Packard Bell enters netbook market

Author: Tim Smalley
Published: 20th November 2008
Comments (21) Stumble
Packard Bell enters netbook market

Packard Bell last night pulled the curtains back on its entry into the netbook market at an event in Central London.

Packard Bell last night pulled the curtains back on its entry into the netbook market at an event in Central London.

The dot is an 8.9-inch netbook which Packard Bell says is the first that's apparently specially designed for mainstream consumers. That's a pretty bold claim to make, but Packard Bell is late to the netbook party currently controlled by Asus with its hugely successful Eee PC line.

Packard Bell said last night that it has been watching the netbook market with interest, but believes that nearly all of the models on the market have been designed with business users--and not consumers--in mind.

It packs everything you'd expect an Atom based notebook to have - a 1.6GHz N270 Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, a 1,024 x 600 8.9-inch display are all present. What's more there's a 160GB hard drive, three USB 2.0 ports, a five-in-one card reader, 802.11b/g wireless, an integrated webcam and an optional 3G module.

The manufacturer has decided to offer Windows XP as the only operating system choice on the dot - there's no Linux OS for the community to dig their teeth into this time around.

Packard Bell enters netbook market Packard Bell enters netbook market
Packard Bell enters netbook market Packard Bell enters netbook market Packard Bell enters netbook market
Click to enlarge

Packard Bell says that the machine will start at £299--what's not clear are the optional upgrades since there is no OS choice--and it'll be available from PC World in January 2009.

What do you think to Packard Bell's entry into this market? Let us know in the forums.
Quote LoneArchon 20th November 2008, 15:12
Looks like it is a rebranded Acer aspire one. It even has the SD expansion slot next to the LAN and VGA.
Quote xaser04 20th November 2008, 15:24
Agreed with the above comment.

Also at £299 it will have stiff competition from PCworlds own Advent series (4211 being a rebranded MSI wind).

Also I note that its specs are identical to most of the netbooks already out so how can Packard bell claim this is focused only at the consumer (if its the same as the others on the market?!)
Quote Blademrk 20th November 2008, 15:36
Quote:
Originally Posted by xaser04
Also I note that its specs are identical to most of the netbooks already out so how can Packard bell claim this is focused only at the consumer (if its the same as the others on the market?!)
The answer is obvious, it's because there's no Linux option :P
Quote Tim S 20th November 2008, 16:16
I tried not to laugh when they said that :p
Quote fathazza 20th November 2008, 16:34
looks quite nice tbh....

incidentally its not an entry into the market they already had a rebranded via nanobook out a while back....

someone really needs to make a netbook with a different spec one of these days... as it it you may as well buy on price (or looks if youre shallow) as there is nothing else to differentiate them
Quote munim 20th November 2008, 18:18
I had to wiki "Packard Bell" as I had myself confused with HP.
Quote UncertainGod 20th November 2008, 18:24
So it's exactly the same as all the other atom based netbooks so what makes it aimed at the consumer market?

That would be the extra price they charge. ;)
Quote FeRaL 20th November 2008, 18:31
Packard Bell isn't the original Packard Bell from way back when... The new company bought the name from the original holder to use since the name has some goodwill to it.

Beside, Packard Bell's were crap back when they made Pentium PCs.
Quote Aterius Gmork 20th November 2008, 18:41
Quote:
Originally Posted by fathazza
someone really needs to make a netbook with a different spec one of these days... as it it you may as well buy on price (or looks if youre shallow) as there is nothing else to differentiate them

Actually (if you set aside Asus, their 901H has a smaller HDD) the only thing that differs is the battery. The Acer, MSI etc. all use a 3 cell battery which basically sucks, who'd want a Netbook if the battery still lasts for only 3 hours or less?

The Asus 1000H has a 6 cell battery, the battery life is much longer (about twice that time obviously) as I know from personal experience.
Quote Sparrowhawk 20th November 2008, 20:42
Yeah, can I request a netbook roundup here? I keep getting them all confused with each other in my head, so a good head to head comparison would be nice, tbh.
Quote Doyleyboy 20th November 2008, 22:19
Hmm i think i can answer the above question without a big ole roundup.... Samsung NC10 extra cheesecake editio!. plus it comes in blue. job done
Quote glaeken 20th November 2008, 22:40
Quote:
Originally Posted by FeRaL
Packard Bell isn't the original Packard Bell from way back when... The new company bought the name from the original holder to use since the name has some goodwill to it.

Beside, Packard Bell's were crap back when they made Pentium PCs.

Ah, thanks for that. I read the title and thought to my self "WTF? Didn't they go out of business quite a long time ago?"
Quote Aterius Gmork 20th November 2008, 22:41
Fall for the hype, join the dark side etc. Get an Asus EEE 1000H, awesome little machine. We have cookies.
Quote DXR_13KE 20th November 2008, 23:29
every manufacturer is starting to get into this...
Quote Furymouse 21st November 2008, 01:49
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aterius Gmork
Fall for the hype, join the dark side etc. Get an Asus EEE 1000H, awesome little machine. We have cookies.

I bought one a few weeks ago....but I didn't get any cookies :(
Quote Xir 21st November 2008, 08:17
Germany's biggest consumermarkets claim the Samsung and an LG to have TV-out.
Couldn't find this on their websites though.

Why don't netbooks have 1000 Ethernet? Its not really more expensive anymore?
To fill 160GB over 100 Network takes ages.
Quote Aterius Gmork 21st November 2008, 16:40
Quote:
Originally Posted by Furymouse
I bought one a few weeks ago....but I didn't get any cookies :(

http://www.case-modder.de/wcf/images/smilies/cookie.png
Quote Nedsbeds 21st November 2008, 18:39
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xir
Germany's biggest consumermarkets claim the Samsung and an LG to have TV-out.
Couldn't find this on their websites though.

Why don't netbooks have 1000 Ethernet? Its not really more expensive anymore?
To fill 160GB over 100 Network takes ages.

As soon as one appears with tv out then I am replacing my laptop with a netbook. It's a shame none of them even offer tv out over the vga socket
Quote Abhorsen 21st November 2008, 23:22
Very similar to all the others and the styling wouldn't warrant any reason to go for it over another.

The Samsung would be my choice at this price point purely for better appearance.
Quote Furymouse 22nd November 2008, 20:19
Thank you Aterius, apparently that cookie made my day :)
Quote Xir 24th November 2008, 13:58
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nedsbeds
As soon as one appears with tv out then I am replacing my laptop with a netbook. It's a shame none of them even offer tv out over the vga socket

Puuuuh *wipebrow* I thought I was the only one using TV out here :D
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