Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!decwrl!decvax!mcnc!rti!tijc02!wmh356
From: wmh356@tijc02.UUCP (william higgenbotham    )
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Gateway
Message-ID: <548@tijc02.UUCP>
Date: 17 Jul 89 15:09:36 GMT
References: <89191.182851JGG@PSUVM>
Organization: Texas Instr., Johnson City TN
Lines: 37

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.

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Mike Higginbotham, Texas Instruments, Johnson City, TN
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