Gateway Introduces New Value-Priced eMachines Desktop PCs

Sept. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today Gateway launched its new line-up of eMachines desktop PCs, which will be available at leading retailers beginning this weekend through the holiday season.

"These systems have something for everyone -- from families buying for students or early-birds thinking about holiday gifts," said Ed Fisher, Gateway's senior vice president of product planning. "Each of our new desktop PCs offers a unique feature that will make it a stand-out choice for customers -- such as large hard drives, fast processors and DVD burners. In a nutshell, we're continuing to offer the best technology at the lowest possible prices."

Even at these low prices, the new desktop PC line delivers mainstream technology that makes the user experience easier and more enjoyable. Thanks to the systems' many features, the PCs are ready for the latest entertainment and productivity applications. Also, eMachines customers can use the new systems to enjoy the hottest digital media hobbies such as music downloading, digital photography and digital video editing. Each of the new PCs can easily access digital content and connect to digital devices with its 8-in-1 media card reader and five USB 2.0 ports.

The PCs are ideal for a range of customers, from those on a limited budget to anyone who needs a replacement or additional PC for their home or office, including students, home-based professionals, small businesses and families. The new line of eMachines value-based PCs is priced from $399.99 (after $50 mail-in rebate) up to only $599.99.

The new eMachines line of desktop PCs includes:

eMachines T3256: Powerful Multimedia System at an Incredible Price
The eMachines T3256 is an excellent choice for customers who want to enjoy digital media and play games, but don't want to pay the premium typically associated with those hobbies. With the integrated NVIDIA GeForce4 MX graphics, PC games and online entertainment are more vibrant than ever. Plus, accessing, storing and sharing digital media is easy with the T3256; it has a huge 160GB 7200 RPM hard drive, two optical drives -- a double layer DVD ± RW drive and a CD-ROM drive -- as well as the 8-in-1 media card reader. Packed with other technology typically found in more expensive systems, the T3256 includes a high-performance AMD Athlon XP 3200+ processor and 512MB of DDR SDRAM that is expandable to 2GB. The eMachines T3256 is priced at only $599.99.

eMachines T2984: Handles Everyday Tasks with Ease and Speed
The eMachines T2984 is the right choice for PC users who want the most technology for less than $500. The new PC features a faster processor than most PCs in this price range -- the Intel Celeron D 340 (2.93 GHz) processor. It also includes Intel Extreme Graphics 3D and 512MB of DDR SDRAM, expandable to 2GB. Storage options abound in the T2984 with a large 80GB hard drive, a dedicated DVD-ROM drive and a CD-RW drive, and the 8-in-1 memory card reader. The eMachines T2984 is priced at just $499.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate.

eMachines T2862: Amazing Value for a Starter or Second PC
PC buyers on a limited budget can get a great entry-level system ready to tackle computing tasks such as email, word processing and other productivity and learning applications. Priced at just $399.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate, the eMachines T2862 comes with a large 60GB hard drive, providing up to 50 percent more storage than most computers at this price. It also includes the latest technology, including an Intel Celeron D 330 (2.66 GHz) processor, 256MB of DDR SDRAM expandable to 2GB, and Intel Extreme Graphics 3D. Unlike most other $399 systems, the eMachines T2862 offers technology that lets consumers do more with digital media including the system's DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive and 8-in-1 memory card reader.

All of the new eMachines PCs include integrated Ethernet 10/100 LAN and a 56K V.92 modem, making them ready for networking and communication.

The new PCs come with an array of software, so customers can enjoy their PC right out of the box. Each of the new systems comes with Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Microsoft Works 8.0, Microsoft Money 2004, Encarta Online Microsoft Media Player and a 90-day subscription to Norton Antivirus. Complementary eMachines monitors are sold separately with prices starting at $119.99 after $50 mail-in rebate.

The award-winning line of eMachines PCs is supported by Gateway's top-notch service and support programs. The company's extensive online support center helps customers maximize their PC investment; it gives them easy access to customer support representatives and information on important issues such as warranties, technical issues and upgrading. Additionally, Gateway offers a pro-active service tool called BigFix at no charge on all eMachines systems. With the customer's permission, BigFix identifies and sends messages offering upgrades to enhance the performance or capabilities of the PC.

Gateway supports its eMachines line of PCs with a standard one-year limited warranty. For more information on eMachines products, customers can visit www.emachines.com or call (800) 362-2446.

Visit www.gateway.com for more information.

Source: Gateway, Inc.