Melançon Enterprises  Publish > Academic > Computer Ordering Online > Gateway

Gateway

www.gateway.com

3 clicks to start the buying process.

Selection / Customization process

Product Clarity: Low. 

Price Clarity: Good.  Components priced relatively.

Speed: Slow.  Graphics-heavy, complex pages took a while to load (and it’s their server that’s the problem, not UMass’s ethernet!)

Range / Power: Moderate. 

Notes

Gateway has the same more or less inane division into Home & Home Office, Small & Mid-Sized Businesses, Large Businesses, Government, Education, (... and Accessories) as all the other big-name PC sites, including the bifurcation of another method of entrance at Desktops, Notebooks, etc.

Not quite enough product information is provided.  The model names are just numbers, and although the specifications are there description or explanation is not.

The now familiar “customization”: a few choices each (two, three, or four options) for processor, hard drive, case, etc.  Gateway has more choice for the monitor.  Then comes a whole page of recommended peripherals (mostly printers).  Last is a page devoted to a confusing array of deals on software packages.  All of this is in the plus/minus $x format.

Clicking the “add to cart” button brought up an annoying last-minute pop-up ad pushing a handful of accessories.

In short, Gateway does not provide enough guidance on selecting a computer and is slower, more awkward, and more annoying in the customization and buying process.

Problems

Good Features

Created 2003 February 23 ,,, Updated 2003 March 14