JGG@PSUVM.BITNET (07/11/89)
Has anyone dealt with Gateway? I am considering getting a 386 system from them, and I would appreciate hearing about any good or bad experiences.
blake@uns-helios.nevada.edu (Rawlin Blake) (07/12/89)
I've had a Gateway system for seven months now. I've had two hard drive failures(Seagates!), and two modem failures. HOWEVER, I've also had wonderful service from these people--every time I called their toll-free number for service, they made an appointment, then returned the call (even early a couple of times)!! :-)>. They have checked to make sure I did all the necessary troubleshooting (without insulting me), then sent the required parts Federal Express (no charge). I then had _one_month_ to send the old parts back (UPS ground, cheap). I realize that a perfect system out of the box would be preferable, BUT the next best thing is great service. If only I would have read the Net on Seagates before if bought! The only downside is that if you are afraid to open your machine up to replace the parts you will need to have a technically oriented friend, or learn (it's not _that_ bad) BTW, my system is a 16mhz 286, with EGA, Logitech bus mouse, Everex modem, ST251, 1.2mb & 1.44mb drives. I have yet to have an incompatibility problem. I haven't tried windows because I believe that Windows is a farce. On the subject of Windows, why does Apple feel so threatened by the company that brought us O/S2? This is surely one of life's great mysteries. Kinda like the pot calling the kettle black. Rawlin Blake <blake@arrakis.nevada.edu> The Second Amendment to the Constitution prevents totalitarian government (Ask Chinese dissidents--or citizens for that matter)
mms00786@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (07/14/89)
Here we go again. There is a big difference between Gateway 286 and 386 machines. I too posted a note for info, and got a bunch of mail praising Gateway's service etc. On later inspection, all those notes were from people with 286 machines. Their 386 machines are bad; kind of like saying Hitler had his faults. First of all, they are not 100% compatible. For example, you cannot put a Paradise VGA card in it. It will *not* run Windows/386. Ask their tech support people before you buy, and they will confirm that it won't. (However, their sales people will tell you that God himself has one of the machines and has never called for service). Plus, they use some kind of wacko motherboard, and even wackier memory. (Not SIMM's, not standard DRAM, some weird config of 5 64Kx4 and two 256Kx4 and so on). So think hard before ordering. I had a 20MHz 386 with 4Meg of memory. I returned it, so now I have a $180 copy of MSDos. Any takers? Milan mms00786@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu .
hjg@amms4.UUCP (Harry Gross) (07/15/89)
In article <89191.182851JGG@PSUVM> JGG@PSUVM.BITNET writes: >Has anyone dealt with Gateway? I am considering getting a 386 system >from them, and I would appreciate hearing about any good or bad experiences. I had been thinking about buying from them too, until I recently heard of someone who bought one, and found out AFTER THE FACT and by Gateway's own admission, too, that their 386 machine is INCAPABLE of running Windows/386. This disturbed me to the point that I stopped considering their machine (despite the terrific price). Not that I want to run Windows, mind you, but if that won't work, what else is wrong with the machine? -- Harry Gross | reserved for | something really Internet: hjg@amms4.UUCP (we're working on registering)| clever - any UUCP: {jyacc, rna, bklyncis}!amms4!hjg | suggestions?
