Gateway DC-M40 Digital Camera

Pros: Friendly menus
Cons: Everything else

My parents purchased this camera for me while at a Gateway Country store here in Gurnee, IL. I had wanted a digital camera for quite a while so they thought it would make a nice Christmas present. I've now used this camera for almost a year and have ...

Pros: Metal body, 3X OPTICAL zoom, 32 MB Memory Card, Super price
Cons: Not as stylish as the Fuji Finepix cameras.

This camera represents a price breakthrough of sorts as its the first time I've seen a non-refurbished 4 megapixel camera advertised for under 200.00! Of course the 4 megapixels are referred to as "effective" in the manual that comes with the camera, but I don't see the word "interpolated", thank God, so they must be the real thing! The pictures sure print out well.
There are three other things that are really great about this camera: (1) No cheap plastic body! Yep, a beautiful aluminum metal body! YAYYYY. (2) Comes with a 32 MB memory card. Double YAYYYYY, and (3) A REAL 3X OPTICAL zoom, not the FAKE digital zoom, which is really like having no zoom at all! All in all, I have to say I am really impressed with what the good folks at Gateway have accomplished.

Pros: I suppose the video option was cool
Cons: see above!

We're disappointed to find the camera is broken and useless after 3 short years. It was never great anyway in terms of battery life and timing and buttons, but I've got disposable 35mms. that have lasted longer.

Pros: nothing at all
Cons: Everything about it and the company that made it

This camera has totally turned me off to Gateway. I bought it 10/02/03 at a local Gateway Country store on Long Island. I paid cash. The camera arrived on 10/8/03. I tried the camera out for a little over 2 weeks. Camera consistantly takes reddish pix,(white balance problem that can't be corrected) Pictures are almost allways a little blurry, video mode audio does not exist. All in all this was the biggest piece of crap I have ever owned. It was returned to the same store on 10/23/03. I was told that I would receive credit from Gateway in about 7-10 days. (Paid cash, and was going to be sent a check?) 11/12/03 I called Gateway to see where my check was and was told that the camera had just arrived to them that day. I would see a check in about 7-10 days. 11/28/03 still no check. Gateway assured me I would have the check in a week. Today is 12/4/03 and I was told check was mailed out yesterday. The camera SUCKS, GATEWAY SUCKS, don't waste your time!! (by the way, I bought a Sony DSC-P92 in the meantime. Awesome camera awesome value)