Gateway Computers making a comeback at Walmart

[britechguy]

I only heard about this on one of the blind tech groups I'm on two days ago. I see it was announced last fall:

We found out who makes Walmart's new Gateway laptops, and ... (Arstechnica)​

Gateway Computers To Make Return At Walmart, Complete With ...(Ugh, Forbes, which it pains me to ever make reference to when it comes to technology)​

 

[Porthos]

Of course, there will be the ones who get these.

11.6" FHD Ultra Slim GWTN116-1BL	AMD A4-9120e	4GiB	64GB	$180
11.6" FHD 2-in-1 Convertible GWTC116-1PR	Intel Celeron N3350	4GiB	64GB	$200

Not looking forward to a 64 gig system thats Win 11 MINIUM for install.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

OMG! Memories of those boxes back in the early Pentium days! White boxes with the black splotches to make it look like a cow!

They weren't bad computers back then. One of the early brands to start using those Imation LS120 SuperDisk...which was competition for the Iomega Zip Drives....but Iomega seems to win the popularity contest back then.

Sad to see the name return under such a horribly cheap new product lineup.

 

[River Valley Computer]

OMG! Memories of those boxes back in the early Pentium days! White boxes with the black splotches to make it look like a cow!

They weren't bad computers back then. One of the early brands to start using those Imation LS120 SuperDisk...which was competition for the Iomega Zip Drives....but Iomega seems to win the popularity contest back then.

Sad to see the name return under such a horribly cheap new product lineup.

Yes Gateway was the cat's meow back in the day. I know Ted Waitt personally. I taught him calculus in college. I sold his computers when I opened my first computer store in Omaha, NE in the 90s. He loved his company and refused to allow his stock holders pressure him to have the computers built overseas. In 2005 he resigned from the CEO of Gateway because of it. I had lunch with him the year before he resigned and he said if they continued to push him he's out. The rest is history - he had great pride in his South Sioux City, Iowa cow logo and quality of computers he built. He was from the farm. Great guy and a true American. I bet he is very angered to have junk like this bear the Gateway name.

 

[britechguy]

I bet he is very angered to have junk like this bear the Gateway name.

I would be, too. But, if you make the decision to take any company public, you really are no longer in control. And in this day and age where "shareholder value" is the one and only thing that's thought to matter, you're in even worse shape.

I hope, eventually, we do make our way back to what academics now call "stakeholder value" where it's not just the shareholders, but the employees, the communities in which a given business is doing business, and more all factor in to the decision-making process. We really, really need to get away from the endless cycle of, "What did you do for me this quarter?," being the only thing that matters. It's had a hugely destructive effect on American business which, even prior to the worship of shareholder value, was not the best at long term planning.

But, if you want to control your company, you don't go public.