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

To: yard_man who wrote (6935)	12/12/1998 1:41:00 AM
From: Jet.Screamer	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 8002

I disagree. My experience with Gateway(as well as all the others I know who own Gateway boxes) has been extraordinary. % months after receiving my Gateway things came to a grinding halt. My first suspicion was that I had a virus so I went and bought antivirus software-it did not help. I called Gateway support and the rep spent 2 1/2 hours with me testing and trying various solutions. After finally determining that the problem was caused by an uninstaller program that I had loaded the rep spent another hour with me correcting the problem and getting the software off my computer. I can tell many similar stories about Gateway's costumer support from those that I know correcting problems with Quiken, Modems and even online software. If you want to argue who gives the worst customer service then as far as I am concerned it is Microsoft. They continually release software that proves to be defective and yet offer no free customer support eventhough they can well afford to. Why should a consumer have to wait for Microsoft to provide a software patch for a product that they do not even provide toll free support for. Perhaps the real question is not about what support options Gateway is providing but rather if the machine can't fax what software is causing the problem and what software provider is not providing the proper support. Maybe Gateway has grown tired of providing their resources to correct someone else's product. Granted this change from what I have experienced may not bode well for Gateway but shouldn't the economic burden be placed upon the party that deserves it. OT-BTW perhaps this why Microsoft is a monopoly. When you buy a car and it is learned that there is some design defect the car is recalled and you are sent a notice of the recall and requested to bring it to the dealer to be corrected. When the software does not operate as it should you end up spending countless hours playing with settings to correct the problem only learn that the problem is in the software. Then you have to go to their website and download a "patch". Perhaps the software company upon becoming aware of the defect should notify you and send you the corrective patch immediately. We demand this of every other product and company which is why you are requested to register your purchase of the product. We register our purchases of software yet we don't require the same dilegence of these manufacturers. Something is very wrong with this picture and if you can't see it then you are blind.

To: yard_man who wrote (6935)	12/15/1998 12:01:00 PM
From: Jonsamson	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 8002

I have had Gateway computers for 5 years now - owning 4 different ones (2 laptops, 2 desktops). The customer service I have received from them have been incredible, having spent hours on the phone with them when I have had some serious trouble related to third party software. When stumped, they always call me back to try other solutions. You would never get this from IBM, Toshiba, Compaq, etc without having to pay for it. The only other company that matches this quality is Dell. Jonathan