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Rating: 
Summary: Awesome PC
Review: All I can say is I love It!
I'd give it 10 stars if I could.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty Good
Review: I bought this a couple of months ago, and at first, got a lemon. It crashed continuously, and when I was on the phone with the tech guy "Larry" (who was obviously in India), it crashed when scanning the disk for errors. And the tech guy offered extremely simple advice that most people with any kind of computer experience would've tried before calling.However, my replacement has been relatively pain-free. The only problem was that it crashed when I was trying to install the software for Verizon DSL service. You may run into problems there as Verizon said it was a problem with the system registry of the PC (I did manage a way to get around the problem and am happily using DSL today). A primary reason for buying this computer was for its DVD-burning capability, and for the possibility of capturing VHS tapes onto the computer, and creating DVDs out of them. I was under the impression that I would be able to plug my VCR directly into the computer and capture the video into the computer and create DVDs. You can't do that however. You can plug the VCR into the 610XL, and watch the video in the media center under the gaming device section, but why anybody with a TV would do that is beyond me, as the video shows in a small 3X4" window. Converting VHS to DVD requires a capture device (I suggest the Canopus ADVC-100), and some editing software (ULead Video Studio 7.0 SE and DVD Movie Factory 2.0 have done the job for me). That means an extra $400. The documentation/instruction booklet is not that great. It spends an inordinate amount of time discussing the TIVO-like qualities of this computer, which unfortunately at this time I'm not using. But I can't imagine a better, more compact PC for my purposes (Video capturing/editing, DVD burning) than this machine.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty Good
Review: I bought this a couple of months ago, and at first, got a lemon. It crashed continuously, and when I was on the phone with the tech guy "Larry" (who was obviously in India), it crashed when scanning the disk for errors. And the tech guy offered extremely simple advice that most people with any kind of computer experience would've tried before calling. However, my replacement has been relatively pain-free. The only problem was that it crashed when I was trying to install the software for Verizon DSL service. You may run into problems there as Verizon said it was a problem with the system registry of the PC (I did manage a way to get around the problem and am happily using DSL today). A primary reason for buying this computer was for its DVD-burning capability, and for the possibility of capturing VHS tapes onto the computer, and creating DVDs out of them. I was under the impression that I would be able to plug my VCR directly into the computer and capture the video into the computer and create DVDs. You can't do that however. You can plug the VCR into the 610XL, and watch the video in the media center under the gaming device section, but why anybody with a TV would do that is beyond me, as the video shows in a small 3X4" window. Converting VHS to DVD requires a capture device (I suggest the Canopus ADVC-100), and some editing software (ULead Video Studio 7.0 SE and DVD Movie Factory 2.0 have done the job for me). That means an extra $400. The documentation/instruction booklet is not that great. It spends an inordinate amount of time discussing the TIVO-like qualities of this computer, which unfortunately at this time I'm not using. But I can't imagine a better, more compact PC for my purposes (Video capturing/editing, DVD burning) than this machine.
Rating: 
Summary: Love/hate relationship.
Review: I bought this system about four months ago and I agree with a lot of the reviews I've read, both with the positive and the negative. If you're looking for a compact system that does a lot this is it, but keep that in mind in practical terms as well. This is a small unit but also very powerfull, and it requires a lot of "juice." I would advise anyone who'll be using it often to buy a UPS (power supply) if they don't have one already. For $50-$100 they can be life-savers, especially if you're like me and have the AC going a lot. It's also rather fragile because of how compact it is, so if you have young kids be carefull, especially with the DVD drive. The last drawback is upgrading, people should know that the 610 is not user upgradeable, or at least not for the average home user. You'll have to send it into Gateway to add more memory. As others have said though, the size and the picture can't be beat. There's one wire to worry about, and that's a major victory in itself. I wish Gateway would be more lenient as far as allowing customers to configure their own systems (see the upgrade issue) like Dell and HP are, but neither of them offer anything comparable to the 610 yet. I really wish this type of system was around when I was in College, it's a bit expensive, but it's the dream system for any dorm.
Rating:
Summary: Great PC; Little Regret
Review: I bought this unit probably about six months ago. At first, I must admit I was nervous about the purchase. At $2,000, it wasn't cheap and being a poor worker drone, it was a big decision to go with Gateway--a company on the verge of becoming bankrupt with a bad reputation. Gateway bought E-machines and the stock dived and the numerous reviews of the company as a whole stuck at a variety of online stores. But, this was before I bought the beautiful, sleek 610XL.
I was captivated by its compact design at first sight. And all the capabilities it had..wow! It was only after I bought it that I started to worry.
Turns out, I worried needlessly. Yeah, since I bought the PC, Gateway closed all its brick-and-mortar stores which is kind of worrying since the 3 yr warranty that comes with it might be moot if the whole company goes under. But, the customer service I have had with it since is encouraging. My brother loaded some software on it that killed it and it wouldn't turn on but the guy I called was wonderful. They shipped me the box to ship it back in two days and I got the computer back fixed and in tip top shape within a week. Can't beat that.
