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Gateway Computer Reviews

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This file is filled with individuals' opinions and experiences with the Gateway2000 computer mail-order company, which sells a wide line of computers and products. The most recent experiences are at the beginning of this file.

If you have bought from them and have not yet made your contribution to this list, simply fill out this form about your experiences with Gateway2000 and they will be added to the beginning of this file. Thank you and Good luck!

Other Experiences with Gateway2000 (Most recent first):

Robert Minneman from Colorado Springs, CO USA

Date - Friday, December 04, 1998 at 19:47:24 (EST)

I found this list accidentally, but I read some of the entries out of curiosity. Being a Technical Support Engineer and past IS Manager myself, I was interested in the kinds of problems experienced by the "general" end user.

I too purchased a G6-200 about 2 years ago, all I have to say is that, despite the fact that Gateway's sales department could use any IQ points we could spare, the machine itself (when I got the right one) was absolutely beautiful, and has worked great!

I've only had two issues:

1. The fuse on my sub-woofer blew and the manual that came with it didn't clearly identify what I needed so that I had to call support and ask (no biggie).

2. When reinstalling Windows 95 on the system the second IDE port was disabled and the support tech didn't know the cause of the problem or how to fix it (this is a known problem with Win95 and Intel motherboards with dual IDE controllers, I just wanted the updated Win95 driver to enable it, but the support person was clueless, again no biggie, once I got on the internet and hit the Intel site).

I can say with utter honesty, most the problems that you people have experienced are your own damn fault. Jesus Marimba, what a bunch of whiners. First off, you just can't haphazardly install software and just "EXPECT" that it will work perfectly! Christ all-mighty, you stupid schmucks! Don't you realize that when multiple peices of software overwrite each others files, this can problems?

Remember this:

No matter how good the software programmers are, they'll NEVER be able to write software that can read your mind or think for you.

For those of you complaining about putting Windows 95 on older machines and then having the system break or GPF more, did you think to upgrade the RAM, HD, or CPU? Did you happen to think about maybe this PC you have wasn't designed to run under Windows 95 in its current state?

As far as I'm concerned, I'll continue to buy Gateway 2000, and I'll continue to get the 3 year warranty (I don't like having parts die in an unreplaceable period). Gateway computers are great, they ain't perfect, but they are damn good. The only company who might have better computers for the price is Dell, but Dell at the time of my last purchase didn't finance you.

Gateway's sales people and support people could stand a bit more training and "empowerment" to do their jobs, BUT, considering the fact that they have had to put up with the abuse and stupidity I've seen on this page, it's no wonder that turn over in the computer support industry is so high.

Consider yourselves lucky you're not required to get a "computer license" to own and operate a computer. You probably use your computers like you drive your cars:

Brains turned off, tunnel vision, and pissed that everyone else on YOUR road drives so badly.

ptui on you, ptui, puti!!!

Gavin Rossdale from london, United Kingdom
machine head
Date - Thursday, December 03, 1998 at 16:50:07 (EST)

gateway kicks butt, its my type of a computer!
311 Peace Out*



Gavin Rossdale

M. S. Gilreath from Pensacola, FL USA
Date - Thursday, December 03, 1998 at 14:19:50 (EST)

Of all of the computers I have owned and operated in my life, my worse experience has been with Gateway. The computers are easy to get but do not count on it being easy to keep them up and running. Seems that Gateway is of the opinion that the only problems that could possibly occur in their systems are always the fault of 3rd party software applications (computer illiterate operators)and never their hardware's inability to deal with 3rd party software or to interact with the computer illiterate.

If I have to listen to that smarmy cutsey female with the smiley voice one more time I think I will hurl. It seems to me that Gateway is making fun of every single one of us when that online voice talks down to us like we are some misguided children. Believe me, it only serves to bend me more out of shape than if I were left to cool my heels listening to dead air while waiting for a live person to answer the phone. They feel that it is necessary to address you by your first name as if you are some long time friend. It only serves to aggravate me even more. (Considering I am a professional and no one addresses me by my first name unless I decide it is appropriate to be that familiar with them.) When I call the support desk it is nothing to do with anything other than business and not to become familiar with someone who treats me as if I have no right to even own a computer.


WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T BUY THE GOLD PREMIUM SERVICE......
I have had my G6-233 for about a year and for about a year I have had every kind of problem one could possibly experience short of having the thing explode in my face. What do I get from Gateway? Oh, to send it in for service? Please, why buy the Premium Gold Service if all of your problems are only software and they do not do onsite service for anything other than to install replacement hardware when, according to them there is never a problem with their hardware? This is more than a little deceptive don't you think?

They replaced my motherboard because they couldn't figure out what was going on with the system. The on-site service person did it powered it up and the problem was back again before he left. That is when I found out that he does nothing except install hardward and doesn't trouble shoot any problem while on-site. I have reformated and reloaded all of the software and that didn't solve the problem. No matter which technician I speak to they all want to being at the same place and to put me through all of the same changes without listening to what is actually going on. This is my first and my last Gateway. I have an AST-166 and a Packard Bell 486-DX100 that are far more reliable than this Gateway.

Packard Bell and AST have all had bad PR but considering that they are not the top of the line systems that is to be expected. But Gateway, on the other hand, swears that it is not in that league. You will never be able to reach or find a living soul with the authority to actually give quality customer service.

Yes I am angry and I will make it my business to disuade anyone I know, who is considering purchasing Gateway computers from doing it. My company owns and uses Gateways but that too is about to end.

L.Polo-Amo from Cadiz, Spain
Date - Saturday, November 28, 1998 at 12:21:49 (EST)

I have had several Gateways and my experiences have been OK (i.e., have had many problems but cutomer support always managed to get them almost addressed). All that has changed recently when I moved to Spain and needed an AC adapter for my 1995 ColorBook2 that I had bought in the States. I called several times to the customer support phone number (a very expensive call from Spain to the US) and I always ended up in an unending loop just to be dropped or told they were closed. I have tried the Internet but my e-mails don't get answered. To make a long story short, I haven't yet been able to get the AC that I need, and my laptop is completely unusable.

Brandt Kinzle from Glemwood, IA USA
Date - Tuesday, September 08, 1998 at 23:21:33 (EDT)

My experiences with my Gateway2000 computer has been horible! Nothing ever works write ever since we got it and it is very irritating! It is just all of the little things that are messed up with it that aren't worth calling a repair man for but you would like to have work. Like for example, I just got a flight simulator game that I was really exited about playing. And i already had a joystick that worked before. But when i installed the game and got it all setup to play it kept saying that it couldn't detect a joystick. It has also done that with the modem that was factory installed. So when I try to get on internet the computer says modem not responding. Just little things like that. So if you are interested in buying a home computer please please think twice before getting a gateway2000!

Wood from GA USA
Date - Saturday, August 08, 1998 at 11:12:03 (EDT)

I purchased a G6-200 from Gateway during the "Christmas Rush" of 1996. This machine was first my Gateway and my first PC. (I had been a loyal Mac User for about ten years.) I decided to go with the Gateway because my school had a few hundred on campus. I figured that if they could handle the pounding of students, they could handle the home environment.

