Re: Gateway's Linux support

[bob@xxxxxxx]

On the last transmission of this message, marks indicating who write what were 
omitted for the more recent statements. I have inserted marking to attribute
each persons remarks properly, and have added some additional commentary. 

>>>>---Joel Turmo <turmo@mindspring.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Hello Joel,
>>>>
>>>>Thank you for your message.  This type of request is not covered under the
>>>>terms and conditions sold with your system. For future reference, I can
>>>>offer you the following suggestions:  use your help files or we do have
>>>>technicians that offer support regarding "how to" questions for a cost of
>>>>$25.  You can either pay by credit card at 1-800-229-1103 or have a $1.95
>>>>per minute charged to your monthly phone bill by dialing 1-900-555-4695.

>>>>In order to better handle your needs for technical support, it has become
>>>>necessary to focus our support on topics covered under the terms and
>>>>conditions sold with your system.
>>
>> Thank you for understanding.
>>
>>>>Thank you for your message, we look forward to assisting you in the
>>>future.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Online Client Support Team
>>>>Gateway

>>>Dirk Frazier <dfrazier@yahoo.com> write...
>>>Same here.  I purchased a new G6-450 and found that my Voodoo Banshee
>>>video hardware isn't yet supported by Xfree86...  I got RH5.2 up and
>>>running using a generic VGA Xserver, but only in 16 colors...  I'm a
>>>newby at LINUX, and feel that my only recourse is to wait until my
>>>hardware is "supported" by the LINUX community, or see if we have any
>>>'spare' x486 machines lying around the office :)
>>>
>>>I'd be interested to know what you're going to do Joel, if your
>>>situation is similar...

>> Robert G Brown (bob@acm.org) wrote:
>>Gentlemen:
>>   With all due respect, what do you expect? Gateway is merely living up to
>>the letter of its agreement with you. When one purchases computer systems
>>from anywhere, one must be aware of the abilities of each component in the
>>system, and whether or not it is compatible with the software one intends
>>to run on it. We ALL have this situation, it's a condition of the industry,
>>and is true of EVERY OS I know of.

>That is exactly the support I thought that I would get.  I knew that would
>be their response. They will not even support the system if you put
>additional updates to items like IE.  Be cause it was no longer the system
>they sent you.  I just wanted them to know that I was using Linux and that
>there is a need for Linux support.
OK, none of your above intentions were expressed in the original posting. You
did not state your expectations, only that Gateway was not going to help you.
Also, if you knew that this would be their response, is this really news?

>>    Now, If I were going to buy a system from Gateway and use it for Linux,
>>I'd be very up-front with them. I would go over each component of the system
>>and satisfy myself that it can be used from Linux. This means no "Winmodems",
>>network cards that aren't on the Hardware Compatibility List, or funny,
>>proprietary mice. I'd look over those DVD drives with some suspicion, too.
>>And so on.

>The computer works great with Linux.  I am very happy with it.  The only
>thing I have had to do is get a new modem.
As stated above, this was not the impression that was left by your original
posting. Now, on getting the new modem... did you get it through Gateway? If 
not, Will they continue to cover the machine, even though you have "modified" 
it?

>>     Did you purchase your Gateway assuming they would make good on this
>>sort of thing? Sorry, assumptions have little place here. Why should they make
>>good? Would you? One thing that Gateway plans to do, sometime this years, is 
>>offer Linux as another OS; you can be sure they will have tested any configur-
>>ation that they ship, and they'll stand behind it for operating in Linux.
>That's great.  I'm glad to hear it.
At least, that's what's claimed. As always in this business, I don't believe
something until I see it happen.

>>     But until then, I'm afraid they will not help you. I suspect you can
>>simply purchase another video card and install it, which may void your war-
>>ranty, which is also part of the contract you've signed. Thus, you can have
>>better video support, or a machine under warranty.
>>     ALL of the machines on which I run Linux have been assembled from
>>scratch, except one (and that's my gateway/ip masq/firewall box). Not only is 
>>the mark-up Gateway gets some thing on the order of 80%, but you do not have 
>>the same sort of control over what goes into the box. If you don't want 
>>to/can't assemble yourself, there are plenty of folks out there who do custom
>>assembly, and many of them are less costly than Gateway, given equal perform-
>>ance.

>I'm going to make my next machine.  But this one is still humming along
>great.  
Once again, the impression your original posting left was one of *not* being too
happy. I would sugggest to anyone writing such posting in the future that the 
context of a manufacturers response be set in the intended context.
>Sorry, wish this could help more.

>Gateway makes a good machine.
There is no doubt that they do. However, there is some difference of opinion 
about whether they deliver a good machine for the price.
                                                                 Regards,
                                                               ---> RGB <---