From: pastor@prc.unisys.com (Jon Pastor)
Subject: Re: Gateway2000 486DX-33 ??
Organization: not much...
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 15:00:29 GMT

In article <1993Jan7.181330.6349@camax.com>, holt@camax.com (Jonathan Holt) writes:
|> lcc@security (Lee C. Cooper) writes:
|> The 486DX-33V model they now ship has a VESA conforming local bus,
|> but I couldn't justify spending the extra $$ for a bus that may or
|> may not be supported by 3rd party vendors.  The hard drive controller
|> and video board are already on the local bus, even on the standard 
|> 486DX-33 model, so I can't see getting it unless you really know you
|> want it...

I can't give a fair comparison, because I haven't seen the standard
"accelerated" video, but the VESA-bus ATI Ultra Pro is screamingly fast.  I
use a Sun SPARC2 at work, and the DX33V's video is *at least* as fast; my
feeling is that it's faster.  Windows move quickly and smoothly, text scrolls
almost *too* fast if you aren't careful with the scrollbars.  The price
difference between the 33 and the 33V is not *all* that much, and I would
consider going with it if you're going to run anything graphics-intensive.

Also, my understanding is that VESA is an industry standard, and that 3rd
party vendors are more likely to support it than some of the proprietary local
bus architectures some vendors are using.  Anyway, with video and hard disk on
local bus, most of us will never need to even use that other LB slot --
although I don't expect to have any problems if I do want to fill it.

|> The worst part about dealing with Gateway is getting through to them
|> to make your order!

Wait 'til you have to call Customer Service...

Then, Jim Harrie (jimh@sequent.com) writes:

|> If you can't even
|> get through to the sales people what is support going to be like?

HIGHLY variable.  I have called and gotten a tech immediately (i.e., after
5-10 minutes on hold...), who then spent 45 minutes with me and didn't
terminate the conversation until he was sure that I had nothing else I needed
from him); I have also called, left a message, and gotten a call back 2 weeks
later.  My suggestion: don't bother leaving messages -- just call back later.

And... spira@panix.com (Greg "Sarcasm Is A Way Of Life" Spira) writes:

|> Gentlemen, you;'re discussing 2 different things.  The CD-Rom is the same
|> price with system as without.  Mr. Wallcave, however, is talking about
|> the Microsoft Sound System, which is a different price bought separately
|> as opposed to when it's packaged with a system.  And his customer rep
|> wanted to charge him the extra $20 if it shipped without a system, but
|> that extra $20 should only be charged when it's ordered without a system.

Hmmm...  I was told that if I didn't have a Gateway system, I couldn't even
order peripherals from them, and that if I did have one, I could order any
peripheral at the advertised price.  Is there fine print for the sound card?

|> Well, it's not nearly as bad as getting through to sales.  The quality
|> of tech support varies - some good, some not - but you can get through
|> to them a lot faster than you can get a salesman on the phone.          

My experience with sales was not the same.  Yes, getting through on the "first
time call" line is a pain, but once I got the direct-line number and the
extension for my salesman, I could usually get through pretty quickly, and he
*always* called me back quickly, typically within a half hour!


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