Contrary to what some have said, my computer arrived just as I had ordered it. The set-up was painless given the color-coded wires and many diagrams. The machine worked perfectly for a week-and-a-half. The first thing I installed on the machine was a new game I had received for Christmas. Unbeknownst to me, this game installed DirectX 3.0 on my computer. (I didn't even know what DirectX was.) After running the game for a few days, my system started to slowly degrade until it stopped working (I couldn't get into Windows95 anymore.) I immediately called Gateway, and despite the Christmas Rush, I got a hold of a wonderful tech-rep. He "held my hand" for about five hours on the phone until the problem was resolved. I unfortunately had to re-format my hard drive and re-install Windows95, but since it was a new computer, nothing had to be backed-up. The tech-rep also informed me that he had helped several other customers with the exact same problem. Who do I blame for all this? I'd probably blame Gateway for not including the most up-to-date drivers for the system. After it all was said and done, however, I have nothing but cudos for Gateway's tech-reps. They were extremely kind, patient, and helpful. (I have even sent them thank-you letters.)

I have owned my G-200 for about a year-and-a-half. I have had no other problems with the system. The ACS410/251 speakers are great! The Vivitron500 monitor has got one of the best screens I've ever seen. I have only had a few minor glitches with my 12X Mitsumi CD-ROM and Windows95.

I consistently recommend Gateway to friends, and several neighbors have purchased systems from GW2K. None of them have reported having problems. I have been so impressed with Gateway, that I am about to purchase my second system in a few weeks. I can only hope that it will "behave" as well as my current machine.

Talwinder S Sangotra from USA
Date - Monday, July 13, 1998 at 11:36:15 (EDT)

I bought a G6-300 on June 3oth 1998.Connected everything and found that the monitor is not working.Called technical support and they sent me a refurbished monitor after a week.Called client relations and explained them the situation(I was still in my 'money back guarentee' period) and I got a new monitor the next day and this time it was working.
Conclusion:- Overall system performance - Excellent!
Client/Technical Support - OK.
If system performs good in the near future and given a chance I will buy from gateway again.

David Peters, P.E. from Atlanta, GA USA
Date - Friday, June 05, 1998 at 16:44:08 (EDT)

WOW! I did not realize how great a new computer can be. I took it from the box to full operation in 45 minutes. the assembly steps were absolute idiot proof. I only wish the Microsoft software was as easy to setup and use. The sound is beautiful the DVD drive was amazing and internet access is so fast and clear I could not believe how much time I have wasted waiting using other equipment. There was so much software bundled into this system that I have yet to even preview it all much less use all of it. When you throw in a beutiful color Canon printer and still sell the whole package for less thatn $2,000, why would you but anything from any one else. I did read this survey web page before I bought and discussed the isssues with several friends and I did make the right decision buying from gateway. I only hope that my elation will be the same after 1 year as it is after 1 month. One disapointment was Gateway could not sell me a state of the art hard drive backup system. Tape drives were their best offer. Thanks but no thanks I have had nothing but bad experience with tape backups.

S!DX from St.Lous , MO USA
Date - Thursday, May 28, 1998 at 22:28:21 (EDT)

I bought a Gateway home/multimedia PC in January of 1997. I had one minor problem with this system: the CDROM went out. I call this a minor problem because Gateway replaced the CDROM within days at no charge (I was eleven months into the one yr warranty). Although not always "friendly" the people in customer service and technical support depts have been very helpful.

Do not buy a Gateway PC in the later months of the year (Oct-Dec). From what I have seen Gateway introduces their new product lines annually in January. Much more computer can be bought at a given price in Jan. as opposed to Nov.

Along with the prices and performance, comes the sleak look of those towers. I will buy from Gateway again!

Olivier Coulombier from Rochester, NY USA
Date - Thursday, May 21, 1998 at 22:16:02 (EDT)

Won't tell whole story which I already told 15 times to different customer service reps. To make a long story short: computer out of box would not work. 15 frustrating phone calls (including hang-ups, lies and the classic "call sales not customer service" or the even more classic "call customer service not sales") b4 somebody finally came to replace defective hardware. Conclusion: probably last time I buy from Gateway.

Jacob Harp from Mcgill, NV USA
Date - Monday, May 18, 1998 at 01:22:41 (EDT)

Well I have read most of these comments on Gateway 2000
and now its time for mine....

I have had my first Gateway for about 6 months now and I have previously owned a Comtrade, and let me tell you.

I had problems with comtrade from day 0.
Gateway has been a dream machine!!!!!!!
not one problem to this day, i have had 5 other friends buy gateways on word of mouth. My friends report ZERO problems with thier systems also. I will never by another brand...

ROCK ON GATEWAY!!!!!!!!!!

J. Harp

Dennis Hayes from Montvale, NJ USA
Date - Monday, May 11, 1998 at 14:13:53 (EDT)

When I purchased from them an additional removable hard drive for my Liberty notebook Gateway told me that I would also be able to use the new drive with the Solo 2100 which I planned to purchase. Gateway even gave me a part number for the drive holder adapter
which I would required. After disposing of the Liberty unit and buying the Solo, Gateway changed their story. Now they tell me "Who ever told me that the Liberty drives could be used with a Solo was wrong." They also claim that the adapter P/N does not exist. The drives are both IBM and look identical except for storage capacity and the connector. With out the adapter I can no longer use the extra drive. So far I have not been able to find a source for the connector adapter which Gateway told me was available. Gatewas has been unresponsive to my requests for help.

If any one can help please e-mail, call or fax me.

Dennis Hayes 1-800-234-0006, FAX 201-825-0022

Lori G. Flower from Orlando, FL USA
Date - Tuesday, April 14, 1998 at 13:12:41 (EDT)

I would first like to state that my experince with Gateway2000 is not yet over. I purches several PC's from this company through work in the last 2 years and had no problems at all. That is what made my decision process in purchasing a PC for my parents as a Christmas gift. In Dec of 97 I ordered a P166 machine for the home, 17inch monitor printer full multi-media machine. The machine arrived without a problem. In the beginning on January 98 Gateway announced a price cut in their P233 model. It was the same price of the P166 I purchased just two weeks ago. I do understand the nature of the business, however, I knew I was still within my 30 day warrenty with Gateway so I inquired with my Gateway Sales rep about swapping the P166 with the P233. He informed me that would not be a problem so we worked the deal over the phone. My sales rep was to send my just the CPU (as the other components were the exact same) and I was to return the P166 when I received the new CPU. Well about 3 weeks went by and I received a full P233 system, complete with printer/monitor. I contacted Gateway to inform them of the error and inquire as what to do next. At that time I also found out that the sales rep ordered a complete new system on my credit card number without my confirmation. The person to whom I spoke then infomed me that my sales rep gave me incorrect information and that they could not just swap the cpu and they apologized for my sales rep charging my account for another PC. I talked with the sales rep supervisor and thought I had gotten this fixed once and for all. He said he WOULD send me another P233 and to NOT mail anything back until I received the P233 (cpu only). Another couple of weeks went by and I received in the mail a P166 (cpu only). I once again contacted Gateway spoke to another person and informed them of their mistake again!!! I was told they would again ship out a P233 and not to return anything until I received the cpu. Another few weeks go by and I FINALLY received the p233 CPU. (Note that this is now about mid March). I contacted Gateway billing to tell them of the problem and they assured me they would remove the PC from my credit card. It is now April and Gateway has NOT removed this from my bill. I have filed a dispute as I am not paying for the computer. I am still working through this issue. All this time, each and every time I phoned gateway, I have waited hours of the phone with them, never talked with the same people and have asked each department I've talked to who I should talk to to solve this issue. I haven't gotten an answer yet. Neither of the departments within Gateway seem to report to the same organizational structure so Customer Service can't help a Sales problem and there isn't a department I can go to that can help me. The only assistance I have gotten so far is from billing who would give me $100 credit for purchases from Gateway. Now why would I purchase anything else from this company. They sure haven't made a happy customer here. My story is not yet complete as I am searching for a resolution to this issue. I have spend several hours on hold, talking to several people and even got hung up by a couple of people from Gateway. I am very frustrated and unhappy with their service. So I would like to warn everyone out there...BEWARE.... You never know what can happen to you by one person's mistake....

