1. read the site, search the site...this question gets covered almost daily
2. quit buying at GNC, they charge you twice as much for the same quality as any other brand. buy online, save a ton.
3. protein is protein...its nothing magic. weight gainer is protein plus sugar...kind of a rip-off.
general tips: no more than 2 shakes per day. if your weight gainer has maltodextrin or dextrose in it, use it for your post workout shake. the other shake can be any time, but i wouldn't take it before bed cuz it digests too fast. i like a shake mid-morning.