Gateway Laptop Should I buy one?

Looking for a latop for my college bound daughter. Circuit City has the
gateway 6010GZ Notebook on sale for 699 this week. Any thoughts on on this
model? Any suggestions for a like Notebook?

Barry,

I suggest you buy it. My Gateway stock could use a boost from the increased
sales. Seriously, though, I bought a Gateway 400SP notebook a few years ago.
It was on sale for $799.00. It's been an excellent machine, I've never had a
problem with it. This is my second Gateway notebook. The first one (5150XL)
goes back to 1999, and it's still working great. So, yes, Gateway makes good
notebooks.

Scott

Barry Shapiro wrote:

Looking for a latop for my college bound daughter. Circuit City has the
gateway 6010GZ Notebook on sale for 699 this week. Any thoughts on on this
model? Any suggestions for a like Notebook?

Barry,

One more thought. Do get the 3-year extended warranty, as notebooke
tend to take more abuse than a desktop.

Scott

Barry Shapiro wrote:

Looking for a latop for my college bound daughter. Circuit City has the
gateway 6010GZ Notebook on sale for 699 this week. Any thoughts on on this
model? Any suggestions for a like Notebook?

Please do not mislead these poor people Scott. GW does not make
anything. All GW is, is an up-front American Name for a down on its
sorry luck company that deals in Cheap Asian junk loosely called
computers which has the GW name stamped on the boxes. The only thing
they do in the US is run a sales office and a marketing office, which
deals in making people think GW boxes are made in America, by Americans
and supported and repaired in America by Americans. According to
TechWatch, their return support desktop boxes goto Mexico for repair
and their return laptops go back to Taiwan for repair. Do a google on
how many GW laptops have been gone for months to Taiwan for repair and
never to ever be seen again. That one even made the national news a
few months back because GW refused to replace them saying that it
wasn't their fault that Taiwan lost the things.

As has been said on this NG before, it doesn't matter who's notebook
you buy, it was made in Taiwan. The big difference is how it will be
supported by the people that are stamping their name on the box. GW
has an extremely poor record of being honest and supportive with its
victims, er customers. According to TechWatch, even though IBM's
notebooks are also slung together in Taiwan, IBM at least does the
hands on support/repair right here in the US for the Taiwanese
notebooks with their name on the boxes. That doesn't make a Taiwanese
built notebook with the IBM name stamped on it any better than the
Taiwanese notebook with the GW name stamped on it. But when it comes
to hands on support if the thing needs to be shipped back, at least the
Taiwanese box with the IBM name stamped on it isn't sent back to
Taiwan, or isn't as of right now....

NIK

Scott wrote:
So, yes, Gateway makes good
notebooks.

wrote:

Please do not mislead these poor people Scott. GW does not make
anything. All GW is, is an up-front American Name for a down on its
sorry luck company that deals in Cheap Asian junk loosely called
computers which has the GW name stamped on the boxes. The only thing
they do in the US is run a sales office and a marketing office, which
deals in making people think GW boxes are made in America, by Americans
and supported and repaired in America by Americans. According to
TechWatch, their return support desktop boxes goto Mexico for repair
and their return laptops go back to Taiwan for repair. Do a google on
how many GW laptops have been gone for months to Taiwan for repair and
never to ever be seen again. That one even made the national news a
few months back because GW refused to replace them saying that it
wasn't their fault that Taiwan lost the things.

As has been said on this NG before, it doesn't matter who's notebook
you buy, it was made in Taiwan. The big difference is how it will be
supported by the people that are stamping their name on the box. GW
has an extremely poor record of being honest and supportive with its
victims, er customers. According to TechWatch, even though IBM's
notebooks are also slung together in Taiwan, IBM at least does the
hands on support/repair right here in the US for the Taiwanese
notebooks with their name on the boxes. That doesn't make a Taiwanese
built notebook with the IBM name stamped on it any better than the
Taiwanese notebook with the GW name stamped on it. But when it comes
to hands on support if the thing needs to be shipped back, at least the
Taiwanese box with the IBM name stamped on it isn't sent back to
Taiwan, or isn't as of right now....

