Packard Bell looks to reposition self as 'trendy' lifestyle brand (no, really)

Packard Bell, what a wild ride it's been... you've gone to Europe, you've been bought out by Acer,and you've hit back stateside with some truly gnarly gaming PCs. But this latest scheme of yours is really a stretch: you intend to reposition yourself as a "lifestyle brand." Long gone, you say, are the days of bizarre case designs, with their peripherals jutting out of the machine at odd angles. You will have new designs -- designs that exemplify the elegance and "alchemy" of your company. And alchemy, you say, is "a mixture of science and magic, to generate emotion." We expect great things.

[michas_pi @ Sep 22nd 2008 4:20AM]

My first computer was going to be a Packard Bell but last minute I switched to a Gateway 2000 P5-100.

Damn you, Engadget, now I'm going through a nostalgia trip.

[torpidnotion @ Sep 22nd 2008 5:03AM]

You made a wise choice there. Those Gateway machines at the time were very well-made.

[michas_pi @ Sep 22nd 2008 5:06AM]

@torpidnotion:

My Gateway 2000 will last forever. A few years ago I gave it to a relative who's a DJ and he is still using it. Man, I miss the old Gateway.

Who remembers Microsoft Bob: Gateway 2000 edition?

[shawnmos @ Sep 22nd 2008 9:09AM]

My first 2 computers were Packard Bell. I don't get all the hate for Packard Bell. I upgraded that 486 to an AMD 5x86 133Mhz overclocked to 150Mhz. Upgraded the ram from 4MB to 32MB and added a CD Burner. Bought it in 1993, used it until 1998 or so.

[Bob @ Sep 22nd 2008 11:07AM]

I had a Packard Bell 386 33MHZ with 4 MB of RAM and a revolutionary new CD drive (the kind you physically remove and place the CD in to). Installing X-Wing on it required deleting almost everything else. Loved that machine.

[Lazaro @ Sep 22nd 2008 12:26PM]

Dude, my first windows 3.1 machine was a Packard Bell. I remember 66mhz, 4mb of ram. This was even before 56k, all I did was hang out on AOL 3.0 and play flight simulator.

[taoprophet420 @ Sep 22nd 2008 4:31AM]

The name itself is just horrible. Just need to go by something like PB, seems to work ok for LG.PB doesn't it just shout peanut butter. Just should let the brand name die.

[Platinum_Skeet @ Sep 22nd 2008 11:21AM]

PB seriously sounds like short for peanut butter.... Pac Bell is probably a little better...

[Colin K. @ Sep 22nd 2008 11:40AM]

Pac Bell does sound better, but was already used by Pacific Bell telephone company.

[ntlam @ Sep 22nd 2008 4:35AM]

yes. Eee is trendy... Packard Bell? until the new products come out, we could really tell this news is laughable or not...

[Jash Sayani @ Sep 22nd 2008 5:19AM]

Yeah. EeePC are trendy. They are really awesome !

[Malone84 @ Sep 22nd 2008 4:42AM]

i'll see it when I believe it...! lets see if they can out do apple designs. THEN i'll be impressed.

[torpidnotion @ Sep 22nd 2008 4:47AM]

Wow do those Packard Bells bring back memories... I had literally a graveyard of gutted Packard Bells about 10 years ago when I used to repair computers. I literally had at least one a week that had a bad motherboard.

[Zorque @ Sep 22nd 2008 5:12AM]

My first PC was a Packard Bell, and in the first 2 years that the warranty lasted, we had to take it in for repairs over 10 times, the motherboard had to be replaced at least 3 of those times.

I still have fond memories of that computer, but to be honest it was a pretty badly made machine.

[Justin R @ Sep 22nd 2008 4:47AM]

When I think of Packard Bell, I always remember back to when I saw this design when I was a kid:
http://www.smecc.org/itemsklkljl;_3.jpg

[Waverider @ Sep 22nd 2008 12:43PM]

Wow!!! That was my very 1st computer I ever owned. I remember downloading my 1st MP3 on a 56k connection with this monster.

[Quito @ Sep 22nd 2008 4:48AM]

When viewed from this angle, it almost looks like the clunky grandfather of the Wii.

[Gilbert Tang @ Sep 22nd 2008 4:52AM]

I will participate in a real-time focus group/shrink-style word association based on my initial reaction to the Packard Bell brand.

