Just ordered the NEW M680X 17" WSXGA

Well I decided to go for it and purchase my first Gateway!

Here is what I ordered:

M680
1.8 Ghz P-M
512MB DDR2 400Mhz Memory (Will sell and swap out for 1GB of 533Mhz)
60GB 7200rpm HD
Wireless a/b/g Card
128MB ATI x700 Video
17.0" WSXGA Widescreen Ultrabright Glossy High Contrast Display
8x DVD+-RW Dual Layer Burner
8-Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Windows XP Pro (Although I have it so I need to subtract another 80.00 for Home)
1 year On-Site with Advatage Accidental Warranty
M680 Port Replicator with extra AC Adapter

Retail before Taxes runs about $2225.00

I was able to get them to apply a discount of $225 to match Dells Coupon for the 9300 as best they good which gets me the above system for $2000.00 even out the door since I had it shipped to my Grandma in Vegas in order to avoid taxes.

I think I can get it for about $1920.00 with XP Home after all is said and done with that too.

If anyone gets to use one before me, let me know! If not I will post a review! I'm just hoping the screen is better than Dells... I like the idea of a 17" SWXGA glossy better already! [ ]

 

Hi , how did you manage to get a price match ?

Looking forward to a review in regards to quality , noise , heat .

 

That Gateway M680 does look pretty cool, but since it's so new I haven't heard what it's like from anyone that's had direct experience. There is another forum member that purchased this laptop and he should be working on a review too once he gets the laptop!

DigitalCameraReview.com | BargainPDA.com | TabletPCReviewSpot.com

 

Abaxter, do you know whom the other member is that bought one?

I hope to report on it as soon as I take possession

I was able to get a price match because Gateway will take any business away from Dell if they can and still make a profit on the system. Since I was able to pit the 9300 as the competition against the M680 directly and tell Gateway I can get a Dell 17" system with a higher end graphics card, and higher resolution screen for cheaper after coupon, they came around to seeing it my way

 

It's me! I bought the notebook by surprize actually. I entered a sales chat to ask a few questions and I was also offered a significant discount. I chatted for about an hour and figured I might like the Gateway better than the Dell, so I bought it. Mine came to $1501 shipped with a 1.6GHz cpu, 1GB RAM, DVD burner, WSXGA+ screen, 60GB 7200RPM, 12 cell battery. Perhaps I too should have gone for the lower RAM with intent to upgrade, but one thing I've noticed on my Dell is the memory is about the only place that generates heat. I wonder how much more power 533MHz RAM draws, and what the performance gain is? I always go for minimal waranty because my credit card doubles the basic year, plus adds some level of accidental damage coverage.

My ETA is the 13th. I look forward to writing a review!

inspiron 9300
1.6GHz
1GB DDR2
X300 128mb
DVD DL

 

I too am looking at this notebook. I am looking forward to your review/pictures fsacj [ ]

 

fsacj , DDR2 suposes to be more economic because its 1.8V vs. 2.5V , this could lead to lower heat and explain the minimal performence jump compared to the slower DDR , but I'm no expert .

Unfortuntly I wasn't offered such a good deal , maybe because I asked for one ? ;-)

Anyway looking forward to your review , about build quality , noise , sound and heat , as well if the case is partlly magnesium alloy like the sales chat rep described ( he called it "metal" ) .

 

Just talk to a sales rep on the phone or online. Here's how it went for me: I configured the machine online for about $1750, and then I told the Sales rep what I wanted. He asked if I would consider purchasing that night and I told him only if the price was significantly better than online. The sales rep said he could do it for $1525. I was surprized so I had him list everything that was included. It turned out he left out the 1024 megs of ram, since I listed 512x2 I suppose. So he included that $135 upgrade for no extra charge. Then I asked for a better deal and he said he could knock it down to $1501 shipped. He was a very cheesy saleman and tried to say everything possible to tell me I was getting an amazing deal, but I still feel I got a pretty good deal.

I probably could have gotten a better deal, even though he pulled the whole "I have to talk to my boss" bit, etc. It's like buying a car. The best thing to do is leave or say you'll come back or call back or whatever. I didn't do that because I don't really like splitting hairs.

inspiron 9300
1.6GHz
1GB DDR2
X300 128mb
DVD DL

 

Hey fsacj,

Sounds like we both got very similar deals. My system prices out online to be $2163. My saleswoman was actually very friendly and knowledgeable (even flirty), and she knocked off $262 to bring my total to $1921.

