Did I mention I hate Gateway

[Tony-OH]

So, I have this gateway computer for my kids that I bought last May. Suddenly, their CD ROM and DVD players do not recognize Cds or DVDs. I contact Gateway support and the yahoo tech takes over my computer, does a few things, then tells me to reboot and all should by ok.

Well, I reboot, and not only does the CD player and DVd player still not recognize the disks, the internet now does not work. I contact them again and they tell me to download the drivers and repload them which I do, but no change. Both times the techs couldn't wait to get of the chat. it was like they were getting paid for the amount of people they "helped" regardles of whetehr they actually helped them.

This was my first and last gateway. At least HP sold me a crap laptop that's been returned to HP five times, but at least their support is usually quick and gets things resolved.

Maybe my next computer will be a Dell because so far Gateway and HP have sold me crap.

[Moose Milligan]

Get a Mac :)

Not gonna lie, Tony...Dell ain't the answer either...those computers are just as flawed. Anything with Windows will just get screwed and I do believe Dell has the reputation for using cheap-o parts.

I'm on my second MacBook Pro...only because the cord to the AC adapter of my first one got wrapped around my foot and when I went to get up from my desk, it came flying off. It was an expensive repair, so I bought a new one instead.

And I couldn't be happier...it turns on right away, everything works. No viruses, no crashes, no hardware problems...everything just runs smoothly and makes sense.

And contrary to popular belief, it doesn't take much to learn how to use them. They're fun, too. Next to my camera, this thing is my favorite toy :)

You at least owe it to yourself to go check them out, play with one and see what the people at the Mac Store have to say. Yeah, they might be a bit more expensive, but if you're like me you might be willing to pay more for a product that won't break down.

If it does happen to break down, you just take it into the store and talk to a real life person, not someone over the phone. It might not be the most fun to haul your computer into the mall, but at least you can look someone in the eye and not be placed on hold.

I can honestly say I'll never buy a PC again...don't be afraid to try something new...because I can guarantee that you won't regret it.

[RShack]

Both times the techs couldn't wait to get of the chat. it was like they were getting paid for the amount of people they "helped" regardles of whetehr they actually helped them.
If it was an online chat thing, they prolly were rotating among 12 customers at once. It's sick. (Not Gateway in particular, just that method of "customer service".) It's like talking to a zombie who's just going down a check-list.


This was my first and last gateway. At least HP sold me a crap laptop that's been returned to HP five times, but at least their support is usually quick and gets things resolved.

Maybe my next computer will be a Dell because so far Gateway and HP have sold me crap.
I've had about 9 Toshiba's and had a problem with one of them. IMO, the trick is to find a good, local *independent* factory-authorized service center, where you can drop a laptop off in the morning and pick it up that afternoon. That way, you're dealing with people who aren't zombies and usually give damn. (I know one in ATL, but that doesn't help you any.) Also good to sell a laptop after a year or so, and get a new one, so you only take a small hit each time and never have one thats got too many miles on it. Stick with XP, avoid Vista like the plague.

[square634]

My family has had great experiences with IBM/Lenovo Thinkpads for what it's worth. My friend got a Gateway laptop at about the same time as we got a Thinkpad, and his was a piece of crap that was essentially within six months, while our's is still running fine a couple years later. I got my current laptop at a discount through the Penn store, and I actually think Vista is fine for the most part. The only annoying thing is that they prepack a lot of annoying, memory-consuming programs that autorun when you boot up the computer. Once I reduced my idle processes from the 80s into the 50s, it has run perfectly.

[blueberryale77]

Maybe my next computer will be a Dell because so far Gateway and HP have sold me crap.

If you do go with Dell, don't finance it and don't buy the one of their crappy printers with your computer. My parents bought a computer from them a few years ago and used the financing even though they didn't need it because it was interest free for some amount of time. When they got the bill, it was a for a whole lot more than they had agreed to. They ended up disputing the bill for over a year and eventually agreed to a compromise price and paid it off. About a year and a half later they got a letter from the IRS saying they had to pay taxes on the "debt" that Dell had "forgiven" plus fines because they hadn't paid the taxes at the time (never having been informed that the compromise they excepted would involve any taxes... obviously they wouldn't have agreed to that and would have continued fighting through the Better Business Bureau or whatever). They're now in the process of appealing this with the IRS and the Dell agent who promised them a written statement that their bill was "paid in full" at the time of the compromise but never sent it to them is of course nowhere to be found.

