Yeah, I like the Dell boxes, but I've just had such horrible experience with their sales and customoer service areas. I couldn't tell from their documentation whether paying for the extended warranty meant that it was a higher tier, and thereby getting someone who spoke English, and is qualified, or if it just meant longer coverage. I went with the eMachine because it had more features/power than that particular Dell machine, and everyone I've talked to said Gateway's CS is decent. Which in today's world, is about all you can hope for it seems.

>I've been buying Dell laptops for the last 4 or 5 years. For the most part, they're pretty reliable.
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>I get the onsite warranty and their service is excellent. I fried my laptop speakers somehow (a lot of static in the house and I heard it go nuts when I plugged in external speakers one day). I could get NO sound at all. I hate when that happens. <g> I got a guy come out to my office the day after I called them (he would've come to my home if I had been working home that day too) and within a half hour he had replaced the speakers on the motherboard and all was fixed and it didn't cost me nuttin'!! Yay! I liked that.
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>~~Bonnie
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>>Helping someone with a very limited budget pick out a PC for home. It will be used mostly by one of their kids who are in high school. I've pretty much narrowed it down to either the Dell Diminsion 2400 ( http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,115403,00.asp ) or the eMachine T6520 ( http://reviews.cnet.com/eMachines_T6520_Media_Center_PC/4505-3118_7-31466280-2.html?tag=tab ) by Gateway. The eMachine has a lot more power and bang for the buck, but how is Gateway for support etc? Whichever one I go with, I'm including the 3 year onsite warranty. I absolutely hate Dell's customer service, but I do like their boxes. I have no hard experience with Gateway.
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>>Any recommendations?