Dell or Gateway - AR15.COM

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Posted: 12/19/2001 8:14:49 PM EDT

I'm looking at a new laptop, i'm having troulbe deciding between dell or gateway, i heard alot of bad stuff about dell, I hope some of you out there with some experience can help me make a choice.

Thanks

Posted: 12/19/2001 8:19:38 PM EDT

[#1]

The odds are that you won't go wrong with either one. Add Toshiba, IBM, and Sony in that group too. Get a two year extended service plan and why worry?

I have a Toshiba that I broke, with in 48 hours I had a new machine with my old drive back in my hands free of charge.

Posted: 12/19/2001 8:20:41 PM EDT

[#2]

Actually I heard that Gateway sucked moose c*ck and Dell was the way to go. No personnal experience though.

Posted: 12/19/2001 8:27:38 PM EDT

[#3]

I have a toshiba too, i've had it for 4 years, it's been ok, you know if i can buy toshiba directly from the factory or who has the best prices.

Thanks

Posted: 12/19/2001 8:46:37 PM EDT

[#4]

i service the dell and gateway laptops and have not been impressed with either. Dell has VERY flimsy keyboards and touchpads . Also the latitude series seems to have flaky system boards. Lots of battery charge issues and keyboard controller problems. From a performance standpoint they are OK but not great.
My personal preference right now are the new ibm thinkpads. They have the typical IBM quirks but seems to be solid from a hardware standpoint.

Posted: 12/19/2001 9:00:08 PM EDT

[#5]

Ive got 2 Gateway's and I have not had a problem with either computer. I like the fact that I can call up when I have a problem and they will walk me through it. Dell has that same service.
Last year I pilled water on my keyboard and it totally messed it up, I called gateway and asked how much it would cost to replace it, and they said it was under warrent yand the shipped mea new one, no questions asked.

Posted: 12/19/2001 9:15:08 PM EDT

[#6]

I had a Gateway desktop, it was a POS and their service sucked. I would never buy another Gateway product again. Dell has a deal with the company I work for and offers the employees our company a discount on certain computers. I ordered one as a Christmas present for my son last year. While I was on the phone with them I decided to order one for myself to replace my Gateway. They both have 3 year on site warrenties which I have never had to use. Durring the summer I needed a new laptop to run pistol matches and enter scores so I bought a Dell Inspiron. It's great. I haven't had any problems with it. I don't know how Dell's service is because I haven't had any problem with the 3 computers I bought from them in the past year.

Posted: 12/19/2001 9:17:49 PM EDT

[#7]

I would buy a Dell over a Gateway. That being said, get a Toshiba.

Posted: 12/19/2001 9:20:26 PM EDT

[#8]

Had a Gateway 386SX back in the day, no internet access. Lasted about 10 months before a virus destroyed the entire hard drive. I never used any shareware and couldn't download anything, so I have to conclude that the computer was a POS.

Have had a Dell Dimension L800 with a Pentium 3 for the past year and not had any real problems. Plus, for an extra $100 you can get a 3-year next-day service and parts warrantee. Good stuff.

Buy a Dell.

Edited because I was too stupid to read the laptop part.

My aunt has a Sony that is great. She's had it for the last year or so and it seems really cool. I don't think it gets any reall hard use though.

Posted: 12/19/2001 9:24:24 PM EDT

[#9]

1st was a Gateway that was never right and Customer Service was difficult to obtain. Cannot say good enough about Dell Customer Service. Had CD-RW fail and a man was there 2 days later to slap a new one in. Get a Dell Dude!

Posted: 12/19/2001 9:25:05 PM EDT

[#10]

Depends on what your needs are. Do you need the latest performance, reliability, durability, affordability, or all around value?

Dell overall in my opinion offers a better product than Gateway not in terms of specs/price ration but rather quality offered for the product. The newer Gateway's in my opinion are kind of, how do we say it nicely, kind of flimsy. Go to a Gateway Country Store and see for yourself. The best gaming machine for a notebook out there is the Dell Inspiron 8100.

From the past several years I've used IBM thinkpads for several reasons. First of all, the keyboard really impressed me on the computer. Second, IBM has a reputation for building solid machines. Kind of pricey for the specs offered by them, but hell, I'm looking for a computer that works and does not stay in the manufacture repair center for months at a time.

Posted: 12/19/2001 10:37:57 PM EDT

[#11]

Looks like Gateway is gonna return yet a 4th quarter with losses instead of profits. More layoffs are comming after the 1st of the year.

Stock was at $82 at it's high and now running around $7. I would not buy Gateway since I do not trust them to be around throughout the warranty period.

