Very Good Gateway PC
Written: Oct 01 '01
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Pros: Nice Case, Great Sound/Graphics, Fast Performance, Great Monitor
Cons: No Expansion Slots Available
The Bottom Line: This is the best PC that I have found in a long time. Gateway really outdid themselves with this one and the price is nice too!
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| chasivation's Full Review: Gateway Select 1200 |
I purchased this computer from Gateway because I have read all of the great reviews about this particular model. I have never purchased a computer over the Internet before but I thought that I would give it a try. I went to the Gateway website and to may amazement I saw just how easy it was to order one of these computers online. I was able to customize almost everything that I wanted to be in this computer. I have listed the items that came in my computer near the end of this review. I ordered my 1200 a couple of months ago and I have had not problems with it. I actually got it about a week after ordering it online.
Setup & Installation:
The box arrived undamaged and packed very well. I think that I paid about $60 for shipping which I though was a little bit excessive at the time but now that I see just how well they packed and handled it, I can see that the shipping and handling fee was well used.
Setup of the hardware was quite easy. There were detailed instructions, a very nice diagram that show where everything goes, and all of the ports as well as the cable ends were very well marked. It took about 15-20 minutes for me to get it all setup and ready to turn on for the first time.
Ease of Use:
When I turned it on for the first time I noticed that it came with Microsoft Windows ME as the operating system. I was unfamiliar with this operating system since I was accustomed to using Windows 98 at home and Windows NT 4.0 at work. But I noticed that it looked very similar and I had no problem navigating around looking to see what was installed. I noticed that Microsoft Works Suite 2001 and Norton AntiVirus 2000 were installed as well as the standard Windows programs such as Solitaire, Hearts, etc. I love playing games on my computer. Okay, back on topic.
I should make a note that the case is very nice. I opened it up to see what was inside it and behold, everything looked like it was very easily accessible and easy to maintain. The only problem I saw was that there were no more PCI slots available which could be a problem if you are wanting to expand your system soon after you get it.
Performance:
The computer is very fast. It seems like it takes hardly any time at all to boot up into Windows. I have no problems running more than one piece of software at one time and switching between the two. I cannot see any lags or long waits occurring. When I play a DVD, the system is very cooperative. I don’t see any skips or slow downs and the audio is just great. I have also created and written many CD’s using the CD-RW and I am amazed at just how fast it can write to a CD-R. The 60 GB hard drive is really too large for myself to fill up but it is nice knowing that I have the extra space should I ever need it.
The monitor is very nice. I did choose the 19” model over the 17” that is standard. I played a few games and other programs and I can see that the colors are crisp and clear. I was thinking of upgrading to a flat-panel monitor but at this point I’m not sure if that really would be upgrading.
Operating System:
Microsoft Windows ME
Bundle:
Microsoft Works Suite 2001
Norton AntiVirus 2000
Specifications:
1.2 GHz Athlon CPU
256KB L2 Cache
256 MB SDRAM
60 GB Hard Drive
16X DVD-ROM Drive
CD-RW Drive
Nvidia GeForce 3 Video Card w/ 64 MB DDR SDRAM
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live Value Sound Card
Boston Acoustics Digital BA7500 Speaker System
Standard Internal V.90 Modem
Integrated Network Interface Card 10/100
Tower Case – Medium Sized
Gateway EV910 19-inch Monitor
Three-year parts & labor warranty
Technical Support – Toll Free – 24 Hour
Overall:
I accomplished two things when I bought this computer.
1. I made my first online computer shopping experience a happy one.
2. I got myself a very nice PC with all of the features that I wanted at a great price.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1500.00
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Other
Processor speed: over 1000
RAM: 256
Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD
Hard Drive (GB): Over 50
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Epinions.com ID:
chasivation
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Member: Charles Simpson
Location: Iowa City, IA
Reviews written: 13
Trusted by: 7 members
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