Packard Bell debuts dot m/u 'netbook with the performance of a notebook'
By Donald Melanson 
posted September 16th 2009 6:16AM
posted September 16th 2009 6:16AM
Packard Bell sure has been keeping itself busy lately with some new laptops, desktops, and even the odd display, but it looks like it's not quite ready to stop this train just yet, and it's now also introduced its new dot m/u "netbook." According to Packard Bell, that is the "first netbook with the performance of a notebook," which could also mean that it's simply not a netbook at all depending on your point of view. Either way, the device is small and light (just over three pounds with an 11.6-inch screen), and a definite step up from your average Atom-based netbook in terms of performance, with it packing an unspecified Intel ULV processor, up to 4GB of RAM, a max 500GB hard drive, a multitouch trackpad, a 5-in1 memory card reader, and Windows 7 Home Premium for an OS. Of course, its £399 price tag (or about $650) is also an upgrade over your usual netbook, and you'll naturally have to wait for Windows 7 to ship before it does.
Rebrand of the Acer 1410, anyone? Those go for $449 here, its far cheaper in the US than in the UK. The processor (in the 1410, at least) is the Core 2 Solo SU3500.
Urm, that's a rebrand of a rebrand. Looks exactly like the Gateway E1803h that engadget covered here, down to the cheesy metallic badge on the top left of the machine. Mentioned here: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/23/gateways-11-6-inch-ec1803h-culv-ultraportable-surfaces-in-canad/ Reviewed here: http://www.silentpcreview.com/Gateway_EC1803h_notebook
A few more options in this model, apparently, but I hope this one ships without the stupid French-English Keyboard that made me return mine. I can't believe manufacturers are so cheap, they won't bother to ship one for English speaking Canadians (80%).
f this. my laptop was $350. my do netbooks go for over $600?
My desktop is cheaper than most laptops. Why are laptops so expensive?
Definitely looks like a rebrand of the model I'm typing on right now - an Acer Aspire 1410. Quite a capable little 3 pound computer. Still won't play Youtube/Vimeo HD (that's a problem with Flash though, more so than the horsepower of the computer) but plays HD natively quite well and HDMIs it out as well.
battery ?
Who would buy anything from Packard Bell?
I would if I had a hankerin' for a cheesy gordita.
And I realize that I should know Spanish by now, living in the United States and all... But what exactly is 'gordita' Spanish for?
It's a notebook. Net books are not much good at anything other than the net, hence the name.
I know the definitions can get a bit blurry but - £399 and a ULV CPU... not a netbook then. Calling it one to claim the highest performance in the category will ultimately do no-one any favours.
Could someone tell me what makes this a netbook? Please? The price? Wait... The specs..uhh....
This is completely stupid. We're rebranding small laptops of 4-5 years ago in to performance netbooks, and people go crazy for them. Marketing 101, i guess.
It's a netbook because it's under 12"
That's what she said.
(sorry)
So is my Sony Vaio TT. This is not a netbook. I own quite a few netbooks and notebooks and I can tell you right off that size does not define a netbook.
Packard Bell...? unspecified Intel ULV processor...? WTF...?
Packard Bell make the lowest quality laptops I've ever seen. My old PB laptop would get so hot, I could have fried an egg on the keyboard, and that was after they'd serviced it for a dead MB. Avoid.
Their latest laptops with the touch sensitive media controls and curved speaker grille are actually quite tasty looking - I was surprised when I looked closer and saw who made them.
200 euro is 290 US dollars, so what kind of conversion are you doing Engadget?
The other 70 dollars are probably sales tax and what have you. Remember that Enagdget always adds on the tax included in any product they cover (unless it's an Apple product....Yeah I said it).
I didn't know Pukeard, uh, Packard Bell was still around. I still have a sound/modem combo card around somewhere. And the ugly orange keyboard plugs.
Hi
I found i would post a note on this forum after searching a bit.
I purchased a PB dot m/u CH/355 in Switzerland 2 weeks ago. The model has 4Go RAM and 500Gb hard drive. So far i'm really happy with it, the battery holds really long (can't really give an exact feedback on autonomy) and the screen is very good. I use it as an extra traveling laptop so it's not my main machine
The funny thing is that i have not been able to find anything about this machine on the net yet, although i bought it from a high-street electronics shop, Mediamarkt (build date says 19/08/2009, so i must have bought barely 3 weeks after it was built)
One more funny thing that you can maybe help with= the machine comes with the free upgrade from Vista Home premium to Windows 7, but can you tell me how i will be able to upgrade the machine when i receive the upgrade CD/DVD, as there's no optical drive on the machine (and i see none available as option)... ? crack the cd, save it on a hard drive transfer it to the laptop's HD and try to launch it with some kind of "ghost" player/program? I'm not highly skilled in IT, but have medium knowledge...
Hi Benjamin, I'm also thinking to buy this gadget. Because I'm working in the bibliothek it's important
that the 355 dot m/u doesn't make big noise. How is the noise-emission? Is the ventilator always on?
kind regards /peter