Gateway

Gateway makes personal computers

The story of one PC

In December of 1998 I ordered a personal computer from Gateway over the phone (they did not have retail stores at the time). The purchase pre-dates this web site, so details of these gripes are somewhat lacking. The machine was a GP6-350 customized to my specifications which included two hard disks and Windows NT4 workstation pre-installed.

The computer replaced an older one, and as such, all I ordered was the computer, not a monitor. Gateway was more oriented toward selling to consumers, which at the time, meant Windows 98 and a package that included a monitor. Despite ordering just a computer, they sent both the computer and a monitor. And they charged me for the monitor. This was no mis-understanding. I never wanted a monitor and the price I was quoted on the phone was for just the computer. I refused delivery of the monitor and had to deal with Gateway and my credit card company afterwards. This was my first impression of Gateway.

Although the machine came with NT4, Gateway provided extra software on CD-ROM that only runs under Windows 98. This software included diagnostic utilities and McAfee anti-virus. Nowhere did it say that it was only for Windows 98. This is what happens when buying an NT machine from a consumer oriented company.

The machine worked fine at first, but soon there was a problem with Windows NT4. I don't recall the exact error, but it was a Blue Screen of Death with a STOP error. Gateway tech support spent no time trying to debug the problem, but instead sent instructions for using FDISK and re-installing NT4 from scratch. Gateway is certainly not unique in this, many computer companies opt for the easy re-install rather than the harder path of debugging.

I was able to get a new copy of NT installed, but as it is not a plug and play OS, the next steps involved installing drivers for the sound card, video card, network card etc. There were drivers on the rescue CD-ROM but no instructions for installing them. The rescue CD came with an application that installs drivers, but only for Windows 98. I went to the tech support area of Gateways web site for instructions on installing the various drivers and found them fairly easily. Each set of instructions, however, was wrong. I eventually figured out what to do and got them all installed, but had I followed the online instructions to the letter, they either would not have worked or would have installed an older version of the driver. Again, Gateway is not unique in this, but what really struck home was a phone conversation with a Gateway NT4 tech support person (they had a different tech support department for NT4 than their usual Windows 98 tech support). After I pointed out one of the errors on their web site driver installation instructions, he was neither surprised nor going to fix it.

In October of 1999, the on/off switch for the computer broke. It is a somewhat skimpy piece of plastic. Gateway dealt with this well, as the machine was still under warranty. They mailed me a new front cover (bezel) and told me to throw the old one away.

In late 2000 (I think) the CD-ROM drive died. The tray opens and closes, but it refuses to read data on any and every CD or even acknowledge that a CD was inserted. It is a Mitsumi 13x/32x model FX322M !B. The Gateway part number is 5500734. I did not contact Gateway about it.

One reason I purchased from Gateway is they claimed to offer technical support the operating system for the life of the computer. Windows NT4 had 6 service packs during its lifetime. When I asked tech support a question about installing a service pack, they wouldn't answer it. The Gateway position is that they support the OS as they shipped it. Help with a later service pack is not something they do.
(added to the site May 28, 2002)

Other Gateway Gripes

Wrong Phone Number Costs Gateway July 19, 2002. AP. Back in 1999 someone at Gateway made a mistake. They used the 800 prefix instead of the correct 888 prefix for the company's toll-free customer complaint line. The wrong number was posted on Gateway's Web site, listed on Internet billings and included on a form distributed to more than 100,000 Gateway customers. Needless to say, the wrong number resulted in someone else getting calls from thousands of angry Gateway customers. That someone else was a company in Pensacola, Florida called Mo' Money which claimed to get up to 8,000 calls a month. Mo' Money contacted Gateway six days after the calls began, but it took Gateway more than two years to track down and fix the problem. On July 19, 2002 a jury awarded Mo' Money $3.6 million in damages.

David Strom. Web Informant newsletter. February 5, 2003. Quoting: I helped a friend of mine last night get a new PC at the local Gateway retail store. I am glad I went along, because the sales person was insistent that the 32X CD drive was faster than the 48X drive my friend was considering."

Gateway to customer: Want a refund? Sue us! By Nancy A. Feldman of Computer Shopper. April 2, 2004. Four years ago, Karl Immermann bought a Gateway PC. He had nothing but trouble with it. So he asked for a refund. That's when the trouble really started.

Page last updated: April 13, 2004