dan@rna.UUCP (Dan Ts'o) (04/09/90)
In article <19400@boulder.Colorado.EDU> cherny@boulder.Colorado.EDU (CHERNY STACEY S) writes: >I also have a Gateway 2000 25 mHz 386 and have been using Windows/386 >in 1024x768x16 mode, although there is an interesting story behind >my being able to do this. ... >When I got my Gateway system I also did not get the drivers needed. >I then gave Gateway a call and asked them if these drivers were available >and they said they were and promptly sent me a disk. When it arrived, >the files I needed were missing. I called them again, and they again >promptly sent me another copy which did have all the files that I >needed. This driver set is *incredibly* slow at 1024x768x16, however. >I'd like to apologize for such a lengthy and somewhat unrelated response, >but I felt that this would be as good a time and place to share some of >the frustrations I've have in dealing with Gateway 2000. While Gateway >does seem to frequently screw up (and I have about half a dozen more >examples), I must say that they make a sincere effort to correct their >mistakes, and they do so quite promptly. I think this just points to a good rule of thumb when dealing with companies: Know the limitations of your suppliers. I went through a similar merry-go-round with Gateway, but after the first couple of weeks, I quickly realized that no-way would the people at Gateway really understand what I wanted and was talking about (You won't believe what happened, not only did they send the wrong ATI drivers, but they thought I was demanding a copy of Windows 386 and Windows 286, they sent both, and they also thought I was demanding a mouse!). I call to ATI quickly resolved the whole problem and I ended up with the correct drivers two days later. So the point is, Gateway is a great place to get good quality components packaged into an affordable computer. They have been more than courteous and willing to comply with my every demand and complaint, when they can grasp what it is I want. I have bought several computers from them and will buy again. I do not expect from them, however, a high level of technical expertise, hardware-wise or software-wise. The story with 1024x768x16 drivers for Windows 386 is that ATI's version 1.07 has, to me, an acceptably fast performance, far better than previous version. Although the driver/card still has a couple of problems running Window 386, at the moment, I consider them minor. More minor then, for example, the problems I have with the Video 7 VRAM running Windows 386. And if you get the ATI card WITH the mouse (not from Gateway), it is a good deal because it frees a slot/serial port and would otherwise be needed for your mouse. The drivers can be obtained direct from ATI. If you send me 4 5.25" floppies and a SASE, I will copy them for you as well. Cheers, Dan Ts'o 212-570-7671 Dept. Neurobiology dan@rna.rockefeller.edu Rockefeller Univ. ...cmcl2!rna!dan 1230 York Ave. rna!dan@nyu.edu NY, NY 10021 tso@rockefeller.arpa tso@rockvax.bitnet