Richard Rost from Buffalo, NY USA
Amicron Technology Services
Date - Friday, April 03, 1998 at 01:26:29 (EST)

We are a computer service company in Buffalo, NY, and I can only say this: next to Compaq and Packard Bell, the computer brand we get in for repair service THE MOST is Gateway 2000.

Rob Lambeth from Big Bear Lake, CA USA
Rob's World
Date - Thursday, April 02, 1998 at 02:04:45 (EST)

I have been buying Gateway 2000 for about 7-8 years starting with a 386, up to my most recent purchase of a laptop. I now own eight of them between my home and business. I still have the first one that I bought from them. I upgraded the motherboard on the 386, but other than that all eight of them still are in use every day. I have only had minor problems, all of which were handled quickly and to my satisfaction. One of the computers had the CD-ROM drive go bad, I was shipped a faster drive by next day air, even though I had been told that I would receive it in 3-5 days. I have recommended Gateway to several friends and have never heard of any of them having problems. The people there are always very friendly and professional. Unless something changes, I will buy all future PCs from them.

Therese V. Armstead from Virginia Beach, VA USA
Date - Monday, March 30, 1998 at 18:59:35 (EST)

I notice that the computers at GATE 2000 have gone up in price.
I am a consumer who is in need of a computer because I attend school. I would like to know if you can give me some tips on buying a computer. Plus, I would like to buy a computer with a DVD ROM.

Thanks
Therese

Larry Foote from Twinsburg, OH USA
Date - Thursday, March 26, 1998 at 21:56:46 (EST)

I bought a computer from Gateway several years ago and it has served my well. That is except for the monitor. The first monitor went out after about 7 months. The first replacement lasted less than a month and the second replacement lasted about 5 months. Gateway would not replace the last monitor because the warranty had expired. Apparently the warranty only lasts 1 year from the purchase, not 1 year from the date the last defective monitor was replaced.

So I bought a factory refurbished NEC monitor and it and the rest of the system has been working ever since. Gateway makes a decent system, just don't trust their warranty or their tech support. More than one time I got a WRONG answer from tech support on the ability to upgrade the system. Seems they don't even know their own product.

I am currently building my own system from components. The Internet makes it much easier to get good prices on components. This way I can save myself the hassle of trying to deal with tech support people who know less about the systems than I do. It takes a little bit of knowledge to get the right components and get them to work with each other but there are numerous resources on the Internet to get help from.

Rod Martin from Orange, CA USA
R.J.M. & Associates
Date - Thursday, February 19, 1998 at 17:05:55 (EST)

I read all the reports, on Gateway 2000, attached to this website and
I am TOTALLY AMAZED at the complaints. As a consultant, I have
purchased or recommended and were purchased over 45 computers from Gateway
in 1997. Every single one was EXACTLY what was ordered, absolutely perfectly packaged
and all systems worked perfectly..... My hats off to Gateway 2000
and best wishes for continued success.

Rod Martin, President R.J.M. & Associates

P.S. I have been buying/recommending Gateway computers for 6 years

C. Anderson from wake Forest, NC USA
Date - Thursday, February 05, 1998 at 20:28:39 (EST)

We purchased a GW2K in March of 1997 for use in our small business. It worked fine out of the box and is still performing great. I would recommend the company to anyone wishing buy a PC thru a mail order company. We have had some problems and still experience some interesting anomalies which occasionally rear their ugly heads....but pre-installed or after market software we've bought is the culprit in most cases. Windows is a monster which I believe has lots of holes in it! Many things that we've experienced I've heard others mention too, and they were using a different brand computer. Gatways hardware works fine but watch out for software products.

It can be very difficult to distinguish a hardware from a software problem. There have been times we've cussed at our Gateway and later learned it was a software bug.

David Yarnell from Philadelphia, PA USA
Date - Thursday, January 08, 1998 at 19:09:01 (EST)

Here is a rather unique story...it concerns ordering one thing...
and getting something completely different!
Just read the letter I just sent them.
It should be self explanatory.

I'll let you know how things turn out!

Dear Gateway2000 Representative:

In the months leading up to my purchase of a Gateway G6-233 system on 12/29/87, I asked anyone I knew who had a Gateway to describe their experience both with the machine and with the company. The reports I received were encouraging. Following those inquiries, I visited the two Gateway Country stores in my area many times. In fact, my visits became so frequent that I began to learn the staff members by their first names upon seeing them and routinely greeted them as friends upon my arrival.

I made these visits to evaluate the systems displayed but also to take measurements of the various components. When I decided upon the "New Look" ATX tower as displayed with the G6-300 system, I made more precise measurements. I had too, I was having a media station custom crafted for me. The CPU would slide into a sleeve and a wood fascia faceplate applied, allowing only the bezel of the unit to remain visible. All in all it would have achieved a very integrated look encompassing not only the gateway system but also a sound system, video components, and an extra monitor within the wall-sized center.

When I placed the order, I made certain to emphasize that I wanted the "new look" tower as described. The salesman was unsure so he checked and eventually reported that the new look tower was the only tower available. Still, the fact that he had to check made me nervous. Nonetheless, I ordered the system in the hope that my fears would prove groundless.

On Tuesday, 1-6-98, the Gateway arrived. Upon opening the box containing the CPU my worst fears were realized. It was the wrong tower!! I had never seen this tower before and, more importantly, it was not what I had ordered or wanted. It's like buying a corvette and receiving a Z28 Camaro. Sure they're both cars and they have the same engines and all, but they aren't the same. Likewise for the system I received.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed that this "old look" tower's construction was characterized by prominent gaps between the bezel and the metal cover...an invitation to dust and foreign objects. Overall, the fit and finish of this case was strikingly inferior! Was this a Gateway?, I wondered. To top it off, the case measurements and profile differed from those I had so carefully planned for.

In an instant, the elation I experienced upon seeing the spotted box, was replaced with anger and profound dissapointment. How could this happen after painstakingly explaining what I wanted?, I thought. Was it due to the Christmas rush. Did they run out of new look towers and substitute this "old look" tower just to ship the order? Perhaps, the system I received is remanufactured and not factory fresh! In short, I felt a deception had been perpetrated against me, especially in light of the fact that I had been so careful to define the tower I desired.

I had a very difficult time getting through to customer service.
Busy - Busy - Busy and being on hold were quickly becoming old hat. Finally, I turned to calling the order lines to redress my complaint. Not surprisingly, I had no difficulty getting through to them. I contacted the man with whom I placed my order with, Corliss Golimowski x75888. He did some additional checking and conferred with his supervisor. I explained what had happened and he assured me that the system I had was the new look tower. He made his case by referring to the unit's stock number on the rear of the case I received (based on my order records) and its higher numerical value as proof that the system I got was the most recent. I accepted his explanation but was still skeptical. You see, without comparing pictures of the case, the possibility of misunderstanding was very real. I still wasn't sure we were on the same page about this.

When I began to read the materials and manuals, I could find no images of the tower I received. Even the Christmas issue of Gateway magazine had the tower I wanted depicted, not the tower I received. What was going on here? Was I being scammed?

The next day I sought confirming or disconfirming evidence of my suspicion. To do that I contacted another salesman (Harmon) and asked him to describe the ATX tower I would receive if I ordered the system again. He correctly described the "new look" ATX tower that was depicted within the magazine and in the manuals. Now there was a conflict to be resolved. So I decided to try customer service again. I was getting different stories from different people. I had to get to the bottom of this.