Also, my sister and I have both gotten their cheap color printers with our laptops... hers never worked and mine stopped working after a few months (no it's not out of ink).

[Witchy Chick]

So, I have this gateway computer for my kids that I bought last May. Suddenly, their CD ROM and DVD players do not recognize Cds or DVDs. I contact Gateway support and the yahoo tech takes over my computer, does a few things, then tells me to reboot and all should by ok.

Well, I reboot, and not only does the CD player and DVd player still not recognize the disks, the internet now does not work. I contact them again and they tell me to download the drivers and repload them which I do, but no change. Both times the techs couldn't wait to get of the chat. it was like they were getting paid for the amount of people they "helped" regardles of whetehr they actually helped them.

Unfortunately, this is probably the case. Most call-centers these days have SLAs (service level agreements) for tier 1 support (i.e. phone calls/online chats for help support). Some of these SLAs are in the form of number of calls taken/resolved per hour (or day or whatever length of time). Some of these SLAs are call resolution length (i.e. "I helped Joe User fix his problem in 2 min 27 sec). It's sad really. Quality service has gone down the tubes.

What's even more sad is we had this form of "support" at No Such Agency prior to my departure (I believe it is still in place also). The IT support was outsourced to a big-name company, and the service went in the crapper. This is for a federal agency that touts itself as instrumental in fighting the war on terror and supporting our troops overseas. And folks in the building can't get a printer or software installed or move their PC without jumping thru 50 SLA hoops designed by the "support" organization. :rolleyes:


Witchy

[Maverick2143]

If you do go with Dell, don't finance it and don't buy the one of their crappy printers with your computer. My parents bought a computer from them a few years ago and used the financing even though they didn't need it because it was interest free for some amount of time. When they got the bill, it was a for a whole lot more than they had agreed to. They ended up disputing the bill for over a year and eventually agreed to a compromise price and paid it off. About a year and a half later they got a letter from the IRS saying they had to pay taxes on the "debt" that Dell had "forgiven" plus fines because they hadn't paid the taxes at the time (never having been informed that the compromise they excepted would involve any taxes... obviously they wouldn't have agreed to that and would have continued fighting through the Better Business Bureau or whatever). They're now in the process of appealing this with the IRS and the Dell agent who promised them a written statement that their bill was "paid in full" at the time of the compromise but never sent it to them is of course nowhere to be found.

Also, my sister and I have both gotten their cheap color printers with our laptops... hers never worked and mine stopped working after a few months (no it's not out of ink).


So they classified it as a forgiven bad debt?

Wow, that is just unbelievable and shady. Stuff like that just gives accountants a bad name.

1) They screw up the bill and then classify what they screwed up as a bad debt, when it never existed.
2) The Customer pays the taxes on a overpriced bill, and Dell gets a tax write-off for the bad debt.

This is wrong on so many levels.
(shakes head)

[blueberryale77]

So they classified it as a forgiven bad debt?

Wow, that is just unbelievable and shady. Stuff like that just gives accountants a bad name.

1) They screw up the bill and then classify what they screwed up as a bad debt, when it never existed.
2) The Customer pays the taxes on a overpriced bill, and Dell gets a tax write-off for the bad debt.

This is wrong on so many levels.
(shakes head)

You know it. Apparently, my parents are not alone. Someone they talked to in the process of fighting it told them that the issue they were having was actually quite common with Dell financing customers. It's not the people that make the computers doing it, it's the spinoff financing corporation. So if you must buy a Dell, put it on your credit card (on that you pay off every month). Do NOT deal with their financing service!

[McLovin]

See, the cool think about being a geek is that you can just bypass the whole 'pc support' industry altogether.

That said, I've used computers 3,000+ hours a year for 15 years now, and I can't really recall a hardware failure of any kind. Well, not counting crossing wires, crushing CPU dies with two pound fans, and melting silicon during some wonky overclocking trials.