Here it goes:

Kindle
bland
monopoly
shame
shameful
shart
public schools
overpriced textbooks
cannon fodder
marketing
audacity
hahahahahahahahaha
public transportation
Ike
convoluted
failed promises
antiquated
viral
cancer
smallpox
Native American
blankets
shrew
tame
lame
fame
Apple
dissimilar
mulligan

and

pessimistic

I could probably go on forever, but as it is the layout of my comment alone will result in lower rankings.

My apologies in advance.

PS - asinine

[Noah @ Sep 22nd 2008 5:40AM]

My dad bought a Packard Bell during the first week the P90 came out. I remember it fondly. It had 8megs of memory, and a 512 meg HD, and ran Windows 3.1. I upgraded it to Windows 95 and that pretty much killed it, until we upgraded to 24 megs of memory... and that made all the difference in the world. LOL It had a 14.4 modem. This was before PPP, so we had Trumpet Winsock that required a custom script to negotiate the internet connection with a local BBS. I remember that script was like hell trying to get it configured properly... I worked on it for nearly a week before I was actually able to visit a website successfully with Netscape 1.0 LOL And back then, my only reason for going through all this trouble with the script configuration was to somehow get my hands on some good pr0n. That was before I started shooting it for a living. hahahaha

[eboku01 @ Sep 22nd 2008 5:16AM]

Man, my first pc was a "Packard Bell Multimedia R515"

Pentium 1, 200mhz, 32mb ram, 4gb hard drive, integrated S3 graphics chip and heavy as hell.

I home build now but seeing that picture really took me back.

[racr @ Sep 22nd 2008 5:27AM]

hey, i have one of those in my closet, and it still works!

[Robotochan @ Sep 22nd 2008 5:34AM]

Beige is the new shiny white!

[Dirty, Harry @ Sep 22nd 2008 5:35AM]

Ouhhhh,

Better sell my Apple stock now it's up. Packerd Bell may be on to something,..

[Richard @ Sep 22nd 2008 5:45AM]

Yeah, PB have been studying Steve Jobs method of "design" and are about to release a new super tendy PC with absolutely no buttons, not even an "on" button. Yep, to turn this baby on you think funky on thoughts.

[BoloMKXXVIII @ Sep 22nd 2008 6:44AM]

Lucky Goldstar (bad brand) = LG (good brand)?
Packard Bell (bad brand) = PB (good brand)?

I will use a phrase often associated with Vista. "lipstick on a pig".

[keith @ Sep 22nd 2008 12:02PM]

I can't believe you just called Palin a pig.

GOBAMA!

[thatrotierkid @ Sep 22nd 2008 3:07PM]

@keith

thanks for the comment. you just made it harder for obama to get votes. trolling =/ more votes

[Colm @ Sep 22nd 2008 7:50AM]

When I moved from desktops to laptops my first laptop was a Packard Bell. It broke down 5 months after purchase and having returned it to be "repaired" 3 times I gave up and bought a Sony. "Working" would be a good objective before the stretch target of "Trendy".

[Mike @ Sep 22nd 2008 7:51AM]

Will it have a TURBO button? My PB 486sx 25 did and it RAWKED

[Fuzzball @ Sep 22nd 2008 8:01AM]

There are some things out there, when you get right down to it, I am a hardware bigot on. Packard Bell is on my list. All the ones I encountered since the 90s sucked hard and they always had problems. It would take a lot for them to redeem themselves for what I believe caused the brand to disappear from the US market.

No thanks.

[wilcoholic @ Sep 22nd 2008 8:06AM]

Actually my first computer is a packard bell and it still works fine. I use it as my backup computer for when my laptop fails on me.

[Tarnation @ Sep 22nd 2008 8:20AM]

Would somebody please take that out behind the chemical sheds and shoot it? We already have enought crappy proprietary PC manufacturers in this country do we really need one more. Unless they revolutionize design (hah) they will be nothing more than another HP, Dell, Gateway, Acer, and e-machines rip-off.

I remember the old 486 and Pentium Packard Bell Machines, I also remember the furious rage they gave me when trying to take them apart. Grrrr.... Now give me an old HP Vectra those were fun to rip apart and put back together. Oh how I miss the early days of PC repair..

