🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <349d64b2.0@news2.ibm.net>, shawn <shawn1@nospam.ibm.net>
writes
>I guess you need something to comfort you after making a huge mistake. I
>learned my lesson years ago about packard smell. Sorry to hear about your
>purchases.....Shawn
>pfarson@ix.#.com wrote in message <67f6o6$936@bgtnsc03.worldnet.att.net>...
>>I just found this web site, all of you that own Packard Bell Computers
>>should love it.
>>http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/8774/
>>
>>Enjoy :)
>>Paul

Followed the directions good site.  I have a Packard Bell and it seems
OK.
-- 
Mark
P.120, Windows 95, Turnpike 3.04, ME 4.

I guess you need something to comfort you after making a huge mistake. I
learned my lesson years ago about packard smell. Sorry to hear about your
purchases.....Shawn
pfarson@ix.#.com wrote in message <67f6o6$936@bgtnsc03.worldnet.att.net>...
>I just found this web site, all of you that own Packard Bell Computers
>should love it.
>http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/8774/
>
>Enjoy :)
>Paul

I'll bet the upgrades for the Packard Bell were very costly unless you used
generic parts. I personally hate PB because they tend to go crazy the day
after your warranty goes out. Then when you call Tech Support the first
thing they ask you for is your Credit Card number.

That's no way to do business!!!


TONYs wrote in message <01bd17ad$c91639e0$cdb785ce@default>...
>probably 90% of the people who complain about them have never owned
>one...they only pass along hear say......i have two of them..they work
>fine.....no problems.....can and have upgraded them...Tonys
>
>i have alot built and sold many homebuilt computers for friends and
>family.....
>
>Rob Alexander <robnews@nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote in article
><oIBw0AAzoSr0EwVl@mhairi.demon.co.uk>...
>> Upon the day of Sun, 21 Dec 1997, shawn <shawn1@nospam.ibm.net> scrawled
>> on the wall (in blood):
>> >I guess you need something to comfort you after making a huge mistake. I
>> >learned my lesson years ago about packard smell. Sorry to hear about
>your
>> >purchases.....Shawn
>> >pfarson@ix.#.com wrote in message
><67f6o6$936@bgtnsc03.worldnet.att.net>...
>> >>I just found this web site, all of you that own Packard Bell Computers
>> >>should love it.
>> >>http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/8774/
>>
>> Why do so many people hate Packard-Bell PCs? I've never seem one, but
>> I'm just curious.
>> --
>> Rob Alexander           Replace nospam with mhairi to reply
>>
>> www.mhairi.demon.co.uk
>>
>>
>

Packard Bell assembles PCs form cheap, no-name components, many of
which are proprietary designs (i.e. forget upgrades.)  The customer
service also sucks.  

Packard Bell essentially makes PCs for the mass merchandise channel
(i.e. K-Mart, Circuit City, and the like) for people who don't known
enough to do some research before they buy a product.  

These are "throw away PCs", designed to make you come back to the mass
merchandise store every 2-3 years to buy a new PC.

Peter



On Fri, 2 Jan 1998 17:56:03 +0000, Rob Alexander
<robnews@nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote:

>Upon the day of Sun, 21 Dec 1997, shawn <shawn1@nospam.ibm.net> scrawled
>on the wall (in blood):
>>I guess you need something to comfort you after making a huge mistake. I
>>learned my lesson years ago about packard smell. Sorry to hear about your
>>purchases.....Shawn
>>pfarson@ix.#.com wrote in message <67f6o6$936@bgtnsc03.worldnet.att.net>...
>>>I just found this web site, all of you that own Packard Bell Computers
>>>should love it.
>>>http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/8774/
>
>Why do so many people hate Packard-Bell PCs? I've never seem one, but
>I'm just curious.
>-- 
>Rob Alexander           Replace nospam with mhairi to reply
>        
>www.mhairi.demon.co.uk
>

In <01bd17ad$c91639e0$cdb785ce@default>, on 01/02/98 
   at 06:43 PM, "TONYs" <AARCUDA@prodigy.net> said:

>probably 90% of the people who complain about them have never owned
>one...they only pass along hear say......i have two of them..they work
>fine.....no problems.....can and have upgraded them...Tonys

Good for you, you're in the minority.  When I worked in retail I had 1 PB
a week come back, 0 Compac, 0 IBM, 0 Apple, 3 or 4 Leading Edge(total
junk).

