We have to replace our computer! Feedback on Gateway please.

[paras4ri]

We now have a HP Pavilion that's 4 years old and we're still running Windows 98.

We're considering Gateway but would appreciate hearing of other's experiences.

Thanks!

 

[Towncrier]

I would avoid Gateway computers due to my own bad experiences with that company. Many of my friends have nothing but good things to say about Dell computers and their customer service department.

 

[helenabear]

As I said Gail, skip the Gateway and get a Dell!! Customer service is better and right now they are better computers than Gateways. Otherwise have fun looking

 

[crazymomof4]

We just replaced our 4 yo HP (also Windows 98) in Sept.
We got a Dell and are very pleased. We customized it and ordered it online. (They often run promos like free shipping.) We got exactly the computer we wanted and the price was right ($968. total).

Put us down as another vote for Dell......."get a Dell, dude!"

 

[tstobb]

I would have serious concerns about Gateway being around for long enough to back up a warranty - look at their financial situation.
I've had good luck with Dell and eMachines (great service and low priced - BestBuy carries them in stores & on their website).

 

[debster812]

Gail (hi Gail, long time no talk ) Look at Dell. We have had great experience with them at home, and they are all my company buys for desktops. Go for it.

Debbie

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Hey Gail. We bought a Gateway several years ago. Brought it home and immediately had to buy more memory. It spite of what they told us, there was not enough memory on it to run the internet. I was not too impressed with them. For service, we go to a private company. Gateway holds onto it for weeks before they even look at it.

DH says to tell you that he got a Dell for work and likes it much better. He said we will never buy anything but Dell again.

 

[Eeyore2U]

Originally posted by Towncrier
I would avoid Gateway computers due to my own bad experiences with that company. Many of my friends have nothing but good things to say about Dell computers and their customer service department.

I've dealt with both. If you saw my letter to CEO/COO of Dell based on poor product and abysmal service you won't want to buy a Dell. I had Gateway previously and although not a wonderful experience it was better then Dell. Just be careful of the Tech people.

 

[Towncrier]

Sorry to hear about your Dell problems. When I bought my Gateway (years ago), I think that I spoke to every single tech support person at Gateway trying to resolve my problems. They shipped me three different monitors, replaced every part inside my computer, and even had me send the computer back to the company (where they could not find a thing wrong). My problem was a "shimmering" display on my monitor. Since I work with computers all day long, I know that it's possible to have a rock solid video image. The very last tech support person that I talked to at Gateway basically told me to suck it up and choose between a flickering monitor (60Hz refresh) or the shimmering.

Years later, I still have the Gateway tower case and power supply, the sound card (which doesn't play nicely in a plug-and-pray mode), and that darn monitor. It turns out that it probably was the monitor all along, but the UPS guy begged me to ask Gateway to stop shipping monitors to my house.

Dell computers are by no means perfect. When my neighbor decided to buy a 2nd Dell computer in as many years, I thought that I would be able to transplant his Zip drive from the older model to the new one. I was wrong. Dell's cases tend to have a lot of twists and turns, and I would have had to find a custom bezel in order to make the Zip drive work. That was my biggest beef with the system.

Our company now purchases only Dell computers and I recently got upgraded to a shiny new Dell laptop that I can use in my docking station at work or on the road.

My other piece of advice. If you can afford a laptop, buy one. Desktop computers are so 20th century. Unless you need raw processing power or terabytes of disk space, a laptop might just fit the bill.

 

[Eeyore2U]

Towncrier,

I just bought that shiney laptop and docking station. Well, lets say I'm on laptop number two and am waiting to return the third docking station for credit since they can't get one to work. I was told by one csr "I guess you have no patience" and "to give me a break".

The worst thing that Gateway did was to have me reinstall Windows ME over Windows ME without telling me to back up my files. Can you say "Format c:\"

 

[jfulcer]

This computer geek suggests nothing but Dells if family and friends ask.

 

[Towncrier]

I guess that I'd be a bit upset if I had all those Dell problems too Mitch.