I prefer Dell laptops and homemade desktops. My current Dell laptop is awesome but expensive ($5K+) - luckily it comes with the job. I have a Mac too, but I'm kind of lukewarm on them. They are cool and all, but I earn my pay in a Windows world.

[Maverick2143]

You know it. Apparently, my parents are not alone. Someone they talked to in the process of fighting it told them that the issue they were having was actually quite common with Dell financing customers. It's not the people that make the computers doing it, it's the spinoff financing corporation. So if you must buy a Dell, put it on your credit card (on that you pay off every month). Do NOT deal with their financing service!

I'd love to see how they rationalize that to their auditors. If you don't mind me asking, did you parents credit rating take a hit?

[NewMarketSean]

Everyone is going to have their own opinions when it comes to brands. One guy will say they stink, the other guy will swear by them. Of course some brands are better than others, though.

For instance, I own a Dell at home which is 6 years old and have never had one issue with it whatsoever. It still does what I need it to do and it doesn't feel outdated as far as I know.

I also use a Mac at work and it takes every bit of energy in me not to kick the thing off the desk at least half a dozen times a day. Programs shut down for no reason in mid-use, and the "old" programs we use are slowed down on newer equipment making my computer feel more like the Apple Lisa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Lisa) than anything else.

As far as I know, PC's run old and new programs to the speed at which it can handle it. But on Mac's, it seems like you need the newest software to keep your computer running fast.

Plus I believe that Mac's are all image, like drinking coffee at Starbucks or driving a Jaguar.

[blueberryale77]

I'd love to see how they rationalize that to their auditors. If you don't mind me asking, did you parents credit rating take a hit?

I would imagine it did. I'm not sure if they've checked it. They've owned their house since before I was born and generally don't take out loans for anything. When they buy a new car (about once every 15 years) they pay cash so they don't rack up finance charges.

I think the way it works for Dell is that they agree with the customer on a price over the phone, but the customer doesn't have it in writing. They get the computer first, then the bill for the wrong amount, which they can't prove is the wrong amount. I guess they can't pull that with you if you place your order online and print out the receipt. My mom did the phone thing though.

[Lt Melmo]

Not gonna lie, Tony...Dell ain't the answer either...those computers are just as flawed. Anything with Windows will just get screwed and I do believe Dell has the reputation for using cheap-o parts.

BLARGHFAJBF;ASDKGB this is a pure fact. I've had to buy three replacement AC adapters for my laptop at $40 apiece and just a few weeks ago I had to spend $200+ getting the motherboard repaired, due to the damage caused by Dell's faulty adapters. And the worst part is, the repair didn't do squat and I'm guessing I have about 2 months at most before I have to spend $600 on a new motherboard. So I'm basically spending more money repairing this piece of turd than I did on the turd itself.

Do NOT buy a Dell at any cost.

[Flip217]

I've been hammered by Gateway and Dell, on dektops and laptops. That said, I bought a Fujitsu lifebook about a year and a half ago, and it's wonderful. I use it all day at work, long hours at home (mostly on OH, of course), I've dropped it, kicked it, left it in the car during a super-hot day...it's indestructable. The one time it started acting weird, I took it back to the local, mom-and-pop computer shop where I got it, and they had it back in my hands good as new the next day. Not cheap, but not McLovin style, either.

[Baroquen131]

Gee, no problem with my Dell, or my Acer laptop and they are both PCs running Windows. The way y'all talk, I should have played the lottery with the luck I've been having.

The Mac I had to use at work (with a dedicated tech guy around to take care of the entire system) used to crash so often and was so generally worthless - it forever turned me off to the Mac mania that some suffer from. That and the overpriced propriety hardware only to limit my software options (or Jury-rig Windows compatitability)? No thanks.

But that's just my opinion, in a sea of contrasting ones.

Consumer Reports "Brand Repair History" doesn't show any significant differences between brands (including Apple) as all brands were within a 3 point difference from one another deemed "not meaningful". I'm sure a google search could come up with more conflicting reliability studies.

For what it's worth - I'm not a Gateway fan either. Good luck to you in finding a more reliable box.