My best friend and I tried to upgrade a PB for his son.  We eventually
just cut all the slots out of the back and used standard parts. 

----------------------------------------------------
reply to:

grimel
@icx       Sorry for the trouble, I'm just getting to much spam. .net

-----------------------------------------------------------

Upon the day of Sun, 21 Dec 1997, shawn <shawn1@nospam.ibm.net> scrawled
on the wall (in blood):
>I guess you need something to comfort you after making a huge mistake. I
>learned my lesson years ago about packard smell. Sorry to hear about your
>purchases.....Shawn
>pfarson@ix.#.com wrote in message <67f6o6$936@bgtnsc03.worldnet.att.net>...
>>I just found this web site, all of you that own Packard Bell Computers
>>should love it.
>>http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/8774/

Why do so many people hate Packard-Bell PCs? I've never seem one, but
I'm just curious.
-- 
Rob Alexander           Replace nospam with mhairi to reply
        
www.mhairi.demon.co.uk

On Fri, 2 Jan 1998 17:56:03 +0000, Rob Alexander
<robnews@nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote:

>Upon the day of Sun, 21 Dec 1997, shawn <shawn1@nospam.ibm.net> scrawled
>on the wall (in blood):
>>I guess you need something to comfort you after making a huge mistake. I
>>learned my lesson years ago about packard smell. Sorry to hear about your
>>purchases.....Shawn
>>pfarson@ix.#.com wrote in message <67f6o6$936@bgtnsc03.worldnet.att.net>...
>>>I just found this web site, all of you that own Packard Bell Computers
>>>should love it.
>>>http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/8774/
>
>Why do so many people hate Packard-Bell PCs? I've never seem one, but
>I'm just curious.

  When you've seen one you may have a better idea.
  IMHO they aren't *that* much worse than some other 'propriatory'
machines.

   Regards,
         Harry.

probably 90% of the people who complain about them have never owned
one...they only pass along hear say......i have two of them..they work
fine.....no problems.....can and have upgraded them...Tonys

i have alot built and sold many homebuilt computers for friends and
family.....

Rob Alexander <robnews@nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote in article
<oIBw0AAzoSr0EwVl@mhairi.demon.co.uk>...
> Upon the day of Sun, 21 Dec 1997, shawn <shawn1@nospam.ibm.net> scrawled
> on the wall (in blood):
> >I guess you need something to comfort you after making a huge mistake. I
> >learned my lesson years ago about packard smell. Sorry to hear about
your
> >purchases.....Shawn
> >pfarson@ix.#.com wrote in message
<67f6o6$936@bgtnsc03.worldnet.att.net>...
> >>I just found this web site, all of you that own Packard Bell Computers
> >>should love it.
> >>http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/8774/
> 
> Why do so many people hate Packard-Bell PCs? I've never seem one, but
> I'm just curious.
> -- 
> Rob Alexander           Replace nospam with mhairi to reply
>         
> www.mhairi.demon.co.uk
> 
> 

In article <68ois5$rr4@bgtnsc03.worldnet.att.net>, Keatahh
<Keatahh@worldnet.att.net> writes

>Ever try putting extra cards in them? or extra memory? ha! Your worst
>nightmare: a packard bell '286 with dos 4.01 and 1 meg of memory.

Wrong! If you had a <insert name of favourite computer
manufacturer/assembler here> '286 with DOS 4.01 and 1Mb that would much
worse.

At least with the PB you'd only be throwing away a heap of shit when it
was time to upgade.
-- 
Tim Stannard -  Ad Hoc Computing, Addlestone, Surrey, UK 
                Tel/Fax: 01932 830572  Mob: 0411 056178
                e-mail: stannard@adhoc.demon.co.uk

Regrettably, I have a PB.  I bought it before I new better.  However, I
have been fortunate in that I have not had a lot of problems with it.