As I mentioned in my rant, I still have the Gateway case, but it now contains an ancient Abit BH-6 V1.01 motherboard. I'm on my third processor upgrade. I've maxed out the RAM. And just last week I installed a RAID controller to handle my two 80Gb disk drives (since I couldn't figure out an easy way to backup my data).

I can't count the number of video cards I've gone through. I can't call Tech Support because it's a homebrew system, but I've gotten a lot of mileage out of the system.

I hope that your Dell problems get worked out. One of our IT guys is a factory authorized Dell service rep, so we get pretty quick onsite service.

I also wanted to mention that my Dell laptop is technically a "notebook" since it's way to hot to place on a lap. The hard drive runs a constant 66deg Celsius and I've had the processor up to 98deg Celsius during a particularly rousing game of Duke Nukem.

We now return you to the regularly scheduled thread.....

 

[Fire14]

I married into a gateway that I'd love to shoot. Gateway tech support Rots IMO. I personally have/had 3 HPs one being a notebook. My brother also owns a HP. I have nothing but good things to say about tech support. As for Dell I know several People who have them and are Happy.

 

[jfulcer]

Originally posted by Towncrier
As I mentioned in my rant, I still have the Gateway case, but it now contains an ancient Abit BH-6 V1.01 motherboard. I'm on my third processor upgrade. I've maxed out the RAM. And just last week I installed a RAID controller to handle my two 80Gb disk drives (since I couldn't figure out an easy way to backup my data).

I've got a built in RAID that I'm dying to use. Just have to get DW to free up the $$$ for the drives.

I also wanted to mention that my Dell laptop is technically a "notebook" since it's way to hot to place on a lap. The hard drive runs a constant 66deg Celsius and I've had the processor up to 98deg Celsius during a particularly rousing game of Duke Nukem.

Dude, my IBM 'laptop' (from work) is a notebook too for the exact same reason, except it's Medal of Honor Allied Attack here.

 

[Princess_Aurora]

No matter what kind of computer you get you run a chance of getting a lemon. I have a Dell lap top now, we use Dells at school, DH has a Dell and they use Dells at his company. They are the best computers I've delt with. I haven't met a person out there yet that has liked their Gateway, although I know some people like them. One of my closest friends got ripped off on the financing part. But just because you see Dell and Gateway on tv all the time doesn't mean they are your only choices. My desktop is an eMachine and while they usually aren't that great for heavey PC usage (they aren't very expandable) they hold up pretty good for your average PC usage. Just shop around and don't listen to anything a salesman tries to tell you...they usually work on commision anyway and rarely know what they're talking about. Best Buy is particularly bad about this. Just do your homework and buy what you think is right for you

 

[Dan Murphy]

I have had a Dell for almost three years here at home, very pleased. I also had bought a 'Dell' before it was called Dell. When Michael Dell started selling 'homemade PC's out of his dorm room at UT under the name of PC's Limited, I bought one, a 286, and it was great. My firm, global in size, standardized on Dell, from IBM, as of Janurary. I personally have a new laptop and desktop on order right now. My suggestion, Dell.

 

[The LK 4]

Gail, both my SIL and my niece purchased Gateways a few years ago, and they both had the same awful experiences that everyone else here is mentioning.

 

[captin fink]

Dude if the choice is gateway or dell get the dell. I use a dell note book at work(company supplied) At home i have a custom machine the computer geek at work help me with. Within a week both mine and my BL's gateways died

I am running an ASUS P4S8X mother board at home.

 

[ripleysmom]

I would not buy a Gateway. Either a Dell or an HP would be my recommendation.

 

[KimRaye]

I bought this current computer 3 years ago, it's a Gateway. I would not buy another one. Initially, I had continuous "blue screen" error alerts with every imaginable message code in them! It took a loonngggg time for them to find a 'patch', which seems to work. I added more memory also. The only thing they were good about, was replacing my keyboard (after I spilled something on it).