Some of our older readers may remember using Packard Bell gear all the way back when the consumer electronics industry consisted of just radios and TV sets, and even the younger crowd probably played on a PB or two after the name was sold to a budget computer manufacturer in the mid-80's. Well even though the company withdrew from the US market back in 2000 after being plagued with quality and compatibility issues, it has actually been quite successful overseas under the guidance of NEC as Packard Bell Europe, where it's consistently been one of the top-selling PC manufacturers and even begun branching out to
other product lines. Still, NEC seems to think that the tide has turned on old Packard Bell once again, as sources in Asia indicate that the Japanese corporation is looking to sell the Dutch Packard Bell BV PC subsidiary, and that
eMachines founder Lap Shun Hui is looking to buy. Japan's Nihon Keizai Shimbun is claiming that Hui offered around $87 million for the division, probably hoping that he can use his skills to transform the 'Bell into the same type of property that convinced Gateway to shell out over $200 million worth of cash and stock for eMachines a few years back.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
DarkMavis @ Jun 22nd 2006 10:55PM
My first computer was a Packard Bell Legend 730 Supreme. It was a 486SX with 4 megs of ram (it originally came with 2mb) and a 120mb HD. It was SOOO sweet. I ran Windows 3.1 and then "upgraded" to Windows for Workgroups.
By the end of Packard Bell's run in the states the product pretty much turned into a turd. I'm not sure if it will be welcomed back with open arms by those who remember its legacy.
DarkMavis @ Jun 22nd 2006 10:59PM
Oh yeah... my 486SX ran at an amazing 25mhz. Wow... they just don't make 'em like that anymore.
Uninvisible @ Jun 22nd 2006 11:18PM
I remember running a 75MHz Acer while my best friend ran a 75MHz Packard Bell. His PB had huge amounts of RAM - 8 megs, to be exact. He also had a 14.4 baud modem, a 4x CD-Drive [the fastest you'd ever need!], and a moniter smaller than 15" viewable. I had him beat with 16 megs of RAM and a 28.8 modem - lol. Ahh, the memories.