I do want to upgrade my BI0S.  I down loaded it from the PB site.  But
without a warranty they will not assist me.   Can anyone tell me how
this is done?

Please reply to my email address (kelly@cliffhanger.com) as well as this
list.

Kelly
--
Kelly Scroggins
kelly@cliffhanger.com
http://www.dhc.net/~kelly/index.html
http://www.dhc.net/~kelly/sailwings.html
http://www.dhc.net/~kelly/bmf.html
http://members.aol.com/flymexico/index.html

I have a Packard Bell, and it''s a piece of shit. Packard Bell cuts corners
like crazy. 

The video card and motherboard are integrated, the monitor is so round that
if I look at it sideways I can't see the text at the corner of my screen.
It has a "Raiser" card for all the cards that probably has the same bus
speed as the ISA ports!!!

Their technical support just gives you the run around, their products don't
last beyond their warranty (unless you get really lucky).

Other than that their a pretty good company.

	Hamid
	(Visit: http://www.comp-info.com)

> 
> Why do so many people hate Packard-Bell PCs? I've never seem one, but
> I'm just curious.
> -- 
> Rob Alexander           Replace nospam with mhairi to reply
>         
> www.mhairi.demon.co.uk
> 
> 

Now that NEC owns a larger share of Packard Bell,
I wonder how much of that "Packard Bell Technology"
we'll see in the NEC line of computers.  I couldn't imagine
it going the other way with NEC making improvements in
the design of the Packard Bell systems.  On the realistic
side of it, Packard Bell owners got just what they paid
for - I don't mean this in a bad way.  If they dropped $1200
for a PB system instead of $1700 for a Gateway, they got
their money's worth - no more, no less.  Also, as other major
manufacturers struggle to manufacture a PC for under $1,000,
I'm sure we'll see lots of corners cut in the process.

Hamid <badiozam@rohan.sdsu.edu> wrote in article
<01bd18bd$85f2a840$379fbf82@numenor.sdsu.edu>...
> I have a Packard Bell, and it''s a piece of shit. Packard Bell cuts
corners
> like crazy. 
> 
> The video card and motherboard are integrated, the monitor is so round
that
> if I look at it sideways I can't see the text at the corner of my screen.
> It has a "Raiser" card for all the cards that probably has the same bus
> speed as the ISA ports!!!
> 
> Their technical support just gives you the run around, their products
don't
> last beyond their warranty (unless you get really lucky).
> 
> Other than that their a pretty good company.
> 
> 	Hamid
> 	(Visit: http://www.comp-info.com)
> 
> > 
> > Why do so many people hate Packard-Bell PCs? I've never seem one, but
> > I'm just curious.
> > -- 
> > Rob Alexander           Replace nospam with mhairi to reply
> >         
> > www.mhairi.demon.co.uk
> > 
> > 
> 

Wayne Ernst <wjernstaa@pressroom.com> wrote in article
<01bd18c0$461c7720$5d8345c6@default>...
[snip]
> their money's worth - no more, no less.  Also, as other major
> manufacturers struggle to manufacture a PC for under $1,000,
> I'm sure we'll see lots of corners cut in the process.

but at least most other manufacturers use _standard_ parts.

TB

Ernest <ernest@noel*sys.demon.co.uk> wrote in article
<883874580snz@noel*sys.demon.co.uk>...
> In article <oIBw0AAzoSr0EwVl@mhairi.demon.co.uk>
>            robnews@nospam.demon.co.uk "Rob Alexander" writes:
> 
> > Why do so many people hate Packard-Bell PCs? I've never seem one, but
> > I'm just curious.
> 
> If I recall correctly (and I'm pretty sure about this), a couple of
> years ago a competitor, Compaq I believe, took PB to court for
> advertising/supplying, their pc's as new BUT the pc's often contained
> refurbished parts which had been returned as faulty under warranty.
> PB were forced to change their ways.

Not parts exactly but still working bits out of full returned systems, say
the motherboard was cracked and the customer took another machine away - PB
would reuse the hard drive, memory and so on, IMHO there's nothing wrong
with that but the courts didn't see it that way.