The next day, today, 1-8-98, I managed to finally get through to customer service. I spoke to a representative named Caitlin. She listened as I explained the situation to her and tried to describe the different cases but she still remained perplexed....and I wanted to be sure we were talking about the same thing. Finally, I suggested that she fax me a copy of the catalog pages depicting the cases and she did. My suspicions were validated. I had indeed been shipped the wrong case or, to be more exact, I had been shipped the old style ATX tower; not the "new look" ATX tower I needed. Unfortunately, I have since learned that these service reps don't have direct phone extensions (strange?) so I was unable to reinitiate contact with her after we severed our phone connection for the fax transmission.

I called back again...waited....and then spoke with Michelle who was very patient and understanding with me. Again, I laboriously explained the problem to her. After some discussion, she agreed that I had been sent the wrong case. After conferring with her supervisor, Tia, she informed me that I could send the system back and exchange it for a new one (at my expense!) and "hope" that I got the correct tower the second time around. Apparently, there is no guarantee that the "new look" tower would be sent as a replacement...so I might be back at square one again...minus $200! Are you kidding?! I asked if there was a special protocol for walking a system through the production line to address unique problems such as these but was informed that there wasn't. Huh?

My other alternative was to accept a $50 credit for the error and retain the old look case. Some option Huh? The cost of reworking the media center will cost six times that at least! So here I am...stuck with two unpalatable options brought about by an ordering protocol that does not provide a means for specifying what tower design would be shipped...and an inneffective corporate information system that doesn't keep their sales personnel abreast of changes and policies on the production line. The end result is that customers don't get what they ordered, are disappointed, and question the wisdom of choosing Gateway2000.

I concluded that, apparently, I got old stock that was being depleted (something I had always suspected), not the newly stocked "New Look" ATX tower that was already introduced to the market and on display in area Gateway Country stores....something that should never have been done until the old stock had been liquidated in my opinion.

Substitutions of this sort border on bait-and-switch deception and do not bode well for fostering referrals and goodwill advertising. This sort of experience is exactly what first-time buyers fear when they consider placing a direct mail order. They never know what they'll get....and they get to pay additional charges when they attempt to correct the sellers error by returning or exchanging it. I guess that those fears are well-placed based on my experience to date.

Tomorrow, I will be meeting with a colleague who is planning to order an identical system. In fact, I was supposed to show him the materials and manuals that I received with my system as he is apprehensive about buying his computer direct from the manufacturer. What should I tell him? How can I wholeheartedly give a positive, glowing endorsement? Could you?

Ever since I first saw a Gateway system back in the the early 1990's, I had always asserted that my next system would undoubtedly be a Gateway. I trumpeted this assertion around and proclaimed it whenever my computer expertise and recommendation was sought....and I wasn't even a gateway customer yet!

On the surface, Gateway2000 seems to be a great company to do business with.
They have attractive machines at compelling prices and the marketing is top flight. This perception persists until you need help from Gateway and have to enter the corporate labyrinth to find it. Thus far, such help has eluded me altogether. Don't misunderstand me, everyone I spoke with has been kind and extremely patient but none has been in a position to offer me the correct resolution to this problem: the shipment of the correct case.

In the final analysis, the true measure of a company is how it performs when things go wrong for their customers, not how the company acts when things go well. That difference is what separates the good company that stands by their customers from those who abandon them after the sale. So far, I have to say that the latter impression is taking root in my mind. But I am still hopeful that maybe this letter will find the party who can correct Gateway's error and restore my faith in the company. At present, I'm left to wonder that if Gateway claims to be my friend in the business (when things go right), what happens to this friendship when things go wrong?

I propose that you send me a replacement system that meets the specifications I initially itemized and that you pay the shipping. I spent over $3000 on this system. I shouldn't have to settle for anything less than what I expected.

You can even ship the correct case configured with the hardware/software as specified on my order, thus saving us both on shipping. After all, I already paid for the shipping once. After I receive it and verify that another mistake has not been made, I will have the system I initially received returned to you.

I would be pleased to discuss this issue with you further if you desire. Kindly contact me at any of the numbers provided below or on my account profile.

I hope you will help me get the system I ordered.
As strange as it might seem, I still "want" to be a Gateway customer.
I hope I can be.

Sincerely,

Ethan from Kansas City, MO USA
Date - Saturday, January 03, 1998 at 20:07:40 (EST)

My family decided to purchase a new computer in December of 1994.
At the time, I did not know a whole lot about computers. My dad
bought the Gateway after a recommendation from a co-worker who told
him that Gateway computers were great machines. The model was a
P5-75. At the time, it was a very up-to-date machine. The machine
functioned okay until we started adding new software. At first, it
was just games. Eventually we had to upgrade to Windows 95. This
was when the real problems started. I have had to format the whole
Hard Drive two times in two years. After the upgrade, the computer
began to crash regularly. I have had to make frequent calls to
technical support.

At one point, the video card went out. Tech support was able
to troubleshoot the problem quickly and sent us a new monitor, which
did not solve the problem, but we did get a new monitor. Then a
new video card was shipped. This worked for ONE DAY! They then
shipped another new card.

All in all, this Gateway has been a learning experience. I now
know how to troubleshoot more Windows 95 problems than the tech
support guys know off hand. I only call to see if they can keep me
from having to reinstall Windows 95 which has to be done every 3-6
months. However, nothing I do can prevent the frequent crashes.
I even installed Win95 OSR2 (from my new computer) and updated every
driver. I think it might crash even more often now. My new computer,
a custom job by a high school friend, NEVER crashes. I can leave it
on for days without restarting.

After buying a Gateway, I have come to the conclusion that the only
time that a Gateway functions properly is when the power is OFF!

James S. Chatwin from Syracuse, NY USA
Date - Saturday, January 03, 1998 at 14:07:17 (EST)

In March 97, I purchased a Gateway 266. It arrived within a week or so. For a week it did what it was supposed to do. Then it began getting a bit tempermental. You know, locking me out, restarting itself, and assorted other malfunctions. Then the CD Rom wouldn't open and the 3.5 drive died. Over a weeks time, I made several calls to Gateway techs who were polite, but very poor at diagnosing the problems. Within two weeks four techs, one eighteen years old, had four completely different ideas on what was wrong. Each one shipped us a new piece of hardware (3.5 drive, hard drive, and CD Rom) and the fourth felt it was a virus. No one displayed much confidence in their theory, and all seemed to enjoy pawning my problem off on another tech.
Then it dawned on me. I had paid extra for "gold service" support. What would regular service be like? Scary to think about it! Finally I looked down at my feet to find three boxes scattered about with computer hardware inside that I had no faith would solve my problems. I then decided that I wanted a new system sent to me rather than the dick around with the first lemon. It took about twenty calls (at least) before I managed to find someone who agreed with my logic and ship a new unit out. The whole process took three months.
So far the new computer is doing great and I would recommend the computer itself. Certainly not the tech support. But in the end after an an extreme amount of effort, I did find a reasonable ear in the company. Currently, I am shopping for a second computer for my business and I am considering going with a Dell or Micron. Whatever your choice, the most important factor is going with a company with a sizeable chain of command in case you are unsatisfied with what shows up at your front door.

