Gateway acquired Emachines in Jan 2004 according to press releases. Exact date is: January 30, 2004.
Poway and Irvine, Calif., January 30, 2004 - Gateway, Inc. today announced that it agreed to acquire privately-held eMachines, Inc., one of the fastest-growing and most efficient PC companies in the U.S., for 50 million shares of Gateway common stock and $30 million in cash.