After three months, openSUSE is here to stay. On my home desktop that is. It has totally replaced Kubuntu for my preference. The quality documentation is one shining point for me. Yes, I actually read documentation. The tight integration between applications is another. Kubuntu may eventually reach this level, in a about 6 - 10 years.
A word of thanks to the greatest of computer manufacturers: Gateway
There are many reasons for gratitude toward Gateway. In this paper, I
shall enumerate but a few.
In the 1980’s, after their U.S.A. weekly show was canceled, many Smurfs
were left unemployed. For years little, or no, hope existed for the little
blue people, until Gateway noticed their plight. They noticed and immediat-
ly arranged to created thousands of jobs nationwide, and eventually world-
wide. By creating drive bays so cramped normal humans are unable to work
with the cables and jumpers, Gateway created a sharp demand among I.T
departments. The diminutive blue folk easily sqeeze into tight confines,
replacing cables and checking connections. Papa Smurf was observed to shed
a tear as demand for his peoples skills sky rocketed. “Gateway is an
absolutely Smurfy company,” he said.
According to some scientists and reports, Earth’s temperature is steadily
increasing. If true, this eventually is disasterous for life on this planet.
While many governments, companies and people view the theory with skepticism,
or simply ignore it, Gateway reveals itself to be on the leading edge. How?
By ensuring purchasers of their computers are unable to fill all expansion
slots. Computers already produce vast amounts of heat, which in turn requires
tremendous resources to cool. A less loaded computer, means less heat. By
carefully positioning various items such as Heat Sinks, vents and power
supplies, Gateway engineers block 2 or more PCI slots in many of their
systems. In turn, this renders the slots unusable. An unused slot is incap-
able of producing heat, thus diminishing the amount of heat produced by
any Gateway computer.
Some people confuse conservation with preservation. Conservation means
to manage your limited resources wisely, ensuring benefits now and in
the future. Preservation means not using your resources, guarding them
for some nebulous future purpose. Gateway understands the difference and
shows it in their products. For example, because of the surge in computers
required by the world market, a great strain is placed on suppliers of
components and raw materials used in computer construction. To lighten that
load, Gateway uses only what is necessary, no more, no less, in making
their computers. Open a Gateway computer and observe the data cables con-
necting the drives to the motherboard. Some manufactures waste copper,
plastic and dye by providing cables that are 18 inches or longer. Not
Gateway. Careful design and thought goes into the layout of their
computers. Each cable is the minimum length needed to reach from the
motherboard to the drive. If necessary, so ecologically minded are the
Gateway designers, they produce custom layouts so advanced that the
cables can be a mere 3 inches!
Computers are complex machines. Just ask anyone. Gateway knows this as
it produces many computers per year. Gateway also knows that adding
complexity to complexity results in confsion and many calls the service
center. Doing the simplest thing that works, ensures no complexity is
added. In this Gateway shines, how? Let us consider just one example,
computer servers with RAID Level 1. Other computer manufactures will
provide a system with a minimum of two hard drives, each on its own
dedicated data cable. The user, upon opening the case, is confounded
by the cables running hither and thither. Not Gateway, again they show
their superiority. They deliver a system with two drives, both on the
same cable. How simple! How orderly!
It is well known that unknowledgable users are responsible for the
bulk of computer service calls. Many of these calls derive from such
users attempting to upgrade the hardware. The most common upgrade is
RAM. Installing RAM improperly can render the chip, or even the system
inoperable. To forestall this, the Industry enacted such measures as
keyed RAM Modules; they are only able to be installed one way. Showing
how they shine above the rest, Gateway takes this a step further. In
many of their systems, they make it difficult to access the RAM slots.
One system reportedly, needed totally disassembled to access the slots!
By taking such steps, looking out for the unskilled user, Gateway thus
ensures only qualified technicians perform hardware upgrades. THank you
Gateway for thinking about the little guy.
In the early to mid 1990’s, Packard Bell was the computer manufacturer
everyone wanted to beat. The undisputed champions of quality, performance
and overall value-per-dollar-spent, Packard Bell left all others far behind.
However, this drew attention and NEC purchased Packard Bell. In a move
that left the entire industry shocked, soon after the purchase, NEC
annouced they were pulling Packard Bell from the North America market to
focus on the Far East and Pacific regions. This left a noticible void
in the North American market. Into it step Gateway. Beating all other
manufactures, they have shown time and again to be worthy of donning the
mantles left by Packard Bell. Along with the points mentioned above, the
purchase of “A” Line manufacture E-Machines shows they do not sit upon
their laurels. Continually they outdo themselves to remain the best
of the best.
With the above said I want to exhort Gateway, continue in the path you
chose. Thank you for such fine quality systems.