Patty Hoffman from Canton, OH USA
Date - Thursday, December 11, 1997 at 00:32:16 (EST)

I will never purchase another Gateway computer or anything else of theirs ever again; and after reading this archive I don't know how anyone can say they are happy with their Gateway PC. It seems that almost everyone who wrote in had some problem and trust me I'm sure there are more problems to follow, they just haven't had their computer that long yet.
Anyway, about my experience with Gateway...I ordered my first Gateway in Sept, 1993. My Anykey keyboard consistently had keyboard error when I booted up my machine. Tech support said this was normal just hold the suspend-macro key while booting and this will solve the problem. This worked for awhile. I ended up purchasing a new keyboard from a local store which I now love. By May my CDrom broke; they sent me a new one..only because it was under warranty.
Now the major problems arose! Sept, 1997. I called gateway about purchasing a new PC. They said I could just upgrade mine and it will be great and last for atleast another 4 years. Great I ordered the upgrades(hard drive, modem, pentium chip, and memory), they said it would be shipped that day and I would receive it the next day; 4 days later it arrived after several phone calls. I installed all components to find out it still wasn't working right, needed a BIOS disk in order for my new hard drive to work properly, and tech said Windows 95 would be best. Tech support was not the most helpful about anything. Then less than 2 months later, my CDRom quit working, called tech support, nothing they can do. Need new CDRom which they don't sell that kind anymore, the ones that plug into the soundcard not the motherboard. Purchased one elsewhere to find out when I tried to install the software my floppy drive was no longer working. Called tech support, they couldn't do much for me again. Purchased a new floppy drive elsewhere, installed it to find out it didn't work either. Called tech support... first person I spoke with slipped and said it was the motherboard. The upgrades were too much. When I got upset she immediately transferred to another tech who gave me a complete run around.
I then researched on my own to find out it was the motherboard; the upgrades were tooo much. And all of this was done at Gateways suggestion. So here I was $800 poorer, no computer, and no help. So I purchased a new IBM, and wrote a letter to Ted Waitt owner of Gateway2000. That was 2 weeks ago and no response back yet. Personally I don't think he cares.
I'm sorry this is so long but I want to warn everyone about Gateway and how terrible the company service really is and I hope I can deter as many people as I can from purchasing anything from this company. And to everyone who may be happy with them now, I give you just a little bit of time before you are as upset as I am with them!!!

Chris Hosier from Cincinnati, OH USA
Date - Monday, December 01, 1997 at 21:24:35 (EST)

After much doing much research I narrowed down the choice to
Dell and Gateway. Ended up buying a Gateway P5-166 in March 96,
mainly due to customer service, warranty and price.
My computer performed wonderfully for one year & then the problems
started.
1) CD ROM would not function. After spending many hours troubleshooting
on line with a tech, reformatted hard drive and a new unit was sent.
Everything was great.
2) CD ROM down again. More troubleshooting, format hard drive, finally another
unit sent and everything was dandy again.
3) CD ROM bites the dust yet again. tired of formatting it dawned on
me that the root cause was somewhere else which i communicated to the tech.
They led me through a galore of troubleshooting which ended
in replacing the motherboard & CD ROM again. By the way, I
started out with a 6x CD, then 8X, 12x and back to 6x. grrrrr.
Gateway arranged a tech to install motherboard. Result - windows
errors that wouldn't allow me to run more than 5 minutes in Windows
but the CD Rom worked fine.

I had been patient up till now. Service was good-some techs better than others,
but I had been without my computer for too long and had had enough.
Talked to supervisor of tech support to establish my dissatisfaction.
He talked me into replacing the Hard Drive as last resort. I refused to
send the computer back for service (2 more weeks without it) and was
firm about having the computer replaced if the hard drive didn't fix my problem.

4) Hard Drive replaced (12/1/97). Errors still continue. I spent
1/2 hour rebooting to be able to get into window and get on line
to write this. They are sending me a new system (3-5 days).
The jury is still out. The only way I'll be a loyal Gateway customer
is if they give me a new upgraded computer for all the time
i have been without a computer - you see the most recent problems
started after i just bought Madden98 and Riven...getting ready for
some Holdiay gaming over the holday break. The weekend before
Thanksgiving, I inserted my Riven CD and the CD was down.

Summary: Gateway is good company but needs to focus more
on delivering more reliable computers. Support is good but sometimes
a lengthy wait. They are always willing to replace parts which makes
me wonder that if they would have just sent a new system earlier, then
they would save a bunch of money in support labor and parts.
They need to focus on customer satisfaction at all costs. I have
probably been entirely too patient with them but I am giving them one
last shot. Im scared to death they will send me a rebuilt computer
with rebuilt parts and start this whole story over again in another year.
Which by that time, the warranty will probably be run out.

If they don't upgrade me generously for my problems and loss of time then
Im definitely going elsewhere and steering all friends and business associates
with me. When you work for General Motors, the largest company
in North America, thats quite a few associates.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

Peter Frantz from Long Beach, CA USA
Date - Monday, October 27, 1997 at 18:59:09 (EST)

After reading many of the horror stories listed under the
Comtrade heading of this website, I decided to purchase a
Gateway computer for my latest upgrade. I figured it would be
worth it to pay a bit more money for a more reliable machine
and for access to more responsive and competent customer service.
I regret to report that after having my new GW2k computer for
only one week, I've had to push their diagnostic and customer
service aptitudes to their limits. The jury's still out, we'll
see how they perform, but I'm already quite disappointed that
I'm unable to use this computer for at least several more days.

My new machine, a Pentium II 233 (upgraded with a 4 GB hard drive)
,came 3 days before they had promised and worked beautifully
right out of the box (ordered 10/14/97, received 10/17/97). I
was very impressed and pleased with it's initial performance.

The problems began after one week of modest use; the hard drive
spontaneously ceased to operate. The symptoms were that the
computer did not recognize the drive, and claimed it was unable
to locate an operating system upon boot-up. In addition, the
hard-disk LED on the from of the case was continuously lit.
Repeated calls to the technical service were answered with a
recording which reported that they were too busy and I should
call later. After a few hours, I succeeded. I spoke with
a suprisingly competent (though surly) technician (James) who led
me through a long series of diagnostic maneuvers, ultimately
deciding that the hard drive was indeed toast. Significantly,
one diagnostic procedure required me to change some setting so
that my computer looked at the CD-ROM drive when I asked it to
look at C:. Unfortunately, I am not yet literate enough to
understand or recall what these steps were. Whatever process
led my computer to this configuration, it cannot be reversed.
Long story short, several other technicians could not un-do
what the first technician had done in his diagnostics, and they
have now concluded that the motherboard must be replaced in
addition to the hard-drive! I could have easily replaced the
hard-drive myself, but the motherboard requires a field-
technician. That means I have to wait several days for
these parts to arrive, and then make appointments with technicians
to come to my home (we all know how long that can take).
By the time I have a working system it will be obsolete, not to
mention the lost time without a PC.

GRRRRRRR.

Gateway still has the ability to redeem themselves if this
issue is handled in an expeditious manner. I will report
back to this forum when the matter is resolved. A friend of
mine, in the market for a new PC, called last night to ask
how I like the Gateway machine. I told him to sit tight.

Lane Mitchell from San Antonio, TX USA
Date - Wednesday, October 22, 1997 at 07:19:06 (EDT)

I have purchased 4 computers from Gateway 2000.
All have performed well.
One has had disk crash on 2 occasions but their tech support has been quick to send a new disk each time.
I have another machine from another vendor using a 32 bit FAT table and thought is would be good to update one of the Gateway's to 32 bit FAT when the last hardisk had to be replaced.
A call to tech support informed me that Gateway does not support a 32 bit FAT table.
Aside from this desired change Gateway has always been responsive and helpful for any computer questions I have had.

Jason Wekwert from Alpena, MI USA
Date - Thursday, October 16, 1997 at 20:18:06 (EDT)

First thing I would like to say is Gateway 2000 is a GREAT company 10 stars in my opinion. As a hobby I troubleshoot computers for neighbors, friends and family. I have worked with many kinds of computers and have been with many tech support people. I have read other comments on this page about gateway and how their tech support people gave them the run around. I have never had one problem like that. All the representitives I have talked with from gateway have been very courteous to me. They give me the facts and are happy to replace any thing that has happened to your computer. Even though gateway has a very low hardware or software problems compared to others. If you are wondering which type of computer to get this is your place. In my experience there is no other.

