Incredible Laptop, Incredible Warranty Service, Incredible Investment
Written: Sep 08 '04 (Updated Sep 08 '04)
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Pros: Strong Performance, Vivrant Screen, Multiple Graphical Outputs (TV, etc.), and INCREDIBLE Warranty Service
Cons: Loud Processor Fan (Only On Occasionally), Warm Base
The Bottom Line: I would absolutely recommend this product for purchase due to personalized purchase experience; great value, performance; and unmatched service/warranty.
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| lilviv's Full Review: Gateway 450S PC Notebook |
DECISION TO PURCHASE LAPTOP: I had purchased a laptop from Dell in the past and got burned on a mail in rebate. I decided to give Gateway a try, since I lived in Texas (where Dell is), and I wouldn't have to pay Sales Tax with Gateway, either. Their prices were close to on par with Dell's, and I ended up going with a Gateway 450 with a DVD/CD-RW, 2 GHz P4-M, 256 MB RAM, and 30 GB Hard Drive. I wanted this to become my primary computer, and at the time . . . these were strong specs. that could suffice my needs.
EXPERIENCE WITH LAPTOP PURCHASE: The laptop purchase went very smoothly, I talked to a sales representative online who helped guide me through the purchase . . . that was semi-helpful. But, what was great was that he worked with me on price. That's right, I would tell him that I'd like to spend a little less than the advertised price (even after specials), and he cut the extended warranty price in half, knocked about 7% of the price off the computer, and I didn't pay any shipping. Now, I was feeling like I got a great deal. The laptop was shipped to me very promptly, even though the shipping tracking said it came from overseas. Regardless, it arrived in good form and looked great.
USAGE EXPERIENCE: I was very pleased with how my laptop performed. I could go on and on about this, but it performed as you would expect any good running computer to perform, very well. It was peppy, had brilliant color on the screen, was of the exact weight and size advertised, and was more than powerful enough to handle my tasks (including the occasional light 3D game). Not to mention, the laptop came in a very sexy & sleek, yet simple package. The features of the laptop stood out from the competition though . . . my laptop had integrated wireless (without the addition of an expansion card) when this was a new feature, and it also had a T.V. output on the back of the computer that allowed me to show pictures to my friends on the T.V. Those were very advanced features at the time. I was very impressed. The only negatives I experienced with this laptop were how loud the processor fan was . . . but, this was acceptable, because it only came on when the processor was under high load heating up. This happened during 3D games, DVD playback, and various other processor intensive tasks. When the processor is under load, the base gets hot, as well . . . but I have found that this is true with all laptops, and the Gateway performs on par, if not better, as other laptops in this department. I was even told by a friend who worked at Apple that they were not allowed to call Powerbooks "Laptops" because they were unsafe to put on someone's lap due to heat. The Gateway was not nearly this hot.
WARRANTY SERVICE: Now, I have had this laptop approximately 2 years . . . and I have had to send it to service twice. The first time, the backlight on my LCD went out, and it was replaced. The second time, my A/C Adapter was replaced, and the video adapter connection to my screen was re-cold soldered. The first time, I contacted Gateway support via telephone, and I was quickly given a service number and instructions on how to get my computer to service. The second time, I communicated through E-Mail, and I got a response incredibly quickly about how to get my computer to service. I noticed that the service center was about 7 miles from where I worked, and I asked if I could just take it there instead of bother with packaging, shipping, etc. They said, "Of course." I took it there, I dropped it off, and they had it shipped back to me within 2 days . . . it was incredible. Both times the problems were fixed promptly and perfectly. The second time, I got it to their center at 3 pm on the Friday before Labor Day weekend, the computer was at my door the following Wed. morning. They had completely diagnosed and fixed my issues on the Tuesday after Labor day and shipped it that day. I was so impressed with my service experience at Gateway, they took such good care of me, and I feel so confident about the performance of my product being guaranteed for so long.
SUMMARY: I purchased a strong product 2 years ago, today . . . it is still strong and comparable to current industry availability, which is rare in the computing marketplace . . . and I have experienced an incredible purchase experience, incredible performance, incredible service, and what I feel is, without a doubt, an incredible investment. I have one more year left on my warranty, and I feel comforted knowing that Gateway stands behind their product, which I purchased from them some time ago. I will be purchasing another Gateway to replace this one when the time comes.
Thanks, Gateway. -- A Loyal, Picky Consumer
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1540
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Other
Processor speed: over 1000
Screen Size: 13 inches
RAM: 256
Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD
Hard Drive (GB): 21-30
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Epinions.com ID:
lilviv
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Location: Carrollton, TX, USA
Reviews written: 27
Trusted by: 3 members
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