I was probably going with Dell but the pricing for similar HP pavillion at Sam's Club was almost $400 cheaper than the Dell so that's where my money went.

Posted: 12/19/2001 10:42:24 PM EDT

[#12]

right now, i'm leanning towards buying a toshiba, i'm gonna go check 'em out at best buy, it seems they've decent prices.

Posted: 12/19/2001 11:39:54 PM EDT

[#13]

Stay away from Gateway. I worked for them for a short time. The things I saw behind the scene made me sick, then quit. HORRIBLE support, crappy products, overpriced too. Sales staff are a bunch of money grubbing commission whores. They could give a flying shit what you NEED and would rather sell a mother looking for a first computer for her 8-year-old some 3 thousand-dollar rig. SCREW THEM.

Posted: 12/19/2001 11:42:41 PM EDT

[#14]

I'm using a gateway at home, it's been nothing but trouble. At work our desktops are Dell's and are trouble free.

Posted: 12/19/2001 11:58:46 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
I have a toshiba too, i've had it for 4 years, it's been ok, you know if i can buy toshiba directly from the factory or who has the best prices.

View Quote

CostCo.com has some pretty good prices on Toshiba laptops. The prices on theirs beat the lowest ones listed at Pricewatch.com, anyway.

Only problem is, you need to be a member (or find one willing to do the purchase for you), otherwise they charge you an extra 5%.

They have a 1GHz Toshiba laptop, 20GB hard drive, for just under a kilobuck. Thinking about it. . . . But I really want a Sony Vaio.

Posted: 12/20/2001 12:32:24 AM EDT

[#16]

A couple of years ago when I was looking for a computer, I called Gateway and Dell for catalogs. A few days later I get my Gateway catalog. Two weeks later I call Dell again asking for a catalog. A month later with still no Dell catalog, I called up and ordered a Gateway PC. It arrives in 4 days. (I live in Hawaii.)

I get my new computer and type a letter to Dell telling them my story and why in the world would I want to send them my hard earned money for a computer when they can't even get a catalog to me. I informed them I was a lifetime Gateway customer.

Three months after this I start getting a Dell catalog every month and still get one to this day. (Can't they take the hint from my letter that I think they are worthless and will always give my money to Gateway.)

I know this doesn't answer your laptop question, but I like Gateway and have always had great service when I called them for a couple of small problems.

Good Luck in your choice.

AR15Oklahoma

Posted: 12/20/2001 12:53:38 AM EDT

[#17]

I have two Dells on desks in front of me. I've bought 1 Gateway before. Gateway USED to be high quality ... not any more. The company is supported through government and school contracts mostly I believe.

Gateway will be charging you tax. Dell will not.

Both will swap out broken junk quickly, but it is my experience that Gateway's junk breaks more often heh.

Posted: 12/20/2001 1:25:20 AM EDT

[#18]

I have 4 Stinkpads, from a notebook size 240X to a very recent T21. I also have a Dell Atitude Both have good and bad points. The Dell has a more cenvenient drive bay and hot swap capability . The IBMs are great machines and have a titanium composite case that is the best! However, IBM is also overpriced as they cater to the business lease market. TONS of available peripherals but everything will cost you plenty. Would a business lease work for you?

Posted: 12/20/2001 3:33:56 AM EDT

[#19]

I work in the IT dept. and I used to own my own repair shop.

Gateway throws whatever parts are on sale with whatever vender into their boxes. Of course laptops are a little different but I think Dell makes more of their own parts.

I also help manage the shipping dept. and we sell alot of Gateway parts going back for return. I have ordered all Dell for the offices and company, so far not one single problem in 3 yrs we've had em?

My 2cents worth

IAJack

Posted: 12/20/2001 4:11:02 AM EDT

[#20]

Get the Dell.

Posted: 12/20/2001 4:13:36 AM EDT

[#21]

NOT Gateway!

Posted: 12/20/2001 4:19:12 AM EDT

[#22]

Personal experience. Toshiba, good but foreign. Dell, bad but American(mostly).

Posted: 12/20/2001 4:29:04 AM EDT

[#23]

Just last year, my company switched exclusively to DELL. We buy about 5 laptops per week, among two of Dell's corporate models. We have had nothing be good (great) experiences with Dell. Before that, we had HP and we had nothing but problems with screens/drives/keyboards. A lot of people bought their own PCs (toshibas, compaqs)and expensed them (before we switched to Dell), and we have had a lot of issues with them. We now refuse to support anything but what we bought. I'd recommend almost any of the Dells, except the teeny, tiny little ultra portabels. But then, I wouldn't recommend those from any manufacturer (I just hate them, that's all).

