Gateway.com Buy 1 get 1 free...

[gcutler]

This isn't a bad deal if you are looking at going for a top of the line unit, the free machine isn't bad for Grandma or the kids...

http://www.gateway.com/home/deals/offers/buy1get1.shtml

Buy a...

Gateway 700XL (Tower)
• Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 3.06GHz
• 512MB RDRAM® PC1066
• 2 x 200GB HD <===That might be a little overkill
• DVD-RAM/DVD-R/CD-RW Recorder and
48x/24x/48x CD-RW
• 19" LCD Flat Panel Display
Price: $3499* (The State of the Art I would want would cost $900 less, so could buy a better 2nd PC for kids that way)
*Free shipping and handling

or

Gateway 600XL (Notebook)
Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 2.2GHz-M
• 512MB DDR SDRAM
• 60GB HD
• Modular 24x/10x/24x CD-RW and 8x DVD Drive
• 15.7" SXGA Active Matrix TFT Color Display

Price: $2399*
*after $100 mail-in rebate
*Free shipping and handling

and get a free

Gateway 300s
• Intel® Celeron® Processor 2.0GHz
• 128MB DDR SDRAM
• 40GB HD
• 48x/24x/48x CD-RW
Monitor Sold Seperately

[Jacob S]

I think what they had done was instead of giving you much of a discount, they build a computer at their cost of the discount or less and make that part of the deal. They are trying something new. They only give these offers for the expensive computers.

[gcutler]

Yes, those are the two most expensive models that they offer (at least the Desktop is a MONSTER). The Notebook isn't to outrageous?

But thinking about it, for the same $3500, I can get a really nice Dell 3.0GHz Dimension 8200 with just about everything I want (only a 120GB drive, and a 19 inch Trinitron Monitor instead of the overkill of 2x200GB and a flat panel) and also get a Dell Dimension 4500 2.0GHz with a simple 17" monitor for that same $3500.

[Jacob S]

Thats what I mean, you can shop around and find a better deal, it is just that they want to get something that gets your attention so that you will not shop around somewhere else. I think that is the whole point of it, and by doing that they would make more money and more sales off of that. It depends on how someone thinks.

[gcutler]

Actually since they are limiting it to those 2 TOP OF THE LINE machines (and the desktop is overkill) I doubt many people will be taking advantage of the offer. Perhaps people aren't going for the Top Desktop (because it is such overkill) and that is their way of luring them in? But you figure someone spending that amount of money would be going to the customize page and picking exactly what they want (customized machines don't count toward offer). I'm guessing they may have over purchased 200GB HDs and P4/3.06GHz CPUs :D