I worked for BP and Conoco and National Semiconductor and our PC's of choice were ALWAYS IBM/Dell back then.

It's all pretty much Dell now.

Gateway used to sell higher end machines, (like Dell's Precision line) but Gateway's appeal was short lived due to them changing that philosophy and allowing their quality to fall off in favor of larger margins.

BP and Conoco isn't the only companies out there. One thing about BP and Conoco, those are old school companies and most old school companies stuck with IBM/NEC since they were really the first big players. A lot of the newer companies did use Gateway. I worked for several of them.

Dell physically copied Gateway's business model.

btw, it's not "all Dell" anymore. HP has made a HUGE comeback in the corporate world. While Dell copied Gateway's original business model, the also started copying the business model that caused Gateway to fail too.

Dell's is getting it's *** handed to them by HP right now in the corporate market. I've even threatened to walk away from them. (I do all the purchasing for my company)

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

This is not true.

The parts you purchase come with warranties. You can buy OEM software without paying retail prices.

My earlier statement is very true. You can not buy the bundled software that typcially comes with a manufactured PC for the same price, OEM or not. In addition, OEM licensing is not exactly designed for your average PC user. One of the big draw backs to OEM licensing is the support modules available for it, and the fact that once it's loaded onto a system, it is not portable. Essentially, the licensing resides with the OEM reseller. What does this mean? It means that you can't take that license and reload it onto another system. You have to re-buy the license again.

Gateway used to sell higher end machines, (like Dell's Precision line) but Gateway's appeal was short lived due to them changing that philosophy and allowing their quality to fall off in favor of larger margins.

BP and Conoco isn't the only companies out there. One thing about BP and Conoco, those are old school companies and most old school companies stuck with IBM/NEC since they were really the first big players. A lot of the newer companies did use Gateway. I worked for several of them.

Traditionally, Gateway was designed as a home PC. They were also widely distributed in Ed markets but I never new them to be dominant in the Commercial World. Dell and HP have owned that market for a long time. Of course, now it's actually Lenovo.

Dell physically copied Gateway's business model.

Dell ws there before Gateway so I don't think it's accurate to say they copied it.

Just as an FYI, Dell was founded in 84 and Gateway in 85. Dell's distribution model was the reason for it's success. Gateway's was the reason for it's failures.

Dell's is getting it's *** handed to them by HP right now in the corporate market. I've even threatened to walk away from them. (I do all the purchasing for my company)

The reason Dell is getting beaten now is that HP has commited to taking over that market. IBM pretty much owns High End computing in the Unix world and X86 market is extremely competitive. That leaves the PC industry and HP is trying to kill all others. It's kind of silly because Lenovo is the one that really owns that market. Lenovo is the real reason Dell is suffering. They are doing to Dell what Dell did to everybody else in the early 90s. They are saturating the market with a cheaper model. Because PCs are basically commodity products, there is very little to differentiate one from another. The technology is too similar. It comes down to distribution costs and Lenovo, because they are not made in the U.S., are winning that battle.

 

[YosemiteSam]

As for OEM software, you damn skippy you can buy it! I'm not sure who told you different, but they would be VERY wrong. I buy it today! (as noted, I am over all hardware purchasing at my current employment)

Microsoft Office Basic is OEM only. Meaning it MUST be purchased with hardware. I can buy it without buying a Dell or whatever else, you just have to know where to go to get it. The easiest in most cases is Newegg. Search for OEM under software at Newegg. If you can get it on a pre-built PC, you can buy it without one. The usually requirement is you have to buy some piece of hardware with it, not an entire PC. Most of the time you don't even have to do that.

As for corporate buyers, UPS swapped all the IBM/NEC desktops out for Gateway. McAfee, Software Spectrum, CA, were also Gateway shops at one point. Direct Media was one of the largest mail marketing brokerage houses also standardized on Gateway.

I've either worked for or with people that worked at all these corporations. They were all Gateway shops at one point.

 

[Wimbo]

Dell's is getting it's *** handed to them by HP right now in the corporate market.

This. HP owns the worldwide market share for PC's and laptops, and leads the industry in customer support rankings. Dell is getting sued left & right for knowingly using substandard components in their products... http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/technology/29dell.html

 

[Wimbo]

Gateway used to sell higher end machines, (like Dell's Precision line) but Gateway's appeal was short lived due to them changing that philosophy and allowing their quality to fall off in favor of larger margins.

I agree with you on that point. But, Gateway never really cracked the top 5 in terms of sales. They probably got as high as 4th (just a guess here) in terms of "corporate computer of choice" when at their peak. However, they never posed any real threat to Compaq, IBM, or HP. Acer (the current owner of Gateway brand) has done rather well recently, however.

 

[Dallas]

This is not true.

The parts you purchase come with warranties. You can buy OEM software without paying retail prices.






Gateway used to sell higher end machines, (like Dell's Precision line) but Gateway's appeal was short lived due to them changing that philosophy and allowing their quality to fall off in favor of larger margins.

BP and Conoco isn't the only companies out there. One thing about BP and Conoco, those are old school companies and most old school companies stuck with IBM/NEC since they were really the first big players. A lot of the newer companies did use Gateway. I worked for several of them.

Dell physically copied Gateway's business model.

btw, it's not "all Dell" anymore. HP has made a HUGE comeback in the corporate world. While Dell copied Gateway's original business model, the also started copying the business model that caused Gateway to fail too.

Dell's is getting it's *** handed to them by HP right now in the corporate market. I've even threatened to walk away from them. (I do all the purchasing for my company)

Wrong

Sorry, but your spin isn't working. Gateway has never been a highend corporate alternative for desktop.

Give me a Fortune 100 that did this? Show me where they standardized to Gateway.

We also don't allow HP's into our state systems for the main reason HP DOESN'T back up it's product line. The customer service is terrible. Fine for home I guess when the customer is ill-informed, but HP has a horrible time even selling it's storage options let alone desktops alternatives.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I agree with you on that point. But, Gateway never really cracked the top 5 in terms of sales. They probably got as high as 4th (just a guess here) in terms of "corporate computer of choice" when at their peak. However, they never posed any real threat to Compaq, IBM, or HP. Acer (the current owner of Gateway brand) has done rather well recently, however.

Yeah, I forgot about Compaq. Man I hated Compaq. Especially when friends I knew bought their consumer line and then needed technical support. Compaq would tell them it was $35 a call and then they would call me instead of paying it.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Wrong

Sorry, but your spin isn't working. Gateway has never been a highend corporate alternative for desktop.

Give me a Fortune 100 that did this? Show me where they standardized to Gateway.

We also don't allow HP's into our state systems for the main reason HP DOESN'T back up it's product line. The customer service is terrible. Fine for home I guess when the customer is ill-informed, but HP has a horrible time even selling it's storage options let alone desktops alternatives.

Did you not read UPS?

As for HP not supporting their products, they are much better today than they were just 5 years ago. I remember fighting with HP about 3 DEC/Alpha 4100s I had running Sybase on Tru64. I literally had to cuss them out and twist their arm to come out and change a MB on one of them.