NIK

Scott wrote:
So, yes, Gateway makes good
notebooks.


NIK,

You're right, of course. I should have explained what most everyone knows,
namely that all notebooks are made in Taiwan these days. I should qualify
my endorsement of Gateway by saying that my last experience with their
notebook tech support was about three years ago. A couple of times, I
shipped my 5150XL to Gateway's repair center in Texas. The first time,
I overnighted it to them on a Monday and received it back on Wednesday.
Pretty fast service. Since my newer 400SP notebook has never needed tech
support or repair, I cannot say how well they treat their customers today...
although it does say something about the reliability of their laptops.
I do know that Gateway used to make their desktops in Sioux Falls, SD (Ted
Waitt invited me to tour their plant at one time, although I never took him
up on it). Now with the e-machine "merger", I suppose that's no longer true.

I agree with you that today a person would be smart to check out the repair
procedure (and timeline) for a manufacturer before buying from them. I also
acknowledge that Gateway's tech support has been sliding downward, as has
the support of most manufacturers.

Scott

On 16 Jun 2005 12:12:52 -0700, wrote:

According to
TechWatch, their return support desktop boxes goto Mexico for repair

I didn't know that but assumed it wasn't in the US any more since
closing their Hands On Support doors in SD and TX.

and their return laptops go back to Taiwan for repair.

I did know that and that has always been that way or at least has been
back as far as the mid to late 90's when I started watching these
people. This is one of the reasons I am looking at alternatives to
get a battery replacement for my Laptop.... Here's the story...

My system board battery (the disk shaped one on the MB) needs
replaced. I posted a message on here about it a week or so ago. The
laptop is still under extended warranty so I call "Business" support
because it actually is a business computer and you get English
speaking north Americans for support to boot. After getting the dense
lady to understand which battery I am talking about, she says to hold
on and puts me on hold listening to some God awful music. She comes
back and tells me that I will have to send the laptop in because
"THEY" need to do the replacement. Knowing that sending it in means
off to Taiwan and probably never to be seen again, I tell her that I
can replace the battery because it is right under the keyboard and
easily accessible. She says that the battery is NOT accessible under
the keyboard and the whole system will need to be disassembled. She
refused to send me the battery even after I told her to forget the
damned warranty and sell me a stupid battery. She refused.

BTW, the battery is right under the keyboard and is easily accessible
and is NOT hard mounted. EASY to replace.

I then go to Maxell who makes the battery and they tell me that it is
a PROPRIETARY battery and can only be purchased through the OEM.

So there you have it... GW will not sell me the battery which a
monkey could replace. Maxell will not sell one because GW does not
allow it.

Yep, ask me if you should buy Gateway!........

But when it comes
to hands on support if the thing needs to be shipped back, at least the
Taiwanese box with the IBM name stamped on it isn't sent back to
Taiwan, or isn't as of right now....

I read or heard the same somewhere that IBM was the only ones left
that still did repairs on laptops in the states. I also heard that
they do it somewhere is Texas. Wonder if they took over the GW repair
facility after GW sold everything including their dark little souls
out to the Taiwanese?

Regards,

On Thu, 16 Jun 2005 14:26:27 -0500, Scott wrote:

I agree with you that today a person would be smart to check out the repair
procedure (and timeline) for a manufacturer before buying from them.

Sad thing is, you probably won't be buying much of anything because
most everyone's support has gone to hell. It a sign of the times.
Its open warfare between the buying public and the Godless sellers of
cheap trash from third word garbage dumps. They are out to screw as
many people out of as much money as they can. And they will do just
that as long as the buying public slops around allowing them to stick
a cold hard one up everyone's wazoo again and again and again with
everyone coming back for more every time their piece of trash quits
working. S H E E P!

