Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!lll-winken!quintro!bpdsun1!rmf
From: rmf@bpdsun1.uucp (Rob Finley)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Subject: Re: Gateway 2000
Message-ID: <1990Nov9.030635.3511@bpdsun1.uucp>
Date: 9 Nov 90 03:06:35 GMT
References: <1990Nov5.190436.20695@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> <10183@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu>
Reply-To: rmf@bpdsun1.UUCP (Rob Finley)
Organization: Harris Broadcast Div., Quincy, IL
Lines: 47

In article <10183@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu> lee@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Greg Lee) writes:
>From article <1990Nov5.190436.20695@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu>, by brian@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Brian Hoffman):
> 
>" What's the scoop on Gateway 2000?  Has anyone had good/bad luck with their
>" computers?  I'm interested in their $1995 386sx.
>
{stuff deleted}
>
>(2) The CPU+RAM seems a little slow.  I ran the Norton 5.0 sysinfo
>program and got these figures: CPU 15.7, Disk 6.6, referenced to
>the performance of an XT.  Norton gives comparison figures for a
>"Compaq 386/20e 20MHz": CPU 20.5, Disk 6.4.  Sysinfo also reported
>an av. seek time for the disk of 14.96ms and data transfer rate
>of 655K/sec.  (I had the Windows 3.0 disk cache in place when I
>ran this test.)  This Gateway model does not have a RAM cache and
>with only the 4 megs of RAM on the motherboard that it comes with,
>it does not do interleaved memory references, though apparently it
>would if supplied with an additional 4 megs.  I asked whether I
>could expect a little more speed if I did plug in more chips and
>was told no, not necessarily.  Interleaving might slow it up.

We noticed a slowness on my machine at work and contacted Gateway
about that.  They sent us a configuration to feed into the
Chips and Technologies (who made the IBM AT support set of IC's on
the motherboard)  supplied setup program to set the wait states and 
interleave and such.
After doing that, it perks along just fine for a 20mhz 386.  If
you need further assistance, I will try to dig it up (I only needed
to do it once) and post it or offer pointers or something.
It now goes the speed of a machine that cost almost
twice as much (Lanier)

>(3) Windows 3.0 is bundled, and I thought I would be getting "Daybook",
>the sample Toolbook application.  However, that was not included,
>and Gateway cannot supply it.

I noticed that with the Windows 1.0 supplied by Zenith that it only
had a minimum of desk tools included.  I feel that Microsoft sells
a stripped down version of Windows to system manufacturers who 
chose to make it a standard option.  Microsoft Write(?) is one that
comes to mind (for Windows 1.0).  The standalone version of MSW3.0
will have the complete set.

Gateway took care of the monitor problem I had and my friend's 386sx
is going great.  I still recommend them.  The other's aren't necessarily
worth the extra cost.  Suprise me though.  I always am looking for
an even better buy just as long as it matches the reliablility.