Susan Myers from Williamsport, PA USA
Date - Tuesday, October 07, 1997 at 22:06:00 (EDT)

My experiences with Gateway 2000 have been nothing but wonderful.
When we had trouble with our CD-ROM, they talk us thru some different
troubleshooting things. When those didn't work, they then sent us
a new CD-ROM.

They treated me like I was their neighbor, very kind and friendly.
Not like I was somebody that didn't know anything. They also made
it easy for me to call back to continue discussing the problem.

I highly recommend, getting computers and equipment from Gateway 2000.

Judy M from Johnstown, PA USA
None More Negative
Date - Wednesday, October 01, 1997 at 09:37:21 (EDT)

My experince with gateway was surprisingly good. The problems
i have had with my computer have been minimal in the past two
years but when things do go wrong gateway is always quick and
happy to fix the problem.
EX. My keyboard suddenly stopped recognizing my d key... they sent
me a new keyboard... I have also had small problems with my power
button lodging itself in the case (I have one of the older
designs) and they sent me a whole new button/power supply.

Like i said, nothing but good to say, i plan on purchasing my
next computer from gateway when the time comes... and
would recommend it to anyone.

Adam Drew from St. Simons Island, GA USA
Date - Tuesday, September 30, 1997 at 21:19:17 (EDT)

I have had nothing but positive experiences w/ GW2K. My boss
(and aunt) purchased a Pentium 75 Mhz/8 MB RAM/730 MB HDD in 11/94.
It is turned off and on at least 4 or 5 times a day. It is operated
in a glass shop where dust is constantly getting all over (and
in) it. We have never had to contact GW2K about this computer
(except to buy some more 16 more MB of RAM from them). On that
call, they were very helpful and friendly. The computer still
operates fine to this day.

My boss needed a new computer for her house. Since we had had
such a positive experience with the previous computer, we bought
a P-166 from them earlier this year. We bought a Microtek SCSI
scanner for it, and I installed the card and drivers and everything
worked flawlessly. The only thing that happened is that the
monitor started acting up and flickering. We called Tech Support
and they sent us a new monitor in 2 (!) days. AND THIS WAS DURING
THE UPS STRIKE!! We had a CrystalScan 500 15" monitor (new style).
They sent us a CrystalScan 500 15" monitor that was built in
September 1994. It looks a little different, but it performs the
same. I don't really care, because it's covered by the same 3-year
warranty.

For my next computer, I will definately get a GW2k.
L8TR.

Chuck Cavaness from Atlanta, GA USA
Date - Wednesday, September 24, 1997 at 21:34:41 (EDT)

My company has about 500 gateways and I have never had
problems, other than normal configuration problems. My friend
asked my advice and help on buying a new computer. I said, get
a gateway. Within two weeks, the 12/24x cdrom went dead. The
cdrom is a mitsumi. I have heard of this before. Technical support
was very good and within 3 days, a new cdrom had arrived. I
can't blame Gateway for a mitsumi cdrom problem. Many companies use that brand of cdrom. I am pleased with GW so far.

Robert W. Gregg from USA
Date - Wednesday, September 10, 1997 at 12:34:55 (EDT)

Do not purchase a Gateway product.!!

I purchased a Gateway computer for business use and received
one rather quickly. The price was acceptable and I even thought
I should get one for home use. (Currently using Packard Bell)
Upon assembling the computer, I turned it on to see that it would
do so and it did. I was unable to begin working on the new
computer as it was not yet configured for network use. The next
day, I again turned the computer on and it was dead. The hard
drive showed as not being installed according to BIOS setup.
I called customer service and after holding for quite a long time
a service agent asked me to do some things, ie change plugs, etc.
He told me that this was "quite common". I said that I was
disturbed that my brand new computer was "commonly" shipped
in an inoperable state. At the end of the troubleshooting session
he decided that a new hard drive was needed and he ordered it
and arrainged to have a technician come to the office to install it.
When the service tech arrived, he installed the HDD and the
computer would still not work. He told me that the HDD was not
formated and he did so, then he had to re-install Windows95 but
the disk was not in the boxes that came with the computer. I
obtrained a licenced copy of Windows 95 from our network
administrator and he installed it. He then left.

The computer was not configured properly and showed that in the
system configuration as being not optimum.

I called Gateway to tell them to take the computer back and refund.
They talked me into accepting a new system and said that it would
be shipped in 3 days. That was 2 weeks ago and many hours on
hold with customer service.

I shall never purchase another Gateway product.

Cordell L. Hackett from Buxton, ME USA
Date - Tuesday, September 09, 1997 at 23:49:30 (EDT)

I purchased a Gateway 2k computer system in the summer of 1996.
At first I was very pleased with the service. Then the trouble
started. With my package came an Epson stylus color IIs printer.
What a nightmare this turned out to be. In the summer of 1997 I
started trying to get this epson fixed and or repaired or
replaced . well that was a real laugh. I called the person that
sold me the computer system for a total of five times. Not any of
my calls were returned.

Needless to say if I had it to do over again Iwould not purchase
from Gateway again. Just because of the way they have not handled
my problem. I have just been jerked around.

Randall Dolinger from leavenworth, KS USA
Date - Sunday, August 31, 1997 at 20:39:09 (EDT)

I have two Gateways. The Gateway G6-200XL and a 486-66 DX2. I have been relatively happy with the computers although I have not always had good luck with the service. After returning from Bosnia I bought the G6-200 which had a card in the box for an automatic upgrade. I then moved back to the states. The card for the upgrade was not obvious at all. By the time I got the card in the move the date had passed and there was no mercy on hteir part. I think they at least could have made the card easier to see in the mass of stuff you get with a new computer.

Noah Clements from Jersey City, NJ USA
Date - Wednesday, August 13, 1997 at 01:39:53 (EDT)

I bought a Colorbook2 dx4-100 in May of 95, and overall I have been fairly happy with my purchase. My friend bought a comparable Dell for about the same price (he was happy with it), and I liked the screen, keyboard and pointing device of the gateway much better. Just lucky, I guess.

Because I am prone to mess with the system (and/or download viruses), I have had to reformat my hard-drive three times. Tech support walked me through the first one. Getting through to tech support and being put on hold have been my most serious gripes, although I don't know if others are better.

The computer itself has been wonderful ( I am using it this moment ), and have only recently felt a performance/disk-space lack. Using MSOffice Pro and Win 3.11 was faster on the 486 notebook than on the Compaq pentium I had in the office. Can't do Win NT though, and win95 is a bit slower. The notebook monitor is still one of the best I have seen (and it's passive matrix!).

I still don't know whether I'll buy a desktop from them or dell, however.

Bill Lynch from Secaucus, NJ USA
Date - Wednesday, July 30, 1997 at 21:57:03 (EDT)

I bought a loaded 486 (66mhz, 16mb) in 8/93. Monitor reported
(internally) that it was running in b&w. Gateway sent me a new
monitor & everything was great. Very pleased with G2K - was able to get thru to Tech Support twice before noon the day after Labor Day - less than 10 mins on hold. Very satisfied with the system - upgraded it earlier this year with a Pentium motherboard, p166 chip, etc.

If I were going to buy a complete system, I'd call G2K. Recommended them to a friend from work - he's been very happy with his P133-XL for the last 18 mos.