That's how I heard it.

TB

Wayne Ernst wrote:
> 
> Now that NEC owns a larger share of Packard Bell,
> I wonder how much of that "Packard Bell Technology"
> we'll see in the NEC line of computers.  I couldn't imagine
> it going the other way with NEC making improvements in
> the design of the Packard Bell systems.  On the realistic
> side of it, Packard Bell owners got just what they paid
> for - I don't mean this in a bad way.  If they dropped $1200
> for a PB system instead of $1700 for a Gateway, they got
> their money's worth - no more, no less.  Also, as other major
> manufacturers struggle to manufacture a PC for under $1,000,
> I'm sure we'll see lots of corners cut in the process.
> 
> Hamid <badiozam@rohan.sdsu.edu> wrote in article
> <01bd18bd$85f2a840$379fbf82@numenor.sdsu.edu>...
> > I have a Packard Bell, and it''s a piece of shit. Packard Bell cuts
> corners
> > like crazy.
> >
> > The video card and motherboard are integrated, the monitor is so round
> that
> > if I look at it sideways I can't see the text at the corner of my screen.
> > It has a "Raiser" card for all the cards that probably has the same bus
> > speed as the ISA ports!!!
> >
> > Their technical support just gives you the run around, their products
> don't
> > last beyond their warranty (unless you get really lucky).
> >
> > Other than that their a pretty good company.
> >
> >       Hamid
> >       (Visit: http://www.comp-info.com)
> >
> > >
> > > Why do so many people hate Packard-Bell PCs? I've never seem one, but
> > > I'm just curious.
> > > --
> > > Rob Alexander           Replace nospam with mhairi to reply
> > >
> > > www.mhairi.demon.co.uk
> > >
> > >
> >
Ever try putting extra cards in them? or extra memory? ha! Your worst
nightmare: a packard bell '286 with dos 4.01 and 1 meg of memory.
-- 
Remove the extra "h" if you wish to reply.

In article <oIBw0AAzoSr0EwVl@mhairi.demon.co.uk>
           robnews@nospam.demon.co.uk "Rob Alexander" writes:

> Why do so many people hate Packard-Bell PCs? I've never seem one, but
> I'm just curious.

If I recall correctly (and I'm pretty sure about this), a couple of
years ago a competitor, Compaq I believe, took PB to court for
advertising/supplying, their pc's as new BUT the pc's often contained
refurbished parts which had been returned as faulty under warranty.
PB were forced to change their ways.

But, their market image was savaged. And customers don't forget
quickly. To wit Amstrad, Lancia (rust), etc, etc.

Ernest
-- 
ernest     at Noel Systems, near Kingston-upon-Thames (UK)
           (if replying by email, remove the * from address)

In article <shWQ1LAZWAs0EwPQ@adhoc.demon.co.uk>
           Stannard@adhoc.demon.co.uk "Tim Stannard" writes:

 > Wrong! If you had a <insert name of favourite computer
 > manufacturer/assembler here> '286 with DOS 4.01 and 1Mb that
 > would much worse.

Insert "Olivetti" and you've described my current footrest (Olivetti
M280 - 286 with DOS 4.01 and 1Mb RAM - honestly!)

-- 
Simon Child

Almost every "brand-name" PC has integrated video and riser cards (Compaq
Presario, Compaq Deskpro, HP Vectra).

I'm not defending any PC maker... My philosophy is if it works for you, then
it's the PC you need.


--

** IMPORTANT **
** It is unfortunate, but to help reduce unwanted e-mail,
** the E-Mail address in this message has been modified.
** Please remove the extra s in ross to reply.
** Thank you for your understanding in this matter...


