Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!hplabs!hp-pcd!hplsla!kens
From: kens@hplsla.HP.COM (Ken Snyder)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: GATEWAY 2000 systems, too good to be true???
Message-ID: <5190047@hplsla.HP.COM>
Date: 29 Sep 89 16:12:07 GMT
Organization: HP Lake Stevens, WA
Lines: 45

Listed below are 2 systems from GATEWAY 2000 that I am considering buying
in the next week or so.  Comparing them to other mail order companies,
(Zeos, Northgate, Dell, Dataworld etc.) this system undercuts the others
by $500->$3000.  I've asked every question that I can think of and the
answers were the right ones.  They use high quality name brand peripherals
and full speed parts.  Their service seems to be the same as everyone
elses'.  I'd like to hear from anyone who owns a system or anyone who
can think of something else to ask.  At these prices, I can get a 25 MHz
system cheaper than the other brands 20 MHz system.  Oh yes, the company
is 4.5 years old, does about $7M business a year.  The only other concern
is that none of their systems has ever been reviewed (by their own 
admission) in a magazine.  What's the catch?
Sounds too good to be true to me...

Thanks for the questions/experience,

Ken
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gateway 2000 system notes

20 MHz basic system
  Micronics motherboard w/ Chips & Technologies chipset (20MHz parts)
  1 Meg RAM - 80nsec DIPs (256k) all on memory board
  1.2M 5.25" floppy AND 1.44M 3.5" floppy
  40Mbyte 28ms hard disc RLL controller, Seagate drive
  16 bit VGA w/ 256k video mem (800x600 res) (ATI - VGA WONDER board)
  14" Multisync monitor (TATUNG) (800 x 600 res)
  1 parallel port, 2 serial ports
  101 key keyboard (Keytronics)
  1 x 32 bit slot (memory), 5 x 16 bit slots, 2 x 8 bit slots
  82385 cache controller (0 wait states w/ cache)
  Phoenix Bios 1.10.10 with choice of either MS-DOS 3.3 or 4.01
  Standard full size AT desktop footprint, 5 bays, 3 w/ fp access
  Bus speed - 8 / 11MHz selectable
  30 day moneyback guarantee, 1 yr 24 hr part shipment service
 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > $2,395
Options:
  150M 16.5ms Miniscribe (3180E) w/ Western Digital 1007 ESDI ctrlr  +  700
  250k Video memory (gives 1024 x 768 res @ 16 colors)               +   50
  NEC Multisync 3D monitor (gives 1024 x 768 res)                    +  100
  4 Meg memory upgrade (80ns 1Meg dips)                              +  400
  64k Cache memory upgrade (35ns static column ram)                  +  250
 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TOTAL $3,895

25 MHz system with same configuration  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > $4,645