Just had a nice hour long talk with Level 2 regarding 9c.17.00

I had nothing to do this afternoon, so like most normal people I called Gateway a few dozen times until I could get them to transfer me to Level 2 without any questions as to why I needed to talk with them.

I finally got to talk to Scott. And we had a nice long chat. Few things I learned...

• Nowhere in their system does .17 exist yet.
• He has no clue how that's possible if the 7808u and other 78 models are being released with it loaded.
• As we all know, Wistron's FTP does not have it up yet, but he says to keep checking it.
• He sent a request to Software Engineering and Development for an ETA or to release it to the website if it's done.

He said it's quite common for support documents and software to arrive to the site and tech systems 1-3months after it's been released to manufacturing.

He did however confirm that the boards in all the 78 series are the same (Code Named "Godzilla") except for the minor fact the 7811 only has 512MB gRAM.

Now if anyone on here has 9c.16 or 9c.17, it would be wonderful if you use E-Wrecked's guide to extract it and to share with us. This is a huge update with features that a lot of us have been waiting close to a year for.

 

Also, I know that E-Wrecked will eventually wander in here. Is there any word from Maggie yet?

 

Thank you for the update, plus rep.

 

I wonder if Gateway is even aware of how popular the P-78xx notebooks are.

 

You mentioned "7811 only has 512MB gRAM". Let's say we have the 9c.17.00 bios available--would this have a different effect on the P-7811 FX models, as compared to other P-78xx models?

 

I don't think it will make a difference. It's the video card drivers that matter in that case. Besides, haven't all the updates so far been compatible w/ every laptop in the 78 line?

E-Wrecked is still working on getting .17 too. He told me he called them up already, but unfortunately got stuck talking to a moron. So maybe today he'll have better luck.

 

I still say, even though the MB in the 7808u is identified as the same as in previous 78XX models, I would bet there was a minor revision to it to allow Quad support outside of just a BIOS upgrade.

 

So.. I called and spoke with Level 2 yesterday. I was put in touch with a guy I had spoken with previously(don't think he remembered me but he DID remember that way back someone told him there was a Jap version with RAId(that was me)). I used the reasoning that If I have the 9c.05.00 BIOS which doesn't support RAID(valid reason to request a new BIOS)then they should provide me the update. This was the same guy who told me the FX isn't advertised as having RAID setup(I agreed cause that would take 2 hard drives to advertise that way). And he tells me the same thing I heard from him before, "From the info I have, only the ICHM8 chipset is RAID compatible." To which I replied, then no 7k series supports RAID? Because none use that chipset, they all use ICHM9-e. Oh, as a matter of fact.. all of the Montevina platforms use ICH9 or 10 - so..you're saying that neither of those support RAID? He said..only some of the FX were shipped supporting RAID, and that a BIOS(if available) would not enable it. I had to correct him, and he just kept repeating himself about "from the info I have"... So I kept educating him on how his info was outdated. Long story short, he was not helpful. This is the same idiot I dealt with previously, and had to talk to a few people there before I finally found one who was intelligent. Back then, the guy who eventually helped me out even told me this Aaron guy is an idiot. lol - hopefully he'll find this thread one day.

side note: he wouldn't give me his managers' email(i understand), or the corporate mailing address, or transfer me to his superior, or admit ANYTHING wrong with the 9c.05.00 BIOS, or confirm they have a R&D dept(who provided BIOS last time), he was a script reader with better scripts. Oh, and when asking about updating the BIOS after I made it clear the one for the 6k FX isnt compatible.. He said I could update via the manufacturer of the motherboards website. When I asked who that was, he then continued into rambling about it voiding the warranty.. and I was like, so if I'm fine with that then who manufactures it? He then changed the story to how they cant endorse voiding the warranty.. (then why the hell did you ever even mention it?) Well, I'll tell you why.. he thought it would turn me away. But Gateway is listed as the MFR of the board. lol - anyhow.. those folks half- know what they're talking about.

Anyhow, I'll call again soon. Just keepin yall informed.

 

Wow, that would have ended with me either:

A> Snapping the phone in two

B> Putting my hand through a wall


lol, excellent patience man.

 

or

C> Peeing on the handset.


(Sometimes it just seems like the thing to do.)

 

I considered option C but I thought it inappropriate at work.

The guy was a bit frustrating, but I'm sure I frustrated him much more just because I wasn't one of those people who just nods and agrees. *shrugs* Its whatever.

 

Plus C would affect you more than it would affect him.

Now if only liquids could be transmitted via phone lines.

 

If there was a way to extract the bios from the board I would be willing to do it.

 

I just really hate people who read from the book.....seriously. They might as well put the book online for us to read it ourselves.

 

Well there is following your scope of support and then there is going by the book. Obviously we can tell a script reader but I do this type of work all the time and I try to follow our scope of support. I give a lot of leniency to different people when working on the phone. I wish all companies could do that but I don't know of many at all.