New Gateway PC, Channel Program Hit The Mark

Ever since the advent of the multimedia PC, solution providers have found themselves in a quandary, struggling with the best ways to incorporate multimedia features and functionality into a business or corporate desktop solution. Before digital media and video capabilities became a sought-after commodity, it was fairly easy for solution providers to configure a corporate solution and differentiate it from a multimedia machine. Now, it is getting harder to distinguish between the two.

CRN Test Center engineers recently reviewed Gateway's E-6100-HX business desktop, which is firmly entrenched in the business world. Gateway designed the machine as a business desktop with adequate multimedia capabilities since multimedia functions are necessary in today's business PC. Gateway's PC should make it easier for solution providers to offer customers a machine with a broad range of capabilities that is also customizable for a company's needs.

Gateway E-6100-HX

In general, components and chipsets can vary widely depending on whether they will be installed in a business PC or a multimedia machine. However, the E-6100-HX is equipped with the 875P Intel chipset, which helps it handle the various tasks it is designed to do. Gateway chose this chipset, designed with an 800MHz front-side bus, to support Intel's Pentium 4 processor with Hyper-Threading Technology. The processor helps prioritize multiple threads received from the CPU, especially for employees multitasking among different applications. The chipset was designed to increase productivity in combination with a fast PC, process multithreaded software applications and increase utilization of processor execution resources. Hyper-Threading Technology delivers faster response times for multitasking environments, including those that use business applications and multimedia functions. Since many applications already support multithreading technology, they will automatically benefit. The chipset also supports Intel's Performance Acceleration Technology with dual-channel DDR400 memory configuration. The E-6100-HX desktop is perfect for corporations, government agencies and educational institutions that must use some multimedia applications but depend on a PC largely for business functions such as word processing and spreadsheet creation.

The system is powered by a 3.2GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor with 512 Mbytes of DDR SDRAM, and includes an 80-Gbyte Ultra ATA100 7,200-rpm hard drive, a CD-RW drive and an integrated 128-Mbyte Nvidia GeForce FX 5200G. It runs Microsoft Windows XP Professional. The Nvidia GeForce FX 5200 graphics card handles graphics reasonably well; however, a more powerful graphics card is necessary for business customers planning to use the PC for graphics design or CAD applications.

The system is housed in a seven-bay tower case with a 250-watt power supply. It has five PCI slots and one AGP slot. External ports include eight USB 2.0 ports (two in front and six in back), one serial port, one parallel port, two PS/2 ports for keyboard and mouse, one LAN port and one VGA port. Test Center engineers were pleased to see that the system includes a serial and parallel port and a 3.5-inch floppy drive, since some system builders are excluding them nowadays. Including these legacy ports and the floppy drive is crucial for many businesses that must connect the PC to older equipment.

The E-6100-HX is priced very competitively at $1,209 without a monitor or $2,208 with a 20-inch LCD. Gateway offers average solution provider margins of 9 percent to 12 percent. The system comes with an extended service plan including a three-year parts, labor and next-business-day on-site warranty, as well as three-year technical support.

Solution providers will be pleased with the advantages of Gateway's channel program, which offers three levels of participation determined by sales volume, quarterly and yearly revenue projections. The levels include associate member, member and premier member. Program participants can receive varying levels of pre- and post-sales support, determined by partner level and individual needs. Integrators can choose either in-person or Web-based training, depending on their needs. Gateway also offers joint selling opportunities, a dedicated channel account manager, bid assistance and priority technical support for integrators.

Over the past year, Gateway has separated its direct-sales force from its indirect-sales force by putting in place a neutral compensation plan in an effort to reduce the channel conflict that has plagued the company for years.

Overall, Gateway's E-6100-HX offers solution providers just the right balance of business-oriented speed and advanced multimedia capabilities, making the PC a solid choice for customers. CHANNEL PROGRAM SNAPSHOTS
> Gateway E-6100-HX
COMPANY: Gateway
Irvine, Calif.
(800) 846-2000
www.gateway.com
DISTRIBUTORS: Direct from vendor
TECH RATING:
CHANNEL RATING:

Note: Vendors can earn up to five stars for technical merit and five for their channel program. If the average of these two scores is four stars or greater, the product earns CRN Test Center Recommended status.