New mobo/cpu for a friend... Gateway Rant...

[CLTEK]

My neighbor wants to upgrade his computer with a new mobo and processor. He told me that he'd been poking around on it. I told him to make a Boot disk before he did any more 'poking around'. He didn't know what that was. So anyway, I walked over to his place to show him how to make a boot disk. He Doesn't have a a: drive! It's a brand new Gateway with no a: drive! Wow!

Anywho... Seems to me, with no a: drive or cdr your stuck using the restore disk that comes with the Gateway. Not good... He's got all kinds of stuff on there for his business and such.

The only thing I can think to do is take my external cdr over there and make a backup of his file and maybe install an a: drive so I can make a boot disk. Seems like a lot of work just to get a backup! Sheesh!

Anyway... I'd install the Mobo and cpu for him if I knew for certain that the hardware would be detected automatically. But, I'd like to have the CMOS info and backups of all of his files incase I screwed up and had to start from scratch.

Gateway really took him for a ride! He paid $1,400 for a machine with a P3 500 (they don't make them anymore from what I understand), 64Megs of PC100 RAM, a 10 Gig HD, CDROM.... and *NO FRIGGEN a: DRIVE*!!!! He's only had the thing for a couple of months! How can they get away with that!

While I was there he asked me to look at his Game Unreal and figure out why it wouldn't run worth beans. He didn't have enough RAM and his video card can't handle the game! Oy! $1,400!!! Darn Gateway!

Rant over.

Am I going about this the right way?

Respectfully, Cory

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Age and Treachery will forever triumph over Youth and Skill.

[tjaymadison]

Another "legacy free" fiasco! You'd think for $1400 they could throw in a $14 floppy drive. First thing I'd do is be sure they haven't also eliminated the floppy drive channel connection on the motherboard. If it's still there, is there an external 3-1/2" bay to put a floppy drive in? Then check the BIOS setup program to be sure that the A: drive can be included in the boot sequence. If all those are true, just tell him to install a floppy drive, since he'd probably want one if he does get a new mobo and CPU. Speaking of which, does the case have the right cut-outs in the rear for the standard ATX port configuration? If not, he might be better off either using the system as is until he completely outgrows it, or getting his data off and selling it.

[mjc]

Oh, boy, this is becoming like cars you can't change the oil in......

The one thing to remember is: most restore disks require that extra hardware be removed before using them....

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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.fortunecity.com/skyscraper/highrise/11/index.htm)

Do Vulcans even have to debug?

[Randy_tx]

Well.......I've recommended Gateway for the last time now after hearing this junk.

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"As hard as a rock & dumb as a brick"...Windows CEMeNT

[sea69]

absolutely.. I don't know why Gateway does allot of the things they do!!!

I was working on a Gateway and it not only had no A Drive, it also had no Parallel Ports at all-!! (only 2 usb's) and one of them was used by the mouse!! This leaves only one USB left, and thats for a Printer.. I was SHOCKED!!!

The owner of this pc, called gateway Tech Cust Service and I was on the line too.. he tried to tell her that Gateway was "State of the Art", and that no new computers have parallel Ports or A Drives!!!!!!!!! (he didn't know I was on line too)

oh........ did I let him KNOW in No Un certain terms that he was full of SH*T.!!

she had payed appoximately $1200.00 for this POS, and its got ME (OEM version) another nightmare.......

don't these people understand that they will get people on this insanity only one time ??

After that nobody who was already burned by them would ever get another gateway ..... (but some say that about compaq too ) and they have cleaned up thier act.. so it seems ....

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"Remember your 'unique'... just like everyone else!"

[This message has been edited by sea69 (edited 03-30-2001).]

[CLTEK]

GRRRRR! So anyway... We called Gateway and talked to customer service about the problem. They won't do a DARN thing about it. Get this... The didn't even offer to upgrade to a fair deal! I told him that I'd be more than happy to sit in the back of his truck and throw the box through their great big tinted plate glass storfront windo as he drove by! He won't go for it.

