Re: Gateway's Linux support

[Joel <turmo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

bob@acm.org wrote:

> 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?
>

They will support the modem only if it is bought from them.  I don't know if it will
void thier agreement to support the machine.

> >>     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 <---