I figured too I probably could have gotten maybe another $40 bucks, but didn't push it too much because I actually ended up ordering the system the DAY it came out on the website So no complaints here.

Luckily I was also able to avoid tax.
I will post a review as soon as I get mine too.. it's supposed to ship next week supposedly.

 

I noticed Gateway has a couple promotions that seem to come and go that we missed. One was a free CPU upgrade to 1.73GHz and one was free shipping. Also, the CPU seems to be upgradable. Everything is under a user accesable panel, unlike my dell. To upgrade the CPU you have to open the entire case.

Look here: http://support.gateway.com/s/Mobile/Gateway/M680/3400467faq11.shtml

inspiron 9300
1.6GHz
1GB DDR2
X300 128mb
DVD DL

 

Sup guys!

I'm glad to say i just purchased a Gateway M680 myself. I'm pretty excited. I've been a desktop guy for quite a few years now, but i'm glad to be going mobile. I went with the M680S and upgraded fairly significantly to:

-1 GB of memory
-128 MB video card
-80 GB hard drive
-Up to microsoft word basic(my university then upgrades me to pro for a mere $8 bucks!)
-12 cell lithium battery

My total came to $1850, i didn't get offered some of the good discounts you fellas got!

Can anyone tell me what i can expect from the battery life on that 12 cell? I have no clue what to expect since i have been desktop my whole life. Any nuggets of insight would be great!

Mine is scheduled to arrive on the 19th, can't wait!

RJ

 

The sales rep I talked to said 4.5 hours on the 12 cell. I have no idea if this is accurate, but I get 3 hours easy on my 17" dell with a 6-cell battery that is barely over half the capacity of the Gateway 12 cell. I wonder if the Gateway's screen uses a lot more power to have more even brightness at off-center viewing angles. That's what I'm hoping for anyway.



inspiron 9300
1.6GHz
1GB DDR2
X300 128mb
DVD DL

 

Hey FSACJ,

Actually, I did get the free shipping promo, so that was cool. Didnt see any CPU upgrade Promo though. I got the 1.86 anyway.

 

Ahh, no free shipping to Alaska



inspiron 9300
1.6GHz
1GB DDR2
X300 128mb
DVD DL

 

I just ordered the M680 last night(4/14) and thought some of you might like to here my experience with Gateway. Okay, so here are my specs:

1.7 Ghz P-M
512MB DDR2 400Mhz Memory (possibly in a single DIMM)
80GB 5400rpm HD
Wireless b/g Card
128MB ATI x700 Video
17.0" WXGA TFT Active Matrix
8x DVD+-RW Burner
8-Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Windows XP Home
3 Year Warranty Parts/Labor/NoOnsite

I was originally planning on going with the M460XL, but I thought I would call and see what kind of deal I could get on the M680 since it had the larger screen and nicer graphics card. I spoke with a man named Gabriel who was pretty cool. I told him my budget was $1650, and that I realized the M680 was over my budget, but that I wanted to know if Gateway offered any kind of student discount that might get the notebook closer to my price range. Anyways, after some bargaining, he told me he could get it to my door for $1740 (orginal price $2100+). Even after getting this sweet notebook within $90 dollars of my budget, I still played hard-to-get and said I was going to have to think on it, because I was already pushing my budget to the extreme After a few days, he left me a message wanting me to call him, so I did and we worked out a price of $1701, and I accepted. So I hope my experience might help you out some, because Gateway will definately work with you on the price if you just try a little.

Some side notes: You might thing I'm stupid for going with the 3-year warranty, but it was very improtant to me to go that route because my last notebook, a Sony GRV680, fried on me at the 13th month ($800 repair which I refused to do), which completely devastated me. He also put a special note on the order to have the 512MB ram to be on a single DIMM, which was no guarantee, but worth a shot. Also, choosing between the 80GB 5400rpm and the 60GB 7200rpm was a tough call to make, but eventually chose more storage space over a faster drive because I knew I would be needing the extra space for all the video editing I do.

 

Hey Zecob,

Thanks for the informative post! A few quick questions for you though.

1) Do you mind sharing your sales person Gabriels extension or email? If you dont want it made public, can you Private Message it to me?

