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Off Topic => Engineering => Topic started by: Nemesis on August 29, 2007, 05:28:50 am

Title: Acer to acquire Gateway
Post by: Nemesis on August 29, 2007, 05:28:50 am
Link to full article (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6965520.stm)

Quote
The takeover will create the world's third largest producer of personal computers, with shipments of more than 20 million PCs and sales of $15bn.

The deal may also see Acer try to block Chinese rival Lenovo from buying Packard Bell's operations in Europe.

Gateway has said it wants to buy Packard Bell under a 2006 first refusal deal agreed with its owner, John Hui.


Title: Re: Acer to acquire Gateway
Post by: Centurus on August 29, 2007, 07:17:21 am
I remember at one time Gateways were the worst computers around.  Buy one and you were guaranteed to have several major system failures within 6 months.  Don't hear too much about that stuff concerning Gateway systems anymore.  I hear Acer has always been a very good computer brand. 
Title: Re: Acer to acquire Gateway
Post by: Dash Jones on August 29, 2007, 08:42:11 am
Has it?  I hear they are a bargain computer brand right now...even more so than Gateway or Emachines EVER were.  Kind of wierd...Gateway/Emachines were selling better than Acer a little while ago, I suppose the deals Acer has with Walmart are helping it do better?  Interesting turn of events however.
Title: Re: Acer to acquire Gateway
Post by: Nemesis on August 29, 2007, 09:43:39 am
I'm no expert on Acer but as I understand it for a long time they have been an OEM supplier to many other companies.  Their own brand isn't yet that well known in North America but they are much bigger than they may seem.  My laptop (bought Dec 05) is an Acer and I'm quite pleased with it. 

Title: Re: Acer to acquire Gateway
Post by: Centurus on August 29, 2007, 09:54:34 am
I'm no expert on Acer but as I understand it for a long time they have been an OEM supplier to many other companies.  Their own brand isn't yet that well known in North America but they are much bigger than they may seem.  My laptop (bought Dec 05) is an Acer and I'm quite pleased with it. 



I've seen Acer brand systems on the market since at least 2001.  Granted, they were never really advertised, but I had seen them.  I know they're not the greatest systems in the world, but from what little I have heard, they used to be a good buy and reliable systems, as I said before. 
Title: Re: Acer to acquire Gateway
Post by: Dash Jones on August 29, 2007, 09:29:22 pm
Hmm, I've had one or two.  They've been around since at least the early to mid 90s.  They are a brand, but not as big as say, IBM or Dell IMO.

They're computer quality isn't good at all.  Anyone who thinks Dell uses cheap parts...or even thinks Emachines or Gateway used cheap parts...haven't seen an ACER.  ACER uses the cheapest parts on the market, cheap enough to make a Gateway seem like the Rolls Royce compared to the Toyota Civic.  Yep, that drastic.

Somewhat comparable to the Evergreen brands iMO.  They sell to the guys who can't afford any better, and if you want to game on their machines...good luck, hope you don't have anything over 3 years old...

As you can tell...I'm NOT impressed by ACER comparatively to some other brands.  For the prices, they are decent however.  Don't try to upgrade them though.
Title: Re: Acer to acquire Gateway
Post by: FCM_SFHQ_XC on August 29, 2007, 09:33:11 pm
I remember at one time Gateways were the worst computers around. Buy one and you were guaranteed to have several major system failures within 6 months. Don't hear too much about that stuff concerning Gateway systems anymore. I hear Acer has always been a very good computer brand.
All my previous computers have been gateways from Windows 95 till now.. never once had a prob, and infact.. my old Windows 95 box still works, and there hasnt been a need to replace any parts in it.
This deal should bring some benefit to Gateway though as they have sort of gone off the grid compared to Dell etc.
Title: Re: Acer to acquire Gateway
Post by: Panzergranate on August 31, 2007, 12:49:02 am
I ran a slave computer, a few years ago, using a 5 x 5 Inch ACER 386-33 embedded PC board. No problems ever with it!!

So, as Gateway owns AMIGA then this must mean that ACER now owns AMIGA??!!

We have a GATEWAY P4 in the house elsewhere and it runs fine. Very easy to work on and fit cards, memeory, etc., unlike some brands which require serious screw driver, swearing and the removal of the power supply to fit extra memory.

The only other manufacturer I've come across, other than GATEWAY, that has a quick strip down design is NCR witha similar single knurled bolt, just like GATEWAY.