Experience with eMachines and Gateway (Gateway bought eMachines and their problems).

<font color=green>The GOOD: when I received this notebook I was amazed how fast it was. It came with the AMD 64 processor, and it was just as fast as my desktop. I loved it.</font color=green>


<font color=red>The BAD:</font color=red>

Issue/problem 1.
I have purchased my eMachines, top of the line notebook in April 2004. Since day one the DVD burner did not burn DVD?s. It did burn CD?s but DVD?s would always come out corrupt.

I called tech support and was told to:
1) use their software -> did not work
2) I tried NERO Burning Rom -> did not work
3) finally they told me to reinstall windows?I said what does this have to do with it, and I will have to backup all my stuff and spend several days reinstalling and configuring all my software. This is because you do not get a windows disk you get a Norton ghosted set of CD?s that completely wipe your HD. PAIN.
OK so finally I broke down and reinstalled -> still did not work Needless to say I was very frustrated at this point. In total I have burned about 18 DVD coasters in the different trials that the tech support asked me to perform.

But what can I do, I use this notebook for work so I figured that I will just live with this and just stick to CD-r.

Issue/problem 2.

About 3 months after receiving the notebook, I started to notice that the hinges for the LCD are starting to crack. I checked out different forums on the net and it was a common occurrence. Most people said that they got it fixed under warranty since it was an issue with the hinges.

Issue/problem 3

About 6 months after receiving the notebook, my screen started to flicker. I mean the brightness would suddenly be dark, bright, dark?etc. The frequency of this flickering would be from 2 or 3 times per second to about 1 per 2 seconds. Very hard on the eyes.

Issue/problem 4.

About 10 months after receiving the notebook, some of the keys started to stick in the upper position.


Since I was using the notebook for work I could not just send it in and twiddle my thumbs. I was waiting for a less busy time, well that never came, so before my warranty ended I figured that I should bite the bullet and just send it in.

While I was on the phone with the tech support they said that it usually only takes a week for a return trip but in rare cases it can take up to two weeks. I though well a week, two at the most, I will just do it. Beside, it was very frustrating trying to use it with keyboard sticking and the display flickering. Near the end I started plugging in a monitor and an external keyboard to make it usable !


<font color=red>The VERY BAD</font color=red>

So I shipped it off on March 3, 2005.

<font color=red>2 weeks later.</font color=red> I call the service and I am told that the screen is on back order and it could be another week. I asked if I could get some kind of free-be upgrade for waiting this long. The service guy replied I can?t authorize it I will have to connect you the manager, so I said sure. The manager said that they can not do any upgrades, but they can extend my warranty by the amount of time that the notebook is in service, so I said ok I understand, thanks. Oh well worth a try.

<font color=red>4 weeks later.</font color=red> NO notebook ! I call the service (this was Monday), I asked about my notebook and was told that they are still waiting for the display which is still on back order. This display is one of the more common displays for notebooks, regular 1280x800, widescreen format. So I asked to speak with the manager.

Manager:
Oh I remember you, I spoke to you the last time.

Me:
Hello, yes, well I use my notebook for work and it has been 4 weeks, I need my notebook back or a replacement. If you can?t fix my notebook please send me another one.

Manager:
We don?t do that.

Me:
It?s been 4 weeks?.and you don?t know when you will receive the display, I really need my notebook.

Manager:
Sorry, I can?t do any thing about that.

Me:
OK, if I don?t receive my notebook by Friday I am going to write a letter (this letter) and send it to eMachines and Gateway officials, and any publications that will publish this, to make sure to warn people or businesses thinking about purchasing equipment from eMachines or Gateway.

Manager:
You can do that, but I can?t guarantee that you will get it back by then.

Me:
Ok thank you.


<font color=red>NOW over 8 weeks later</font color=red>, still no sign of my notebook !

The moral of this story if you want a computer that you will be able to use, DO NOT buy eMachines or Gateway.

Thank you.


<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by peter969 on 05/15/05 04:15 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

Sorry about your experience with the laptop.

I have an eMachines m6805 for almost a year and have had no issues other than unexpected clueless abuse by family members.
My father dropped my laptop bag about 2 feet onto the floor (luckily a carpeted one) without realizing what was inside it. Moral of that story don't let anyone else ever handle your laptop backpack when you make it look like a regular one.

As I said my experience with my laptop has been good. other than needing a bios update for SP2 for XP I have experienced no issues.

At www.hardocp.com there is a sticky on the eMachines m68XX line of computers. direct address is www.hardforum.com

the Forums at Anandtech.com has a long forum thread on the m68XX line too. you have to dig a bit to find it though.

If you read those 2 boards you'll find that although. the LCD hinge issue was common most people were happy with their purchase.

I'm sorry you have gotten a lemon. The hinge issue was something that affected alot of machines that had a certain serial number range. It was something eMachines addressed before they were bought by Gateway. They would fix it for free basically. I was lucky enough to get a machine not affected by the issue.

In the last few years before eMachines was bought by Gateway they came under new ownership. the owner kept the name but made sure to improve the components they put in their desktops and to get better quality laptops to rebadge from main laptop manufacturers. Even Dell doesn't design most of their own laptops. Some of eMachines desktops got excellent reviews in PC Magazine. When eMachines 1st came out they sold crap, in the past few years they sold good quality (aside from the odd lemon) at good prices.

My point is when I bought my m6805 from eMachines it was before they were bought out by gateway. I researched the boards and decided on that laptop as the best price vs. performance deal. I've been very satisfied.

I'm sorry you got a lemon, but I think the rule should be do not buy a notebook without reading more than one forum and asking about the model you're thinking of buying. I can't really speak about eMachines after they were bought by Gateway unfortunately.

www.hardforum.com
www.notebookforums.com
forums.anandtech.com

Well I agree and understand, things brake.

But now it has been 2 month that I am without my notebook. I called the head office no no one cares, they keep promissing to get me my machine back but I still don't have it.

2 MONTHS and counting !!!

I bought it to use it for work, and for a company to leave a person out in the cold for 2 MONTHS is beyond lack of service, it's theft !!

My friend has a Compaq and his keyboard died, he called Compaq in the morning and by the afternoon a courier was knocking on his door with a replacement keyboard. (he just had a regular warranty, nothing special)

Can you guess what my next notebook is going to be ?

Yeah, bad luck dude.
I have the 6810. I had an issue with the HD and I got it to them and back to me in less than a week with new hardware. That's Cali. to Fla. and back! Don't know why yours is so screwed up. Maybe they just plain lost the thing.


<font color=green> AMD- Intel's choice for Best CPU manufacturer </font color=green>