liber@darth.PGH.PA.US (Eric Liber) (07/17/89)
In article <562@amms4.UUCP>, hjg@amms4.UUCP (Harry Gross) writes: > >Has anyone dealt with Gateway? I am considering getting a 386 system > >from them, and I would appreciate hearing about any good or bad experiences. > > I had been thinking about buying from them too, until I recently heard of > someone who bought one, and found out AFTER THE FACT and by Gateway's own > admission, too, that their 386 machine is INCAPABLE of running Windows/386. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ . NOT TRUE .. I have posted this before but it seems no one listens.. I have a GATEWAY 20mhz 386 machine purchased last October. I RUN WINDOWS 386 EVERY DAY. The only problem I had was with the AWARD BIOS. In this machine it would not work with windows 386 but ...GATEWAY replaced the award bios with a phoneix bios (at not charge) and the machine has worked like a champ ever since. This is with windows 386 version 2.03. I do not know what gateway is currently using for a 20mhz 386 board or if this box will work with windows 2.1 (i will soon though) but IT WORKS FINE IN THE CURRENT SET UP. Eric (the red baron) Liber
wmh356@tijc02.UUCP (william higgenbotham ) (07/17/89)
From article <89191.182851JGG@PSUVM>, by JGG@PSUVM.BITNET: > Has anyone dealt with Gateway? I am considering getting a 386 system > from them, and I would appreciate hearing about any good or bad experiences. I recently purchased one of their 25MHz 386 machines (not the cache version). Unfortunately, I had to send it back due to cash flow problems :-(. I was able to get my money back (less shipping and software - DOS 4.01) even though I had had the system a couple of days past their 30-day money-back guarantee. They were always very courteous and helpful when I called. A few observations: 1) Several people on the net complained that the Gateway computers would not run Windows/386. According to Gateway, this is only true of their 20MHz systems. The 25MHz is supposed to handle Windows and whatever else you throw at it. However, I was unable to test their claim. 2) The system worked right out of the box - no DOA equipment. However, I agree with a previous poster, you should not be adverse to opening your box and playing with the insides a little (I would think this pertains to most low-cost clones). For example, the serial/parallel card came jumpered for the parallel port to be LTP2 (using IRQ5). Since I did not have a printer, I did not find this out until I tried to install a bus mouse also using IRQ5 (as recommended by PCMag). The solution was to read the port card docs and change the card to use LPT1 (IRQ2?). 3) The price is excellent! I got a 25MHz 386 with 1.2 and 1.44 Meg floppies, an 80 Meg SCSI (Seagate), 4Meg RAM, Orchid ProDesigner+ video card (VGA, 1024x768), and NEC 3D monitor for around $4100. Shipping was $75 for FedEx 2nd day air - I got the system about 2 weeks after I ordered and my credit card was not charged until the system shipped. All in all, I was a satisfied customer for the short time I had the system. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mike Higginbotham, Texas Instruments, Johnson City, TN uucp: ...!mcnc!rti!tijc02!wmh356
uri@arnor.UUCP (Uri Blumenthal) (07/17/89)
From article <562@amms4.UUCP>, by hjg@amms4.UUCP (Harry Gross): > Not that I want to run Windows, mind you, but if that won't work, what else is > wrong with the machine? Just have to add my $0.05. The machine actually is OK for me - so far it could run MicroSoft "Flight Simulator" (I had some problems with display card), absolutely NO PROBLEM with UNIX System V.3.2 (and VP/ix under it, when I tried just for fun - and to play some screen-oriented DOS games). I don't know where the info comes from about Windows (well, I'm running X-Windows, and the only inconvenience is that it's SLOW). And of course, DOS 3.3, DOS 4.01 etc are fine. Any questions about this machine are welcome (answers are not guaranteed :-). Uri. ------------------------ <Standard Disclaimer> (but of course)
uri@arnor.UUCP (Uri Blumenthal) (07/17/89)
From article <111700122@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu>, by mms00786@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu: >Their 386 machines are bad; kind of like saying Hitler had his faults. First of >all, they are not 100% compatible. For example, you cannot put a Paradise VGA >card in it. It will *not* run Windows/386. Ask their tech support people before >you buy, and they will confirm that it won't. It's all VERY STRANGE for me. Are you trying to convince me, that MY 386 GATEWAY with Paradise VGA 16+ and UNIX doesn't work? So what's all those things I see on my screen every day, mirag, maya? I testify that I'm using the machine, being quite sober and sane. Dunno about 386/Windows, though. UNIX with VGA driver and X-Windows is quite enough for me (so far). Regards, Uri. ---------------------- <Standard Disclaimer> (but of course!)