All in all, a good buy..if only I had waited to buy it =( It's now priced at 1,699 at Gateway I believe.
Good:
+ Awesome screen - it's like a little TV
+ Powerful PC - works great with Cable internet
+ Compact, sleek, space-saving design
+ Good warranty
Bad
- Awful manual that does not even begin to help you explore what this PC can do
- Awful customer support on software questions --like figuring out how to use the capablities of the PC such as recording VHS to DVD which it can do but I haven't figured out how)
- Wireless keyboard and mouse's range is limited -- more like 2 feet rather than the advertised 6 feet
- CD and DVD writer inexplicably fails from time to time wasting CD or DVD discs
Rating:
Summary: Great all-in-one media center!
Review: I purchased this pc, even though some of the reviews have been less than stellar. Going with the Gateway name along with some very glowing reviews I decided to take the plunge and I can say that it has lived up to my expectations so far. And for the TV quality, I can say from experience, that in general TV quality over cable to LCD displays isn't that good unless an HDTV tuner is used. I have had three lcd TVs now, and I can say the 610xl is on par or better than all of them. No regrets so far!
Rating:
Summary: Great for college
Review: This computer is just amazing. I got it about a week ago and I love how I can watch TV and use the TiVo like features that it offers. It's so simple and convenient because there's 1 cord!!!! (Unless if you add the cable TV cord too). The specs on it are great for gaming, although if you are a hardcore gamer it might be a turnoff because upgrading it requires you to send it in, although with 128 megs of video and the other great specs you won't need another computer for a long time. The wide screen I'm adjusting to for gaming because it stretches out everything just a bit although it's not too noticeable. It's great for watching DVDs though. This computer basically can serve as everything: as radio, cd player, dvd player, and gaming system. I bought a Logitech Mx900 because the supplied mouse is ok but I need the extra features of the Logitech, although the standard keyboard is great.
Rating: 
Summary: Looks Great Is Great But Beware of Many Headaches
Review: This gateway is everything you imagined and more. As long as you take a couple advils, you might be fine. A couple of things to watch out for, you must have a high speed internet. The computer will go crazy on you if you lose connection or your modem or hub acts funny. Within the second day, I witness the blue screen of death. Second the YES network doesnt' work, they must be mets fans. Also, customer support was terrible, they told me to shutt off my machine and run a wizard to correct my problem, and then THEY HUNG UP ON ME! I don't think Windows XP technology is ready quite yet. Also, the great dvd burner and cd drive is LOUD, very annoying. We returned this great system, just give it time, because it is a dream system to have. You can really record your own dvds so create your own dvd series of such great shows.
Rating:
Summary: Great PC, some disadvantages
Review: This is a great PC. It sports 200 Gigs of hard drive space which once you start recording shows, is not excessive at all. It also has a TV tuner and PVR, which enables you to record shows, but the quality isn't as good as a standalone TV, even when you set it to best. Another thing is that even though is has a 7200 rpm hard drive, 1/2 GB of RAM, and a 3 gHz processer, the computer gets slowed down after on the computer for hours and if stuff is being downloaded or tv is being recorded, the computer easily slows down. The burning software is good for Audio and Data CDs but not for Video CDs and DVDs. You can't create interactive menus and often times, the disc can get messed up for whatever reason. All in all, this is one of the best PC for a cramped space with the convienience of laptops and the power, RAM, and hard drive of a desktop, this is a great PC if you have limited space or you're short on cash. For $2,000, it's not cheap, but considered its specs, it's pretty cheap compared to other PCs that have that power, hard drive, and features.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific computer
Review: This is my 5th Gateway computer,and I didn't quite know what to expect ,but,being an electronics freak,I dove in and it is a wonderful computer.I record tv shows,then burn them to dvd.I can do a million tasks with this computer and it never slows down.The huge HD has enabled me to store a lot of photos for burning to a disc,and all of my cameras and mp3 players and printers install quickly and perfectly.
The display is great.The audio is as well,but you cannot tweak it.
I also like the fact that it is fairly portable,and I can hook it up in any room.I use a cable-modem and the combination of that and the sweet screen ia gorgeous.
I did have a problem with the hard drive after about 6 months,but GW,as usual,fixed it without any hassle,and it has run perfectly since.BTW: I think the computer has crashed only once in the year I have had it,so I am definitely a fan of WinXP.
I will probably always go with GW because over the course of the last 10 years,they have always been very gracious when I started out asking newbie questions,and to this day,they remain helpful and thorough.
If you have never given GW a try,do it.I still love them after 10 years.Maybe you can find one of these Media Center computers for sale by a private seller.
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