I'd have to say NO.
This is now on sale at Best Buy for $499. I called my local store and they are holding one for me.
http://www.gateway.com/systems/product/529668413.php
Before I go and make the purchase, I wanted to get some feedback from the experts here. (And no, I don't want to buy an Ipad instead. )
I'd have to say NO.
~rthomas
Why do you say NO, pray tell?
Here are some of the specs:
Processor
Intel® Core™ i3-330M Processor1 (2.13GHz, 1066MHz FSB, 3MB L2 Cache) with Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology1
Operating System
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium (64-bit)8
Memory
4096MB Dual-Channel DDR3 1066MHz sDRAM9
Hard Drive
320GB 5400RPM SATA hard drive5
Display
15.6" HD Widescreen Ultrabright™ LED-backlit Display (1366 x 768 resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio)10
Optical Drive 4X Blu-ray Disc™/DVD-Super Multi double-layer drive
MSRP on the Gateway website is $650. $499 seemed like a deal to me, unless I am missing something.
-Slim
good specs for that price, but buying a gateway feels kinda gross. if you plan on replacing this one in about 2 years I'd say go for it, but if you want something that will keep for 3+ years, my gut says go with a better brand. I'm partial to Dells for "best bang for the buck". My Dell Inspiron 700m laptop lasted me about 4 years of daily (ab)use, and it's currently sitting in a spare bedroom running a home server (abou 5.5 years old now).
I've never been big on Gateway or HP.
Dell or Mac for me.
~rthomas
You can get some similar Dells for about the same price:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olstempl...c=abcat0500000
I've owned many Gateways over the years, but have sworn off after the current one dies.
Something as simple as asking for a new driver, or location of such, for my emachines keyboard was met with an automatic "we don't provide support to you any more" comment. This was after their online "service" refused any questions once I entered my serial # and date of purchase. Of course, they would gladly (try to) answer such a complicated question at $30/call or something similar. Potential question: "Where can I download a keyboard driver for Model KB-0108?"
Heck, a simple link with appropriate pull-down menus should make such requests routine, without ever involving a human being or much less needing any "technical support."
Maybe I was just having a bad day, but the whole episode left a very bad taste in my mouth, especially when I remember the Gateway days of old.
Were I to be in the market for a new laptop, I would watch the sales and probably give HP products a strong consideration.
k
what do you do with your laptop MAINLY? is it a work machine? or personal?
I bought this for my 70 y.o. mom. She will use it for personal use (email, internet, storing pics and video, some word processing, etc.)
Reading all the negative views on Gateway, I am now feeling bad for picking this up last night. Will think about returning it...
if your mom is computer savvy, it will prolly do the job fine for a few years of non-heavy use..
if she's new to computers, you may want to think about returning it and getting a re-furb mac...so MUCH easier to use, understand and learn on..
She has a PC in the basement, but I wanted to get her an inexpensive laptop so she do her computing upstairs. (I bought a wireless router, too.) So, she has some experience with PCs, so I think the Mac route is unnecessary at this point. But thanks for the suggestion.
don't forget to lock up that router...