Posted: 12/20/2001 4:30:35 AM EDT

[#24]

Dell all the way...

Posted: 12/20/2001 4:31:05 AM EDT

[#25]

Company has around 80-90 survey crews around the world and all our computer equipment in the field and here in the offices (TX, OK, China, Thailand, Turkey, South America, 600+) are [b]Dell[/b].

Mike

Posted: 12/20/2001 4:37:37 AM EDT

[#26]

we use our laptops and desktops (each have 2-3) extensively.
i would go with a Dell for a desktop, but would try to go either IBM or Toshiba for a laptop. Yes, the 2 year warranty is a must on a portable!
Terry

Posted: 12/20/2001 4:38:19 AM EDT

[#27]

For mail order computer sales. DELL.....I have switched to DELL. I have switched from Gateway to Dell. I do not buy laptops. My experience is in desk top PC's only.

Posted: 12/20/2001 4:53:47 AM EDT

[#28]

Neither!
They're both very anti-gun.
....just kidding. [;)]

Posted: 12/20/2001 6:00:53 AM EDT

[#29]

The company I used to work for tried a few of all of them, just to test. We had about 200 laptop users in the agency, so it was an important issue. From my experience.....

Gateway was the WORST!
Dell-good
Toshiba-good
IBM-good

I don't think you could go wrong with any of the other three, so shop around....but DO NOT go with Gateway. We had more problems with them than anything, and they're a real pain to work on!

Posted: 12/20/2001 6:03:58 AM EDT

[#30]

My $.02:
1) Compaq
2) Dell
3)
4)
5)
6) Gateway
7)
8)
9)
10)

Well, I cheated and actually re-read the original post. My above rateings are desk-tops.
I'd probably choose Toshiba/IBM for a belly-top.

Posted: 12/20/2001 9:03:25 AM EDT

[#31]

I've never owned a laptop, but I have had both Gateway and Dell desktop systems.

In a nutshell.....

Gateway sucked. Appeared to be built by morons. Problems abound.

Dell has never given me on minute of trouble. As a matter of fact, I recently ordered my second Dell, a P4, 2Ghz machine, 17" flatscreen, screamer graphics card, THX sound, and 2 gigs of RAM, CDRW/DVDR. Can't wait to fire it up!

I hear that IBM laptops are real nice. Toshiba recently got a great review in PC World, for what that's worth.

Posted: 12/20/2001 9:23:21 AM EDT

[#32]

duu-uuu-uude!

get the dell or you won't be cool like this guy...

[img]http://www.dell.com/images/us/segments/dhs/po_popup.jpg[/img]

Posted: 12/20/2001 9:34:05 AM EDT

[#33]

Toshiba is a good one, I am using an IBM, it is old and works great. I am thinking about a SOny 505 next thoug. I would stay away from Gateway, too many friends were burned by them.

Posted: 12/20/2001 9:36:16 AM EDT

[#34]

I have been issued a Dell Latitude (so is everyone where I work). They switched the
Mobo's on 50% of em because the I,J,H and K
keys get screwed up.

Then the mouse went crazy and they switched
the mouse port (serial).

I'm not just talking me, but alot of employees
have had simillar problems.

In my opinion, this Dell Laptop which I have
is a piece of sh*t. Tons of hardware trouble.I'm not saying that Dell
is as a whole but this laptop I have really
sucks BIG TIME!!!

Personally, I'll never get a Dell Laptop but I've heard some good feedbacks from Dell Desktop owners.

Maybe its just my bad luck.

Good luck with your purchase.

Lefty12

Posted: 12/20/2001 9:39:33 AM EDT

[#35]

I have a Gateway desktop at home, and my company uses Gateways for their desktops. They have been good reliable machines. That being said, I wouldn't buy either Gateway or Dell for a laptop. I'd suggest the Sony Vaio or the IBM thinkpad. Toshiba would be my third choice.

Posted: 12/20/2001 9:41:48 AM EDT

[#36]

Our entire corporate infrastructure is Dell. Outstanding service (next day on site), reliable hardware, easy driver support and upgrades, high quality 3rd-party components (Turtle Beach soundcards for example), etc...

Gateway is for grandmothers who only plan on playing solitaire and getting their email once a week.

Go for a new Dell if you are choosing between the two.

p.s. On my home network, everything is HP and I am so happy with the decision. 5 workstations and 8 servers... all Hewlett Packard. Not one single service issue in 6 years.

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