Paul Justin from San Diego, CA USA
Date - Wednesday, July 30, 1997 at 00:04:45 (EDT)

Bought a p5/166. Beautiful 17" Vivitron monitor.
Ordered it over the phone. Salesman didn't tell me about
the shipping charge ($95). Also, had a major price drop 31 days
after I bought. MANY calls later (salesman wouldn't return my
call...shocking!) got a refund of the $95, but not the additional
$250 from the price guarantee. I will never buy from these guys
again. Which is too bad because I have just been given approval
to buy TEN GODDAM WORKSTATIONS for my branch office!!!! It looks
like Dell is going to get the business this time. It seems that
they are delivering what GW2K promises.

It's a darn shame, because the computer works reasonably well
(some) weird glitches with the video driver) and they shipped
relatively quickly. Too bad they don't believe in customer
service and keeping their promises. The salesmen seem to be
kind of like the guys who sell on commission in discount
appliance stores, which, when I come to think of it, is what
they are.

Yuri Ivashchenko from Norristown, PA USA
Date - Monday, July 28, 1997 at 02:04:51 (EDT)

Very pleasant experience. No problem for more than two years.
(I have P5-100). I use Compaque P5-150 at my office and I prefere
GATEWAY2000.

Denise Wyatt from Providence, NC USA
Date - Sunday, July 27, 1997 at 18:14:56 (EDT)

I shopped around a lot last Christmas of '96 to buy a computer.
I had several people to recommend the Gateway 2000 but I just
wasn't sure. We (my husband and I) decided to go with it and we
are sure glad we did. It has been a great assset to our home and
family. The experience we've had with our P5-166 has been
extraordinary. We love it! I recommend it to all of my friends and
family!

John Patterson from State College, PA USA
Date - Monday, June 30, 1997 at 14:23:34 (EDT)

I first started using GW2K machines when I worked for Penn State
Univeristy. I took delivery of about 50 systems over a one year
period. Only had one problematic system (everything except power
supply was replaced, it finally worked). Other than that, 1 bad
floppy, 1 bad keyboard. I always got through in less than 10
minutes on the "corporate" support line (PSU spends $M with
Gateway every year). I was very happy with the systems.

I bought a personal system (P-133) from Gateway in May 1996. After
a couple weeks, I noticed that the 8X CD-ROM seemed rather slow,
slower than some 4X drives, in fact. I called, got through
quickly, and they admitted the problem immediately and sent me a
new drive from a different manufacturer (I think the first was a
Wearns and the new one a Mitsumi). It performed better.

The 17" Vivitron (Sony) displays, in my opinion, are excellent.
No other problems with the system after 14 months. I recommend
Gateway to anyone buying a computer, and so far, haven't had
to eat my words.

John Patterson

BUNRONG TOUCH from PHILADELPHIA, PA USA
Date - Sunday, June 29, 1997 at 20:51:29 (EDT)

I HAVE BEEN USEING GATEWAY2000 SINCE I WERE IN COLLEGE

Jim Thomas from Springfield, MO USA
Date - Monday, June 23, 1997 at 20:32:28 (EDT)

We bought our 4th Gateway system last fall. ( Our kids keep running off with them). This one I am keeping. We have been pleased with both the product that Gateway sells and the manner in which they treat their customers. The technical support is THE BEST!! I'll never have any other brand.

r. king from arlington, WA USA
Date - Wednesday, May 14, 1997 at 10:39:12 (EDT)

after extensive research and being overwhelmed with every manufacturer's
claim of being the best buy, or the fastest i opted for name brand
with warranty. i even went as far as to price a similar system built
by a local computer shop and it was $500 more with no software and
1yr warranty. i chose gateway over dell and micron for several reasons.
1. they would ship c.o.d.
2. they would ship within a reasonable period of time.
3. my wife would kill me if i bought another dell after all the
problems of our previous computer.

in april '97 i purchased a p5-133 desktop with a 17" monitor, 32m ram, 3.2g hd, 12xcd.
it was at my door within 4days, setup was almost plug and play.
so far so good, no problems, i'm a very happy customer.

Jeff Nelson from Oak Park, IL USA
Date - Wednesday, April 30, 1997 at 13:03:29 (EDT)

I bought my GW2K P5-60 back in December of 94, I think, and
have been pleased with it. I have only needed to call tech sup-
port on it twice, once when my modem got blitzed by lightning, and
once to ask about graphics card compatibility, and I remember
only having to wait about 15-20 minutes to talk to a live person,
who were very helpful.

The delivery of the system was amazingly fast (a few days after
the order was made and it was on my doorstep). Worked great right
out of the box. It came with the good Altec-Lansing speakers,
which surprised me (I always remembered my friends having tiny,
cheap speakers). A friend of mine had problems with the monitor
he got with his Gateway, but I have experienced no problems.

I have since made some upgrades to it, and they went ok, but not
perfect. Adding memory to it was a chore, since I needed to
remove some drives to get to the sockets. I added another hard
drive, but the cables just BARELY reach. I tried to add a better
video card a few months ago, but the PCI bus was too old (no
suprise). I put in a 120MHz overdrive chip with no problems.

The setup that I have now could last me another year or so, but
I'm a little power hungry for a Pentium Pro system. I'm still
looking around for one, but if the Gateway ones weren't so pricy
I would go with them in a second based on my experience.

Timothy O'Connell from Cincinnati, OH USA
Date - Thursday, April 17, 1997 at 21:16:16 (EDT)

I bought a P5-133 system from Gateway in October of last year
(1996). The system arrived on time and I've gotten considerable
useful and timely support, though always via email. The 'static'
support on their webpage has also many times proved very
valuable. I've since recommended them to everyone I know
that's considering buying a system. I'd give them three thumbs up
if I could.

Doug Brubaker from Lancaster, PA USA
Date - Thursday, April 17, 1997 at 12:17:54 (EDT)

I've bought several 486 systems over the years. Products
have always been top-notch, there was a time that their service
really sucked in that I would disappear into their telephone queue
for literally hours. Once I got a live voice, however, they were
very helpful.
In the last couple of times I've been on the phone with their
customer support, the time spent was considerably shortened.
I am in the midst of converting my whole network over to
Gateway, both used and new. I have no problem continuing to pur-
chase from them and I would reccommend them with one caveat: be
prepared, you may need reading material as you wait for your phone
support.

Bob Taft from USA
Date - Wednesday, April 09, 1997 at 11:55:47 (EDT)

Unable to recieve any support.

Hubert Ho from Los Angeles, CA USA
Date - Saturday, March 29, 1997 at 19:58:10 (EST)

Bought a P5-120 in May '96 and after the initial problems, smooth
sailing. Here's what happened... I got the system and it would
not start. After a few minutes of cursing, I found out that the
power connector to the motherboard had come off. I finally got
it to work, and been happy. Of course, I would be happier with
a Pentium 200MMX.

Kent Diaz from Chalmette, LA USA
Date - Thursday, March 13, 1997 at 15:04:56 (EST)

I purchased my Gateway2000-P133 sytem in October of 1995 and it
is a Jewel. I have never experienced any major problems with my
system, but I have had memorable moments dealing with Gateway.

Problem #1--when my monitor would pop loudly, go fuzzy, then
blackout--- tech-support suggested that the problem was in the
settings. I tried to send the monitor back and upgrade but they
refused because they said that the problem wasn't the monitor.
14 months later they replaced the monitor because of a bad pin in
the parallel cable plug(which I had notified them of immediately)
--The cable cannot be replaced, they had to replace the monitor.
I could not upgrade to a larger monitor because 30 days had passed
from the time of purchase(Even though I called several times the
first 30 days). Problem 1 solved. No complaints since the monitor
and shipping was covered under warranty.