[tekdroid @ Sep 22nd 2008 9:40AM]

still much prefer beige to black or silver here, so that pic is quite trendy to me. It's what's on the inside that (mostly) counts anyway.

Beige Appreciation Society member representin'.

[timmy @ Sep 22nd 2008 9:55AM]

I was in the first group of Best Buy computer techs way before way before Geek Squad. We had stacks of packard bells that we would get as returns. We had about 15 returned packard bells to every one Compaq to the point we started calling them Crapard bells. It got so bad that i would not sell packard Bells when i was out on the floor, all i had to do was walk them over to the tech room to show them the stacks or returns to change their minds. For this i know i have a place in heaven waiting for me.

[Alex L. @ Sep 22nd 2008 10:15AM]

So they're going from shitty poo poo to shishi poo poo? Good luck with that, I've owned my first and last PB in the last century, this century I'm going PB free, thank you very much.

[LM @ Sep 22nd 2008 11:06AM]

I have a Pentium 100 PB just like the one pictured. It was completely upgraded, AMD K5 P-133 rated processor, 3Dfx Voodo 3D video, 5 IDE devices (one was connected through a PCI IDE card), don't remember how much memory. Ah the memories, it ran pretty good and considering how often it was lugged to LAN parties the crappy case held up well.

Got to love the Packard Hell's.

[JohnnyGTO @ Sep 22nd 2008 11:40AM]

Oh God, I'm having some sort of post traumatic stress disorder. I used to work for those bastards in Chatsworth or actually their original owners. Oh no there's a customer with a PB 286 stalking me from the underbrush, AGHHHHHHHH.

[Bratan @ Sep 22nd 2008 11:51AM]

Oh the horror!!! I used to make some cash on the side by fixing peoples PCs at home... I remember those ugly bricks. How much I hated them...

[bryan @ Sep 22nd 2008 12:35PM]

Well, having worked a year in Packard Bell tech support, all I have to say is let the name die. Please Acer - kill it like it deserves!!!

[Iridium @ Sep 22nd 2008 2:37PM]

I've still got that case somewhere. My first home PC, brings back memories. A 100mHz Pentium 8MB 12GB 1MB VRAM monster. I remember when I added another 8MB or ram and a 1MB VRAM chip. Duke 3D and X-Wing rocked with that upgrade.

I got spanked during Diablo LAN play in college because everyone else had 133 machines. That all changed when I bought my 200mhz Pentium Pro.

[keithwwalker @ Sep 22nd 2008 6:54PM]

My first pc was a PB, and it was a very nice unit, excepting that 'floating point pentium error', but you can't blame PB for that now, can you?

The design was very 90's Lego. Not bad, and it matched the IKEA office furniture, lolz. Let's see what PB has got before a rush to judgement...

[Bookshelf @ Sep 22nd 2008 9:38PM]

believe it or not, what is pictured was my first computer =P

look in this picture, http://i34.tinypic.com/112egde.jpg its the computer in the background, under the emachine.

[25fifty @ Sep 22nd 2008 11:51PM]

My first computer was a PB with the "turbo" button; took it from 25mhz to 33mhz

[yrag @ Sep 23rd 2008 1:47AM]

Trendy? Sorry. Not with the name Packard Bell. To me Packard Bell and dot matrix will always be said in the same breath.

[XenoX101 @ Sep 23rd 2008 5:09AM]

Packard Bell, you will NOT find anyone 'hip or trendy' buying that name, regardless of how 'hip and trendy' they may try to be.

The only thing I can see happening is them pulling the 'retro' card, but that will only appeal to a few geeks out there who probably won't be able to afford the premium's living off their mum's allowance, drinking copious amounts of jolt and monster in the basement.

[mrbob1000 @ Sep 23rd 2008 7:20PM]

i have that case in my basement!

i have a gateway 2000 too. good times of windows 95.

[SMECC @ Sep 24th 2008 4:33PM]

Packard Bell was a radio company in california in the old days... then they made tv's..

http://www.smecc.org/itemsklkljl;_3.jpg

That was linked to earlier in this thread is from our museum web page.
we are a communications and computation museum and are looking for one of these angled odd early Packarb Bell computers
for a display here. Let us know if you can find one

Many thanks... Ed Sharpe archivist for SMECC
www.smecc.org