2) WHat is your ship and arrivate dates for the notebook? I'm curious to see what Gateway quoted you on time of arrival.

Any and all info you can provide is truly appreciated!

Thanks!

 

HKINGS,

Thank you for your original post; it is the main reason I thought I'd give Gateway another call to see how much they would knock off the M680. Like I said, the guy's name is Gabriel. I don't know his email, but you can call him directly by calling 1-800-846-2036 and dialing his extension # 53243. I don't know the ship date but the estimated arrival is 4/28, but Gabriel said that most orders arrive earlier than that. Does anybody else out there actually have this notebook yet? I'm just curious to see what people have to say about it!

 

Gateway messed up and tried charging me for two computers. The deal was, i called in to change shipping to 2 day fedex from regular ground, and they made out a whole new order number. I'm currently in the process of trying to get it cancelled. What a crock.

 

Hey Zecob,

really interesting contribution. I am also student, so you can imagine how tight my budget is. Can you add to forum contact to Gabriel, or send it to me by email?

Thanks a lot.

JJ

 

Hey Zecob,

You have added a really good contribution. It is a cool laptop. I would like to buy the same, but I am also student, so you can easily imagine, how tight my budget is. Can you add contact to your sale advisor Gabriel, or can you send it to me by email?

Thanks a lot.

JJ

 

I don't know Gabriel's email, but you can call Gateway's 1800 number (1-800-846-2036) and dial his extension # 53243 to speak with him directly. More than likely he will be talking to somebody on the other line, so just leave him a voicemail and what time would be appropriate for him to call you back. Gabriel is a pretty cool guy, we talked a little bit about Half-Life 2 and Sin City, but don't let his coolness fool you.... he is definately a salesman. My first suggestion would be just to call and ask about any student discounts, because you have a very limited budget. He will then ask what that budget is, so I would suggest to tell him your budget is $50-100 lower than what it really is... just to give you a little playing room. I told him my budget was $1600, then after a while I told him the absolute highest I could go is $1650. The important thing to remember is not to be afraid to walk away. Throw out how you can configure a Dell 9300 with similar speaks for a little less than the Gateway M680. BUT DO NOT make the same mistake I made and tell him you would prefer to go Gateway over Dell (I personally think Dells are fugly), because that let him know I was bluffing and only using Dell has a threat. I would instead suggest that you tell him you've narrowed your choices down to Dell and Gateway and now you are just seeing who will give you the best price for performance. (side note: Dell will usually come out cheaper once you apply the $750 coupon, but as I said earlier, I don't like Dell. But it might be worth your while to check out the Dell 9300).

Now when I threw out the Dell threat he went into all kinds of reasons why Gateway was better, such as how their tech support was based in the U.S. and that Dell was the #2 outsourcing company of tech support blah blah blah.......then he said something like "now if you had the choice, wouldn't you prefer to support an American based company?" What a shameless way of using someone's pride as an American against them. It is also ironic that once I finally did make the purchase, he told me how Gateway's notebooks were actually built across seas and then shipped to America.

During our first conversation on the phone, Gabriel got the price down to $1740 shipped to my door (taxes, 3 year warranty included). I told him that really was a great price on the notebook and that I appreciate him talking to his boss so he could get the price that low, BUT that I was not joking when I said I couldn't push my budget any further than $1650 (which in reality, I had the money, but I just wanted to play hard to get). So I told him I was going to have to think about it and that if I couldn't come up with the money that I would have to instead go with the M460XL (with similar specs, I got a quote of around $1550 shipped to my door - another option you might want to consider). Gabriel told me that this deal was a one day thing only, and that if I wanted the notebook at this low price, I would need to make a decision today. So we set up a meeting over the phone later that night.... he called, I didn't answer. He called again a couple of days later and left another message saying he has a few question from our last conversation he wanted to ask me. I decided to call him back.... he didn't have any particular questions for me like he said on the answering machine (just wanted me to call him back). Ended up, that the "this is a one day only sale" deal was a load of B.S., because he was still willing to give me the same price. We talked for a while. I still held my ground on the $1650 budget until he put me on hold so he could talk to his boss one last time. He came back saying "wow, this is simply amazing. I can't believe he's going this low. Right now, I can have it to your door for $1701. This is a phenomenal deal. Surely, you're ready to buy the notebook now, aren't you?" I made up some story about how I'd bum some money off somebody and decided to purchase it that night.

