Propriotary hardware

Gallstaff

Established Member
Ice just told me that my old shitty gateway could not be updated with a new mobo becuase all the hardware used inside it will only fit in this specially deisgned gateway case. Is this true? I will hae to get all new parts and a new case if I want a computer that can be easily updated then?
 
As far as i know, yes. You can upgrade, but only directly from Gateway.... I would also think that there are other retailers that deal with proprietary and oem equipment.
 
Welcome to the wonderful world of brandname computers. The basic rule is that for 99% of computers that come with some sort of brandname you will not have an easy time upgrading them. The only notable exception to that is the recent DELL pc's which actually are quite nicely upgradeable. Depending on what you want to upgrade it may mean just buying a new case.
 
I think some Gateway models use standard cases, but it's probably only the (semi)custom ones rather than the retail ones...
 
evil packard bell welded the damned cpu to the socket i hate crazy glue hahaha and they rewrote the bios to only accept a certain config but other than that the thing is stock except have you ever seen simms dual linked to act like slow dimms. that is how cheap packard bell was. i am serious the chipset isn't compatible with simms HeH some very interesting wiring.
 
haha -- I remember Packard Bell
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I'm working on a older Compaq Presario right now -- man do those blow.

It's got like some huge, proprietary hard drive on the top of the case.

The it's got the power supply on the middle of the side of the case so you can't reach anything in the case.
 
I'll bet the new iMacs (with the LCD screen) are a total bitch to work with. You must need to disassemble the entire unit to do anything.
 
Haha you mean those little half circle ones? You're right, I can only imagine the weird-ass nazi parts they use in those.
 
Originally posted by Gallstaff@May 12, 2003 @ 12:23 AM

Haha you mean those little half circle ones? You're right, I can only imagine the weird-ass nazi parts they use in those.

They showed the insides at Tom's Hardware -- nothing too much worse than a laptop
 
I'm glad I don't deal with macs
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As a tech I see all different kinds of computer brands and some just boggle the mind as WTF were the computer designers thinking!?
 
What I never understand is why they DO make proprietary crap like this... You'd think using industry-standard, off-the-shelf components would be CHEAPER for them to do...
 
propriotory hardware does one thing it forces you to toss the comp and get a new one sorta like mac's hahaha. since you can't stick off the shelf stuff in it so they get you in the end and still make more money.
 
mac aren't THAT bad. (at least the powermacs)

at least you can upgrade the most common stuff like RAM, hard drive, video card, etc.
 
the regular Imacs are a bitch, too. I had to use a saw because one of the screw's heads was so weak it couldn't be opened (even tho it was the first time) and the harddisk barely fits into it's space.

But in response to the original question, some Gateways are pretty easy to upgrade. I have this G7-450 standing here, I replaced it's mobo several times (you need to alter the front panel connector a bit, but it's easy) and about everything in it is common. The CPU's fan is on the power supply, but that doesn't really matter as you can always install a new heatsink+fan. On the other hand, I had another Gateway, a 166mhz Pentium one, which was proprietary all over
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Yeah I just cracked open my newer gateay and it seems hardly propriotary at all. Just like the processor is mounted weirdly so I cant get to it with these tools, but meh. My old one, sweet god. The processor was ENCASED in like a plastic vault and the mobo was under all thse weir metal and shit.
 
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