Packard Bell's Compasseo 810 and 830 GPS units

If you've seen one decently specced 4-inch personal navigation device with RDS/TMC for live traffic info and minor PMP features, you've seen 'em all -- or more specifically, you're looking at the Compasseo 810 or 830 from Packard Bell. The GPS device features a 480 x 272 screen, 400MHz Samsung processor and 64MB of RAM. There's room to grow with an SD card slot, and Outlook contacts syncing, and if you're after some media, the unit supports MP3, AVI, WMV and MP4. The 810 comes with 1GB worth of maps on an SD card, and TMC Live traffic info, while the 830 does 2GB of SD and offers up expanded TMC Live Plus info. You can grab the 810 for 299€ in May ($406 US) or wait for the 830 to hit in June for 449€ ($610 US).

[Via NaviGadget]

[Chris Le @ May 4th 2007 9:16AM]

Pac Bell 486DX baby! 25mhz, 70 mb HD (disk doubler thank you very much!) and was it like 4mb of RAM?

I didn't realize they were still around - and putting out 400mhz machines no less! Welcome to THE FUTURE!

[Mike @ May 4th 2007 9:35AM]

@Chris: HA HA HA HA! That was my first PC!!! I paid $249 to upgrade to 8MB of RAM when Windows 95 came out!

And lemme put a huge WTF?!?! out there for someone manufacturing devices under the name f'ing PACKARD BELL?!?!?

This must be some foreign company that bought the rights to an old American computer company thinking the name would help them out, not knowing the company crapped out because of a used-parts scandal. I don't think anyone who knows the history of that company would actually pay money for that name.

[Mike @ May 4th 2007 8:59AM]

You *do* know what company you are talking about, right uncle? This is Packard Bell. A (once) computer company that had such a horrible reputation in America that it folded. What did you expect them to do? They aren't creative enough a company to come up with something different. (Kinda like Microsoft...)

[Harlo @ May 4th 2007 9:00AM]

I think I speak for most of the world when I say.... Packard Bell? They're still around???

[Shawn Garringer @ May 4th 2007 10:25AM]

How many parts are used in that, though?

[aeo @ May 4th 2007 11:18AM]

Packard Bell couldn't make a decent full-sized desktop PC, what make them think they can build an embedded device? One thing is for certain, this thing will crash and then you'll crash trying to destroy it while driving.

[scabby @ May 4th 2007 12:15PM]

This is the same Packard Bell that you guys / gals all knew and loved (to hate). While they left the American market, they were still trying to swim in the European budget PC market (much to the EU's consternation, I'm sure). While the fact of their continued existence doesn't vouch for the quality of their product, it does speak volumes as to the power of the creating a product based on the least common denominator.

[frank @ May 4th 2007 6:28PM]

When I got into the IT biz around '98, the first client I was at had all HP workstations. My first reaction was "Holy crap, they use this junk here?". I had not yet realized that Hewlett Packard and Packard Bell were in fact NOT the same company. It wasn't until about two years later when I saw an abandoned Packard Bell in my friend's garage that it all came together.