This is big news, and not just for a PC vendor that helped pioneer the retail model with its Gateway Country stores, before Dell's direct sales model forced their closure in 2004.

Gateway will make the shift over the weekend, transferring inventory held for its online store to its channel partners. A company spokeswoman said the transition more closely aligns Gateway with its corporate parent, Acer, which built its business on an indirect channel model emphasizing retailers and e-tailers. (You still might find Gateway products online, but not at Gateway.)

Read more at PC Magazine.