But if you want or need a laptop, you got to go that route because
there is no such thing as a local build on those. Like you said, the
determining factor in whose Taiwanese box to buy is which one actually
supports it (if any) and supports it on the same continent that the
poor victim lives on. That leaves GW out for sure. Too many horror
stories floating around the web concerning GW support or lack thereof.
There are horror stories about the others also but GW seems to have
more stories out there that the rest.

Old Ted spent too much time making whoopy with the cows to understand
about what type of support generates happy customers which relates to
return business which relates to business growth which relates to....
well, you get the picture. It ain't rocket science but sure is over
the heads of most CEOs.

How about those health benefits at GM? What was that about a cold
hard one?

Regards,

Don't bet too heavily on IBM since they sold their computer (PC) business to
the Chinese government. You would likely have to replace the word Tiawan
with China in all you communications.

"Shooter" fhasfdjh@AlkjdaF@com wrote in message
...
On 16 Jun 2005 12:12:52 -0700, wrote:

According to
TechWatch, their return support desktop boxes goto Mexico for repair

I didn't know that but assumed it wasn't in the US any more since
closing their Hands On Support doors in SD and TX.

and their return laptops go back to Taiwan for repair.

I did know that and that has always been that way or at least has been
back as far as the mid to late 90's when I started watching these
people. This is one of the reasons I am looking at alternatives to
get a battery replacement for my Laptop.... Here's the story...

My system board battery (the disk shaped one on the MB) needs
replaced. I posted a message on here about it a week or so ago. The
laptop is still under extended warranty so I call "Business" support
because it actually is a business computer and you get English
speaking north Americans for support to boot. After getting the dense
lady to understand which battery I am talking about, she says to hold
on and puts me on hold listening to some God awful music. She comes
back and tells me that I will have to send the laptop in because
"THEY" need to do the replacement. Knowing that sending it in means
off to Taiwan and probably never to be seen again, I tell her that I
can replace the battery because it is right under the keyboard and
easily accessible. She says that the battery is NOT accessible under
the keyboard and the whole system will need to be disassembled. She
refused to send me the battery even after I told her to forget the
damned warranty and sell me a stupid battery. She refused.

BTW, the battery is right under the keyboard and is easily accessible
and is NOT hard mounted. EASY to replace.

I then go to Maxell who makes the battery and they tell me that it is
a PROPRIETARY battery and can only be purchased through the OEM.

So there you have it... GW will not sell me the battery which a
monkey could replace. Maxell will not sell one because GW does not
allow it.

Yep, ask me if you should buy Gateway!........

But when it comes
to hands on support if the thing needs to be shipped back, at least the
Taiwanese box with the IBM name stamped on it isn't sent back to
Taiwan, or isn't as of right now....

I read or heard the same somewhere that IBM was the only ones left
that still did repairs on laptops in the states. I also heard that
they do it somewhere is Texas. Wonder if they took over the GW repair
facility after GW sold everything including their dark little souls
out to the Taiwanese?

Regards,

Correction, "People's Republic of China", one of the last communist regimes
left on the planet.
Might I suggest buying from Taiwan, a free and democratic "country"?

Support democracies, not communists.

"Tom Clydesdale" wrote in message
...
Don't bet too heavily on IBM since they sold their computer (PC) business
to
the Chinese government. You would likely have to replace the word Tiawan
with China in all you communications.

"Shooter" fhasfdjh@AlkjdaF@com wrote in message
...
On 16 Jun 2005 12:12:52 -0700, wrote:

According to
TechWatch, their return support desktop boxes goto Mexico for repair

I didn't know that but assumed it wasn't in the US any more since
closing their Hands On Support doors in SD and TX.

and their return laptops go back to Taiwan for repair.

I did know that and that has always been that way or at least has been
back as far as the mid to late 90's when I started watching these
people. This is one of the reasons I am looking at alternatives to
get a battery replacement for my Laptop.... Here's the story...

