Stay away from this

After six years, some heavy graphic design usage, three Win OS's, and many issues later...I am happy to say that my Gateway Essential (mfg date 03/00) is still alive and kicking! It's a good base system to start with...PROVIDED you are looking to choose and put in YOUR OWN upgrades, as I did. Within three months after I bought it, I had fully expanded the RAM, added a CD-RW, added another harddrive, and installed a better AGP card. The biggest disaster I encountered was upgrading the OS to Windows ME, which conflicted with just about every other application (especially the Norton stuff ...NIS,NAV,SWKs)that I had living inside. After two frustrating months, I reverted the computer back to the original Win98 OS, and lived with "the issues that ME left behind" for about a year, until I completely cleaned out and reformatted the harddrive, and appropriately installed Win 2K...which I should've done in the first place! This computer's been through the gamut, and still runs strong...but like I said, the Essential is a good BASE system...if you have custom upgrades planned for the future!

Was talked into buying small Essential series right before XP came out and it was a disaster from the start. Froze the first week. Was rebooting almost everytime I used it. Mother board replaced once. No way to upgrade. Best thing I ever bought was a USB external drive so I could salvage my music files before this thing finally died. Gateway store I bought it from no longer in business. No one else will touch it.

This company is not honest. It looses things you send it and then bills you. It says it did not receive my rebate. It also says it didn't receive a hard disk my cousin sent back after their fifth (yes, 5th) mistaken attempt to send him a replacement part for something that broke (he finally gave up) and is billing him for it. If you MUST buy Gateway, don't buy direct. Buy from a reputable store where you can take it in to complain about something.

Gateway is the Best. I went through 3 dells at my job in 18 months. They are Juck. I have Gateway for my home PC and never had problems with it, and there coustmer support is A1 there call canter is in the US , Compared to Dells which is in INDIA.

Nitemare, lemon of a computer from day one. First computer, would freeze up within 15 to 30 min. for the first nine months. Would call tech support at least once a week, after waiting about 30 to 60 min. would receive no help in fixing the problem. After nine months of trying to have gateway take my C.P.U. in for repair (for which I paid extra for) they finaly did so after I told them I would make no more payments on Visa and file a despute with credit card. Well the motherboard was bad from day one. I did purchase the three yr. warranty, which was good . In the first 3 yrs. I'v had 3 motherboards replaced, two modems, hard drive, fan and moter. Microphone has yet to work, etc--- well belive it or not I could go on and on. Gateways way of making everything right was to give me an extra 30 days on warranty. "WOW THANKS" Getting ready to purchase a new computer soon and you can damn well beleive it will not be a gateway. Unless Steve "the cow man himself" makes a deal and a promise to oversee the sale himself. Still would be hard pressed to go Gateway.

Very few problemsand those that showed up were corrected fast. Very helpfull staff.

The computer system is OK (but not great), but the service is very lousy. I had to make over a dozen phone calls and spend hours to get any real feedback, other than shoulder shrugs. Only when I contacted the Better Business Bureau Online did Gateway really start to respond, and even then their response was far less than their overhyped TV ads would lead one to believe. "Where People Rule?" Not in my experience! In fact, the only reason I gave them two stars instead of one is that the actual system itself is not nearly as sub-standard as their service.

The greatest budget computer on the market. They give the best warranties and all the perks a person needs in a simple computer. It also is very easy to upgrade adn add to if need be. This is a great computer for students who need one with a small budget to spend.

You can find another computer with the same CPU, motherboard and same type and size RAM for a cheaper price. Gateway Essential usually has more expensive prices although the warranty may make some difference.

This is one of the best all-round desktop computers you can buy. Their excellent customer service, good parts (hardware), components, and affordability has earned them (Gateway) a good reputation. Being able to customize the computer to your exact specification was the biggest thing that sold me on the product.

They need to send an easier to understand manual.

More up to date for me. Quicker modems, plus it comes with one touch internet access.

I like how they offer these computers in a package deal. The modem is fast and comes up quickly. They offer a lot of programs with their computer. I can spend hours on it using all the equipment and programs that come with it.

I love it. Great reliability with endless options. It is a bit expensive, but the customer service is worth the $.

Computers are quite cheap but aren't the best machines. A good point is now the trade back service, which allows you to get more for your outdated machine with a newer one.

I have had my Essential 500 for 8 months, and only one major problem--failed hard drive. Gateway's technical support responds promptly, and does a pretty good job helping you pinpoint the problem. When they finally realized that my 10 GB hard drive was really deceased, they sent me a 20 GB replacement. That was a nice surprise. I was nervous about trying to install the hard drive myself, but it came pre-formatted with Win98 and Works2000 already installed so all I had to do was remove the bad drive, install the new drive, hook up the cables and pray. The first boot said I had no hard drive, so I removed it and put the jumpers back in their original location and rebooted. The second boot was like the computer was brand new. I have been satisfied with my Gateway, but I can't honestly say that I won't buy a Dell the next time around. Ask me in a couple of years when it is time to upgrade with yourware.

I just purchased this computer last month and I tell you, it is the most easiest and straight forward computer I have ever owned. Excellent graphics, sound!

It's decent, if it's the right computer I'm thinking of. Nothing is spectacular on it. Slower than my PC. Good trade-in option for a better/newer model. Price wasn't excellent, but it covers the basics.

This computer and the customer service Gateway provided to me was a great disappointment to me. I have nothing but trouble with it since it arrived at my door. The modem went up in it and they wanted to have me install a new motherboard in it after only having it 2 days! When I refused and insisted that they send me another one they reluctantly did so. I received it 5 days later (after they told me it would be shipped overnight) only to discover days later this new computer didn't have all the features in it that I had paid for. Their solution once again was to have me open the case and drop in the missing elements instead of sending me what I had paid for. I refused and told them that I would like to return their product to them because of the product and service I received from them. I no longer had trust in their product. They, however expected me to pay for the shipping. TWICE!! I refused and they then offered to split the cost of shipping with me. I again refused. Finally after much debate, they agreed to pay for shipping. It was a nightmare! I immediately ordered a Dell Dimension series computer and could not be happier with it and with the way they do business. I would avoid Gateway at all cost. I was warned by others but I just didn't listen.

The whole Gateway concept is to have a customized PC for your specific needs. When I bought my PC we got a 400 Mhz Pentium III inside. It completely blows away my old generic PC.

Economical. You get the whole computer for a small price. It is affordable for everyone. Efficient and the access is great.

The Essential is literally what the average computer user needs; the basic hardware, like CDRom, hard drive, etc. It also comes with the software you need, like windows, MS Word, and some package of games or resource programs. I gave it a four because for the average user, this computer would be more than pleasing to the eye, plus it's priced pretty reasonably. For more expert users, I'd recommend the Performance or Professional series.

Third PC I've used; second one bought for home use but most expensive. Have had crashes and keyboard lock-ups since day 2 (still less than one month old). Package sold with underperforming printer which chops off right-hand side. Tech support basically told me to learn how to use a computer.

Any of Gateway's computers are excellent buys. The technical support is phenomenal, product replacement services are revolutionary, and they are always offering good upgrade deals. You can also get your PC customized. Gateway's are good for advanced computer junkies or illiterate novices.

Gateway has done a superb job with every desktop computer they create. The hardware + software is top of the line and their customer support is unmatched.