Problem #2 -- was with Microsoft Office Professional software that
I ordered before it was released. I was sent the Standard version
(in the Professional version Jacket)instead of the Professional
version. Reason stated ---someone at Gateway messed up. Since
Gateway got stuck, they KNOWINGLY passed them off to the consumer
(some 3000 of us). After 14 months of searching for ACCESS and
calling Gateway to troubleshoot the problem, Gateway offered to
send my money back instead of the right software, since Office97
is out and they can make roughly $200--why send me what I paid
for 14 months ago(besides what can I do about it). Problem #2
would be solved but my money hasn't arrived yet.

Overall this Gateway2000 owner is satisfied. I've gone 16 months
without a major breakdown. My only complaint is that Gateway puts
all of its energy into getting you as a customer, then they don't
exactly give you what you paid for. The 24 hour support is a
recording that sometimes takes over 30 minutes to get through.
No complaints about support, once you can get connected. They have
helped me on several occasions.

Tom from USA
KingNem_'s Place
Date - Sunday, January 26, 1997 at 04:51:05 (EST)

I bought my GW2K about a year ago. I have been very pleased
with it. I would be buying another one if I weren't so power hungry
with my next purchase. For beginners, GW2K is definately your best
bet. The service is great, and the package you get is great. Plus, it is a better price than micron and dell. If your considering it, I would recommending buying one.

Dennis Green from Millington, MI USA
Date - Sunday, January 05, 1997 at 13:13:26 (EST)

G-6 Family PC, received 12/9/96. Arrived ahead of quoted schedule.

CDROM upgraded between order and delivery from 8x to 12x. Speakers upgraded from ACS-41 to ACS410 w\subwoofer, no charge. Good, and now the not so good.

Overcharged $150.00 on invoice from agreed price. Speaker crossover didn't work. No microphone, no modem software. Backup software doesn't work with installed Ditto tape drive from GW2K (Win NT ordered with system). Audio feedback from all computer activity, Can hear everything in speakers: mouse, harddrive, screen activity. Oh-Oh!

Sales rep stopped returning my calls after sale!

Technical service sent replacement, power supply, sound board, and mother board, speakers, (I bought a New computer?). New speakers wrong model. Service rep (nice guy) replaced other 3, no change. More speakers sent, work fine. GW2K sent check for $50.00 for my troubles.

Nasty letter sent to Ted Waitt.

Am waiting for a replacement computer, a microphone, an explanation. Quality control left early for holiday.

Dennis Green

Lisa from Newport Beach, CA USA
TAG
Date - Wednesday, December 11, 1996 at 17:53:39 (EST)

Our entire network is set up on Gateway PCs at work. I have been the Systems Admin. here for the last year and have had no problems with the products. The only problem I experienced with the company was a cocky emial message from one of their reps when I emailed the company about further info on a purchase...and that was taken care of promptly by his supervisor (axed him, I do believe). I am currently in the market for a new home system. I'll probably buy from them, but 'm waiting to check out some deals on the auctions. Gateways prices are competitive for the quality, but you never know what deals can pop up...
By the way, this BBS is awesome. I was looking into Comtrade, and now I'm glad I did! They sounded like a bargain and now I know why...

Jeff Tomasello from Largo, FL USA
Date - Tuesday, October 29, 1996 at 13:26:25 (EST)

I purchased my gateway in April of "96" within two months my system was replaced twice because of failures. Through all the problems I've had gateway was with me and worked hard to correct them. This is October "96" and I believe all my problems have been solved. Would any other company be there like gateway? I don't think so. Bad experiance good ending !!!

Russ McTyre from Alpharetta, GA USA
Date - Thursday, October 24, 1996 at 10:23:26 (EDT)

I purchased a 486 DX2/50 Gateway system over three years ago. I've since sold the system in May of this year, but never have I seen such a quality system. I sold my Gateway and bought a Midwest Micro, and that was probably the dumbest thing I've done in quite some time. Gateway parts, customer and technical support, and warranty coverage are impeccable. Every time something went wrong with my system, it was always fixed or replaced within 24 hours. I had 3 or 4 Telepath modems over those 3 years, and I only paid for the original one. All of the others went bad for one reason or another and they always replaced it with the latest and greatest version completely free of charge. Gateway is a true gem in the computer industry, and I would think long and hard before I elected to buy from anyone else.

william peterson from san diego, ca, USA
Date - Thursday, October 24, 1996 at 10:17:00 (EDT)

Well, after comparing prices, service, software provided, Gateway provided the best deal. Too bad it's been 3 weeks since I've placed my order, and the video card is still on back order. Although, through the wait, my hard drive has been upgraded to 3.8, the modem upgraded to 33.6, and the speakers to the 410 series over the 400, at no additional cost. Maybe the system price will go down too, just from a month prior, it went down $200.

Bobi from Greenville, NC USA
Date - Monday, September 23, 1996 at 23:41:02 (EDT)

I guess Gateway has been dumping excess parts onto the used
& 'OEM pulls' auction blocks. I've bought several items the
past several months (gateway keyboards and monitors). I have
been extremely happy with all of my parts purchases so far.
(I'm just wondering how to remove the Gateway 2000 logos now
:) ... better yet, if I keep collecting parts and I will have
a complete Gateway 2000 computer for a fraction of the
original cost!

This doesn't have anything to do with Gateway company itself.
I just wanted to mention that the Gateway parts I buy from
auctions are of the highest quality.

Bobi

Peter Stoermer from USA
Date - Thursday, September 19, 1996 at 15:56:04 (EDT)

Bought a P5-200. Other than the fact that the order was backlogged a month, I was very impressed with GW2K. From the ease of configuring the system of my choice at their website, to talking with a sales rep, the overall experience was fine.

The set-up was a snap, and everything worked fine (so far).

I feel confident in recommending them (at least their not Comtrade).

:)

Brutus from mpls, MN USA
Date - Sunday, September 15, 1996 at 22:24:48 (EDT)

Bought four for work. 2 = 120MHz/16mb , 2 = 133MHz/32 mb.
PC#1 and #2 : bought with modems, not configured, conflicted
with com ports. Took quite some time to set up. Difficult
to add network cards, IRQ conflicts. PC's with modems still
won't see the "network neighborhood."
PC#2 : Total hard drive crash. Gateway said was because we
had the 17" monitor on the desktop case. It actually pushed
on the drive. Got new drive, and wrote a warning message
on the case...
PC#3 : Wierd errors, replaced RAM, then ok.
PC#4 : intermittent errors. replaced motherboard, then ok.
Summary: When they work, they are great. Great price/performance.
But considering what labor $$ is worth at work, I will not
be buying any more for work. (Gonna try dell now...)
Phone support was a bit slow, and they
tended to assume simple problems and tried to get me off
the line soon. But i stuck with it and we resolved all
problems. Probably would be OK for home systems.

James Malone from Phnom Phen, Other
Date - Friday, September 06, 1996 at 08:41:44 (EDT)

Sucks.

Trevor Black from Salt Lake City, UT USA
Date - Thursday, September 05, 1996 at 00:04:01 (EDT)

We use Gateway's at work. Though we have experienced
an occasional problem here and there, I have been very
impressed with Gateway's technical support. Many
companies are impossible to get a hold of. A small wait on
a toll-free line is not a bad deal if the technician is knowledgable. In my case, they are. Keep it up, Gateway!

T.B.

John Grohol from Columbus, OH USA
Date - Wednesday, August 28, 1996 at 10:18:26 (EDT)

Welcome to the Gateway2000 Archive! Leave your comments and experiences about Gateway2000 here.