Some other things: Gabriel will try his hardest to pressure you into buying now and not later. He told me the price without the 3-year warranty (which was well below my budget) and suggested the we go on and buy the notebook right now and that I could always add the warranty later as long as it is within a year (he even said he'd give me a good deal on the 3 year warranty later).

Also, if you don't want the 3 year warranty AND you live somewhere where you would not have to pay taxes, you're looking at around $300 off from what I payed for mine. That would bring this sweet notebook down to $1400!!!

Anyways, hope some of you have similar success with Gateway. Keep the forum alive and post your own stories.

 

I just wanted to point out that I think your experience will be identical regardless of who you talk to. These are simply trained salepeople. They use the same techniques for everyone.

Two things that are BS though: Talking to their boss and one day only deals. Keep this in mind.

Personally, I prefer to talk to someone who has direct authority to give me a deal. This is one of the most annoying sales techniques, and I prefer to turn it around and use it against them.

Remember, they don't just want to sell you something, they want to make you think you are getting a unique deal.

inspiron 9300
1.6GHz
1GB DDR2
X300 128mb
DVD DL

 

For the Politically Inclined

So whatever your political affiliation is, this might suade you to reconsider your purchases one way or the other. Anyway, don't flame my for free speech (my intention is merely to educate)

DISCLAIMER: I strongly disagree with the current white house administration on everthing from the Iraq (NOT Afganistan) war to healthcare to corporate payoffs and general lack of accountability for their collossal mistakes.

For all the Dell Buyers out there, you should understand that Dell is on of the REDDEST companies out there (right up there with Walmart and Home Depot). Now as far as I know Dell treats their workers MUCH better than Walmart (I assume they get SOME SORT OF healthcare coverage), and they don't use illegal immigrants at $1/hr to clean up their warehouses.

Dell, Inc.
"Dell currently has a 12% BuyBlue rating due to political contributions for the 2003-2004 election cycle. Dell's exuctives and particularly Dell's founder and chairman Michael Dell contributed heavily and almost exclusively to Republican politicians in the 2003-2004 election cycle. Dell also has a political action committee which contributed $97,888 (29.00% D, 71.00% R) during the last election."
http://www.buyblue.org/detail.php?corpId=87
(the website actually has copies of FEC reports if you really want some hard facts)

ON THE OTHER HAND
Gateway, Inc.
"Gateway currently has a 84% BuyBlue rating due to political contributions for the 2003-2004 election cycle. Gateway's key executives contributed solidy and heavily Democratic in the past election cycle. Gateway also has a political action committee with a less than satisfactory donation record - $20,000 (28.00% Dem, 70.00% Rep)"
http://www.buyblue.org/detail.php?corpId=153


I would personally buy from Gateway, becuase they support my values (fairness/equality). I'm tired of buying cheap products from corporations (Walmart) that support wars of aggression and exploit their employees like a third world country.

And hey...If you're a staunch conservative, this might actually make you buy more Dell...who knows. Either way I'm all about educated consumerism.

 

This would be a great subject to continue in the "off topic" forum, but not here.

inspiron 9300
1.6GHz
1GB DDR2
X300 128mb
DVD DL

 

Everybody, please disregard the above post. The last thing we need is a political war IN A NOTEBOOK FORUM! "Dealfindr", you need to get a life; particularly one that does not involve this forum. Your comment is so absurd for a notebook forum, that I am going to have to fart in your general direction as well as blow my nose at you. Ni!

 

Just ordered mine. after about an hour on the phone, reminding them of Dell's current 25% the 6000 and 20% off the 9300, I ended up with:

M680
XP Pro
Office SBE
Ultrabright WSXGA
Pentium M 1.6
ATI 128 Video
40GB HD
512 RAM
DVD ROM/CD-RW
3 yr onsite warranty
Mobility Bundle (12 cell battery/extra adapter/case)

for $1820 pre-tax. Seems about on-par with other's experiences.

 

not to continue the political thread too long, but I got my shipment confirmation e-mail today from Gateway for my laptop. So I decided to check FedEx to see exactly where it was.

And to clarify in my dealings with Gateway they did make a big deal about their product being American as opposed to Dell's.

So where do you think my new laptop's origin location is?

"SHANGHAI CN "

another "made in America" myth debunked.