Lenovo, Acer reportedly sizing up Packard Bell
By Donald Melanson 
posted August 7th 2007 3:35PM
posted August 7th 2007 3:35PM
Packard Bell may not have the most illustrious of histories, but that hasn't stopped the company from attracting a number of potential suitors over the years. Now it seems that two more companies are eying the old school brand, although both seem to be far from a done deal. The first, and apparently further along of the two, is Lenovo, which has announced that it's entered a "Memorandum of Understanding" with an unnamed "independent third party" to purchase the PC maker. According to Reuters, Lenovo would use Packard Bell to give a boost to its European business. The other company in the mix is Acer which, as Reuters reports, said in April that it was planning to buy a PC company in three to five months. Recent speculation, however, has pegged Packard Bell as Acer's target, although it has yet to get as official as Lenovo with its intent.
Read - Reuters, "PC makers Lenovo, Acer eyeing Packard Bell: report"
Read - Press release, "Lenovo Announces Memorandum of Understanding to Acquire Packard Bell"
Read - Reuters, "PC makers Lenovo, Acer eyeing Packard Bell: report"
Read - Press release, "Lenovo Announces Memorandum of Understanding to Acquire Packard Bell"
1) *suitors
2) As a former Packard Bell owner on the desktop end, I'm kinda thinking both companies are nuts. Let it die already.
My first desktop PC was a Packard Bell... And it had a weird OS called "home" or something which it booted into and then from there I would choose whether or not to use "home" (I never did) or boot into Windows 95. And that was the last time I ever owned a Packard Bell.
Packard Bell should be paying them.
I have no first hand experience with Packard Bell, although that's because of the horror stories I've heard from every user.
Acer, on the other hand, has my personal hatred, of making crappy hardware at dodgy prices (as in too high for crap). recently, it got even more minues points from me by pointing fingers at others for 'crappy products' (I don't think Vista is too bad personally, and certainly not crappy), whilst everyone tells them to STFU and improve their own products.
As for Lenovo, I got the impression it's a decent company, but I only get that info from Engadget.
All in all? Pleeeease don't let Acer buy PB, it'll only make shitty shit's excrement.
Oh well, better brace myself for another batch of lenovo layoffs if this goes ahead
"Welcome to Packard Bell Navigator, the easy way to get to know and use you Packard Bell computer..."
Argggh! Flashback! Someone pass me my pills.
Wow. Two crappy electronics companies trying to buy the assets of a third company. End result? Crapola!
Acer - crap. I know this brand well. The cut corners like crazy for their own branded products (they make other US brand products OK, like Dell and IBM).
Lenovo - Chinese private company with a lot of state-owned influence = crap. But crap with a lot of guaranteed funding and a big brand-name in China.
PB - Hah!...hah hah hah. hah hah hah hah. This company has been purchased and sold off several times. Purchased by some company called Bull electronics, then merged with...oh I forgot...NEC I think. Really bad quality computers. They basically evacuated from the US market because their reputation was so bad. I would be money that their selling price is $1. But the purchaser will need to assume all the debt. AND, most if not all of the un-productive redundant European employees will get a massive serverence pay package and huge unemployment benefits.