I told him there is one more thing we can do though we can drive down to the local store and see what we can accomplish there. It's a lot tougher to mess with someone when they are standing infront of you. Especially when you consider the intimidation factor of two 6'3"+ SOBs (one of which weighs in a @ 300lbs! LOL) standing infront of you on a busy day in the store demanding something be done in the name of customer service. We'll see if we can get something done that way.

I checked on the site and he can get TWICE the box that he already has for $400.00 less! That's just WRONG!

The worst part is, they just called the 800 number to order their computer and told the saleman that they just needed something for home/home business use. GW just plain took advantage of my neighbors lack of knowledge. Period!

I talked to him about it... And we decided that he shouldn't have me do anything to the box until the potential for GW to 'do the right thing' has been exhausted.

Respectfully, Cory

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Age and Treachery will forever triumph over Youth and Skill.

[sleddog]

It's sad to hear this about Gateway.

Back in 1992 I bought (for work) a 486DX-2 (8mb Ram, 320mb HDD, 15" monitor) system from them. When it arrived the monitor had been damaged in shipping. I called up Gateway (toll-free) and they immediately agreed to ship another one, and gave me an RMA no. to return the busted one. When the new monitor arrived, it too was damaged. The process repeated. The third monitor got here in working condition http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif Now, it wasn't Gateway's fault that this shipping damage occurred, but they assumed responsibility immediately, no questions asked.

Over a year later the video card died. I called up Gateway and they immediated popped a replacement in the mail (and the tech didn't even bother with the RMA process for the old one).

A few months after that the system started to give all kinds of whacky problems. At that time I didn't know much about hardware or sytems generally. I called Gateway tech support (toll free). To make a long story short, after 3 hours on the phone the problem was traced to a virus (which had infected not only the HDD boot sector but every bootable floppy in the office). During that time the tech twice went to confer with co-workers and his supervisor and then promptly called me back. When we finally got the system back up, he cheered loudly and in the background I heard all the Gateway staff join in the hooting. That was, I think, customer service at it's best.

Oh, that 486 is here next to me now, running Linux http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif


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sleddog
[sleddog.f2s.com] (http://www.sleddog.f2s.com)

[This message has been edited by sleddog (edited 03-31-2001).]

[Paleo Pete]

I haven't been recommending Gateway for about a year now, since I saw one of the new proprietary machines.

sleddog is absolutely correct, it wasn't long ago Gateway was about the best of the non-custom built computers. I worked on a couple, (minor fixups) they were not proprietary, straight-forward machines that were built about the way I would have built them. Another good point was that Gateway and Dell were the only two I didn't see in the shop in 6 months there. One Gateway was brought in for more memory, I guess that doesn't count...but the ones that aren't in the shop tells me a lot...

Now, it seems to be the opposite, and I'm not happy about it, since I was once a Gateway fan...

Anyway, I agree with the final decision on this machine, leave it alone until you get Gateway to do "the right thing" as you say. Opening it, especially, I would avoid, since it just might void the warranty.

Get out the warranty and read it thoroughly, make sure when you walk in the store you know the warranty inside out and know exactly where you stand. Salesmen usually don't know the warranty that well, they only know what they're told to say...I hope they make it right, it sounds like they're really taking advantage of people these days...but try to be serious and businesslike, not raving mad...that often gets better results. Know your stuff and don't back down, but don't lose your temper. If you lose it, they stop listening and start trying to just get you out of the store...

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Computer Information Links (http://www.geocities.com/paleopete/)

[sea69]

unfortunately, after checking into this a bit more, he(you) have no leg to stand on regarding this matter. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/eek.gif

gateway, didn't force- your friend to call, or purchase the computer, that was a free choice.

additionally, it doesn't sound like they missrepresented themselves in any manner.

it is sad the number of niavé people out there that haven't a clue when it comes to purchasing a new pc these days, what to look for ( and look out for) is often confusing, and salespeople capitalize on this, it's their JOB to SELL you a computer after all........ http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

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**puff**.. "Put that thing out boy.. the Sheriff's a comin'!!"