My system board battery (the disk shaped one on the MB) needs
replaced. I posted a message on here about it a week or so ago. The
laptop is still under extended warranty so I call "Business" support
because it actually is a business computer and you get English
speaking north Americans for support to boot. After getting the dense
lady to understand which battery I am talking about, she says to hold
on and puts me on hold listening to some God awful music. She comes
back and tells me that I will have to send the laptop in because
"THEY" need to do the replacement. Knowing that sending it in means
off to Taiwan and probably never to be seen again, I tell her that I
can replace the battery because it is right under the keyboard and
easily accessible. She says that the battery is NOT accessible under
the keyboard and the whole system will need to be disassembled. She
refused to send me the battery even after I told her to forget the
damned warranty and sell me a stupid battery. She refused.

BTW, the battery is right under the keyboard and is easily accessible
and is NOT hard mounted. EASY to replace.

I then go to Maxell who makes the battery and they tell me that it is
a PROPRIETARY battery and can only be purchased through the OEM.

So there you have it... GW will not sell me the battery which a
monkey could replace. Maxell will not sell one because GW does not
allow it.

Yep, ask me if you should buy Gateway!........

But when it comes
to hands on support if the thing needs to be shipped back, at least the
Taiwanese box with the IBM name stamped on it isn't sent back to
Taiwan, or isn't as of right now....

I read or heard the same somewhere that IBM was the only ones left
that still did repairs on laptops in the states. I also heard that
they do it somewhere is Texas. Wonder if they took over the GW repair
facility after GW sold everything including their dark little souls
out to the Taiwanese?

Regards,

Shooter wrote:

On 16 Jun 2005 12:12:52 -0700, wrote:

According to
TechWatch, their return support desktop boxes goto Mexico for repair

I didn't know that but assumed it wasn't in the US any more since
closing their Hands On Support doors in SD and TX.

and their return laptops go back to Taiwan for repair.

I did know that and that has always been that way or at least has been
back as far as the mid to late 90's when I started watching these
people. This is one of the reasons I am looking at alternatives to
get a battery replacement for my Laptop.... Here's the story...

My system board battery (the disk shaped one on the MB) needs
replaced. I posted a message on here about it a week or so ago. The
laptop is still under extended warranty so I call "Business" support
because it actually is a business computer and you get English
speaking north Americans for support to boot. After getting the dense
lady to understand which battery I am talking about, she says to hold
on and puts me on hold listening to some God awful music. She comes
back and tells me that I will have to send the laptop in because
"THEY" need to do the replacement. Knowing that sending it in means
off to Taiwan and probably never to be seen again, I tell her that I
can replace the battery because it is right under the keyboard and
easily accessible. She says that the battery is NOT accessible under
the keyboard and the whole system will need to be disassembled. She
refused to send me the battery even after I told her to forget the
damned warranty and sell me a stupid battery. She refused.

BTW, the battery is right under the keyboard and is easily accessible
and is NOT hard mounted. EASY to replace.

I then go to Maxell who makes the battery and they tell me that it is
a PROPRIETARY battery and can only be purchased through the OEM.

So there you have it... GW will not sell me the battery which a
monkey could replace. Maxell will not sell one because GW does not
allow it.

Yep, ask me if you should buy Gateway!........

But when it comes
to hands on support if the thing needs to be shipped back, at least the
Taiwanese box with the IBM name stamped on it isn't sent back to
Taiwan, or isn't as of right now....

I read or heard the same somewhere that IBM was the only ones left
that still did repairs on laptops in the states. I also heard that
they do it somewhere is Texas. Wonder if they took over the GW repair
facility after GW sold everything including their dark little souls
out to the Taiwanese?

Regards,


Shooter,

Kinda makes you wonder, since it was on the news recently that more laptops
than desktops are being sold. Looks like a lot of us are headed for a train
wreck.

Scott