In the early 2000s, you could find eMachines laptop computers in many electronics retail stores. The computers were loved and hated by the technology community but were overall accepted as cheap and convenient systems for everyday non-complex use.

Once Gateway purchased eMachines, the companies merged and eMachines laptops began to lose its grip on the big stores' shelf space. Eventually Acer bought the company and merged the brands again, and this time there was just no room for another low-priced laptop. Acer was beginning to take hold of the cheap notebook market and the company decided to stop making eMachines notebooks for good.

With the end of eMachines notebook computers, your business or home office has three choices:

1. Keep the eMachines notebook you have and update it with new memory, graphics card, hard drive and operating system to make it feel new again.

2. Get rid of your eMachines laptop computer and buy a desktop, which is still going strong, from the company instead.

3. Buy another brand of laptop, such as Acer, which gives you the same portability and ease as your eMachines notebook computer.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Buy eMachines laptops online

Look for new or used eMachines notebooks for sale online with retailers who still have older models in stock. The company is no longer manufacturing new eMachines laptops, but you can still find them, especially on large re-selling websites such as eBay.

I recommend: Find providers of eMachines notebooks and buy the computers left in stock. Browse eBay pages to find new and used laptops and accessories. Search CompUSA or other online sellers of eMachines laptops to check stock and prices.

Read reviews and consider the eMachines notebooks bad reputation

Before buying a computer that's no longer being manufactured, research the models to decide whether that it's practical. The good news is that you may be able to get a room full of computers for very little expense. The bad news is that they might not work so well and warranties for these outdated, no long manufactured, eMachines notebooks are slight to nonexistent.

I recommend: Look at both sides of the issue. According to many online reviews, buying eMachines notebook computers is a very bad idea. The company dealt with a class action lawsuit in 2006 for computers that overheated constantly and stopped functioning properly. However, many people never saw any problems with their systems. Consider the risks before purchasing anything.

Update your current eMachines laptop computers

If you already own one or more eMachines laptops, you might look into updating what you have to keep the systems working. By upgrading, you can get some more use out of your computers before having to buy all new systems.

I recommend: Purchase new eMachines memory to keep your computers running smoothly. Add new adapters, batteries, hard drives and video cards, as well as external business options, such as projectors and speakers for the ultimate portable meeting.

Purchase a Gateway or Acer from the suppliers of eMachines notebook computer systems

Consider other computers besides eMachines notebooks. Acer, which owns eMachines, offers other laptop and desktop computers in a similar price range and product reliability category. Look at these other options, which will be around for a while.

I recommend: Purchase an eMachines desktop computer if you like the way the laptop performed--consider keeping the same brand in a different format. Check out Acer and Gateway notebooks, which replaced the ones you used to use. Browse online retailers for low-cost high-quality computers.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Contact eMachines customer service at 1-888-368-7898, or former suppliers of eMachines notebook computer systems, to troubleshoot your problems and ask for suggestions about finding new and refurbished eMachines notebook computers for sale.
• •  Think about selling your eMachines laptops on eBay or in the newspaper. If you want to start over with new systems, maybe you can make a little money from your used computers by selling them online.