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Technology Stocks : Gateway (GTW) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: verdad who wrote (7897)	12/30/2002 4:10:12 PM
From: appro	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 8002

>>Does it bother you to buy from a company that might not be around in the near future (at least under the name you've purchased)?<< LOL : ) No, every computer company I've dealt with has been a challenge including IBM, HP and Oh I forgot, a Compaq too. IBM (arguably the best reputation for quality and support) was the worst in terms of abandoning their products as soon as they are out the door. I could tell stories about my experiences with IBM that would make a preacher curse like a sailor. The Gateway I purchased has standard parts that I can purchase and assemble on my own. This means I can more likely upgrade parts as needed in the future. Example, a standard power supply will pop right in without any tools. Dell and IBM have made that virtually impossible in my experience and discussion with owners. BTW, while I am ranting and sharing, Microsoft product support is the absolute gold standard in tech support for any hard I have ever owned. I do not like their ruthless monopolistic behavior or arrogance in other areas but their help for consumers is the best. Their database and knowledgeable reps have solved "issues" on my IBMs and other hardware that the companies themselves could not comprehend. I know it can be argued that the great Satin may have a hand in these issues but my experiences have consistently pointed back at the hardware manufacturers not being able to properly diagnose the root cause. In three cases I called Microsoft to make my first free tech support call based on a purchased OS or Office app being unable to function properly. In each case the hardware manufacturer had the resposibility and solved my problem simply after telling them what Microsoft knew about this or that issue. One particularly egregious example was an IBM that involved removing all peripherals (SCSI card, extra hard drive, network card, etc) and formatting the disk drive (14 times in one week). This went on for three months before a call to Microsoft (based on my purchase of Office) determined that a memory controller chip on the motherboard was defective. The problem only showed up after many non-IBM-supported apps were running. Ohterwise the motherboard passed all test on my end. Even then I had to insist on escalating the problem to the VP - Customer Relations to get it fixed. And I could go on and on... No I am not worried about who will fix any problem. That is why I always opt for the shortest warranty/support option.