goer@sophist.uucp (Richard Goerwitz) (07/18/89)
In article <500@darth.PGH.PA.US> liber@darth.PGH.PA.US (Eric Liber) writes, re Gatewar 2000 (a clone company) - >> their 386 machine is INCAPABLE of running Windows/386. > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >NOT TRUE .. I have posted this before but it seems no one listens.. >I have a GATEWAY 20mhz 386 machine purchased last October. I RUN WINDOWS >386 EVERY DAY. The only problem I had was with the AWARD BIOS. Congratulations. Someone finally writes with specific and valid infor- mation. The fact is that Gateway machines used to balk at Windows/386 and OS/2. That was the old motherboard. Now they use AMI boards, and they also have some machines with Micronics and Mylex boards. They run the above-mentioned software. Lesson: Be careful when you flame a company. Be specific about the time and circumstances. List the hardware. So far the Gateway flames have been extremely naive and misleading. Just because a company sold ma- chines they themselves acknowledged to be incompatible with certain software does not mean that they should receive blanket flames, or should be held hostage to this one-time fault for ever more! -Richard L. Goerwitz goer@sophist.uchicago.edu rutgers!oddjob!gide!sophist!goer
mms00786@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (07/19/89)
k,Ok, I'll clarify. The Gateway 2000 machine I bought was a 20MHz 386 with
4 Meg of memory. The motherboard was called GENE II.
Now I am really ticked off that they sell other motherboards that run Windows/
386 etc. Here's what transpired.
I bought the 386 mainly to do some software developement for Windows, and
wanted to use Windows/386 multitasking etc. So I confirmed with the Sales rep
that machine would run the same. I got the machine, and it wouldn't. Ok, talk
to tech support, they and I are very polite until the time they come right out
and tell me that they too have had problems with windows/386! I asked them
why, and they said it was something to do with the motherboard design. I asked
them for solution, and they said that I should return the machine and buy a
pricier one. At no point did they offer to swap my motherboard for a different
brand. The end result : the better part of my summer was spent in opening and
closing their machine.
I will not deny that I went hunting for the cheapest machine. But I think they
were dead wrong when they :
a) misinformed me about their machine's ability to run Windows/386 when I
SPECIFICALLY asked them before placing my order.
b) spent a precious month (correction, 29 days), in sending me all kinds of
different harddisks, video cards, etc, when they knew ahead of time that
it was a all a shot in the dark.
I subsequently bought a machine with a Mylex 386-20 motherboard with 4 Megs.
Though this system cost me $800 more than Gateway, I have not had to open it
once.
I hope that clarifies why I feel so cheated by Gateway. All I know is that I
planned to bid on some programming jobs on the side this summer, and thanks to
them, I have spent two months just installing the d--- software!
Milan
mms00786@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
.bill@vax1.acs.udel.EDU (William Tsai) (07/20/89)
In article <316@arnor.UUCP> uri@arnor.UUCP (Uri Blumenthal) writes: >From article <111700122@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu>, by mms00786@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu: >>Their 386 machines are bad; .... >>... they are not 100% compatible. For example, you cannot put a Paradise VGA >>card in it. It will *not* run Windows/386. > >It's all VERY STRANGE for me. Are you trying to convince me, that MY 386 >GATEWAY with Paradise VGA 16+ and UNIX doesn't work? So what's all those >things I see on my screen every day, mirag, maya? I testify that I'm using >the machine, being quite sober and sane. Dunno about 386/Windows, though. >UNIX with VGA driver and X-Windows is quite enough for me (so far). > Now everybody is giving different opinions to my Gateway 2000. Let's see, there must be some reason. MOTHERBOARD!! Wouldn't you think that they use different motherboards at different times?? Personally I have a Gene II (or something like that) mother board with Orchid VGA card. I also have 4 megs of ram, but they are all 1 meg bit chips, *NOT* as somebody said 265 + 64 etc. I have not experience too much problem, but one thing I noticed. It would not run Compaq OS/2 (DELL and other clones ran it fine.) Gateway tech support people are going to call me back and I am going to ask them that if they did indeed use a better mother board. If they did, I will make dame sure they will send me a new one. By the way, the machine is called GATEWAY 2000, not just Gateway. -- Bill Tsai University of Delaware CIS ARPA: bill@vax1.acs.udel.EDU (302) 738-1716 " The computer doesn't hate everybody - just you... "
Mitchell.Baker@angel.ucm.org (Mitchell Baker) (07/23/89)
Hi, I'm interested in purchasing a Gateway 286 12.5 machine. If you
could give me some info on them I would appreciate it.
Thanks in advance,'
Mitchell Baker
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