Hamid wrote in message <01bd18bd$85f2a840$379fbf82@numenor.sdsu.edu>...
>I have a Packard Bell, and it''s a piece of shit. Packard Bell cuts corners
>like crazy.
>
>The video card and motherboard are integrated, the monitor is so round that
>if I look at it sideways I can't see the text at the corner of my screen.
>It has a "Raiser" card for all the cards that probably has the same bus
>speed as the ISA ports!!!
>
>Their technical support just gives you the run around, their products don't
>last beyond their warranty (unless you get really lucky).
>
>Other than that their a pretty good company.
>
> Hamid
> (Visit: http://www.comp-info.com)
>
>>
>> Why do so many people hate Packard-Bell PCs? I've never seem one, but
>> I'm just curious.
>> --
>> Rob Alexander           Replace nospam with mhairi to reply
>>
>> www.mhairi.demon.co.uk
>>
>>

pfarson@ix.#.com wrote:
> 
> I just found this web site, all of you that own Packard Bell Computers
> should love it.
> http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/8774/
> 
> Enjoy :)
> Paul
Yes thank you, great site.  I found it most useful.

John

In article <34b17b06.2871547@news.supernews.com>, Robert Mullen
<rmullen@serv.net> writes
>I agree that PB sucks but only because they tend to be much slower
>than other computers. I had a Legend 60 (pentium) 

<SNIPS>

Yep, longest boot-up sequence in history.

<ESTHER RANTZEN>
Unless, of course, you kniow different.
</ESTHER RANTZEN>
-- 
Tim Stannard -  Ad Hoc Computing, Addlestone, Surrey, UK 
                Tel/Fax: 01932 830572  Mob: 0411 056178
                e-mail: stannard@adhoc.demon.co.uk

I agree that PB sucks but only because they tend to be much slower
than other computers. I had a Legend 60 (pentium) as my primary
computer for a while and it was a dog. They are not completely
proprietary. Yes if you want to add a new MB you are stuck but you can
add (and I did) video card, sound card etc...    I still wouldnt buy
another, but lets get the reasons why they suck straight.

On Fri, 2 Jan 1998 13:39:19 -0600, "Kenny Scelfo" <kscelfo@juno.com>
wrote:

>I'll bet the upgrades for the Packard Bell were very costly unless you used
>generic parts. I personally hate PB because they tend to go crazy the day
>after your warranty goes out. Then when you call Tech Support the first
>thing they ask you for is your Credit Card number.
>
>That's no way to do business!!!
>
>
>TONYs wrote in message <01bd17ad$c91639e0$cdb785ce@default>...
>>probably 90% of the people who complain about them have never owned
>>one...they only pass along hear say......i have two of them..they work
>>fine.....no problems.....can and have upgraded them...Tonys
>>
>>i have alot built and sold many homebuilt computers for friends and
>>family.....
>>
>>Rob Alexander <robnews@nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote in article
>><oIBw0AAzoSr0EwVl@mhairi.demon.co.uk>...
>>> Upon the day of Sun, 21 Dec 1997, shawn <shawn1@nospam.ibm.net> scrawled
>>> on the wall (in blood):
>>> >I guess you need something to comfort you after making a huge mistake. I
>>> >learned my lesson years ago about packard smell. Sorry to hear about
>>your
>>> >purchases.....Shawn
>>> >pfarson@ix.#.com wrote in message
>><67f6o6$936@bgtnsc03.worldnet.att.net>...
>>> >>I just found this web site, all of you that own Packard Bell Computers
>>> >>should love it.
>>> >>http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/8774/
>>>
>>> Why do so many people hate Packard-Bell PCs? I've never seem one, but
>>> I'm just curious.
>>> --
>>> Rob Alexander           Replace nospam with mhairi to reply
>>>
>>> www.mhairi.demon.co.uk
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>

Kelly wrote in message <34AFD721.7789591B@cliffhanger.com>...
>Regrettably, I have a PB.  I bought it before I new better.  However, I
>have been fortunate in that I have not had a lot of problems with it.
>
>I do want to upgrade my BI0S.  I down loaded it from the PB site.  But
>without a warranty they will not assist me.   Can anyone tell me how
>this is done?


1. Create a system diskette

    FORMAT A: /S

2. Copy all files from the BIOS update utility to the newly created diskette

3.  Reboot your machine with the diskette in drive A:

4.  Follow the instructions given.  (You have the option of backing up your
current BIOS.  I strongly
    recommend you do this)

5.  After the update, write-protect the update diskette and store it in a
safe place.

Tom Lake

In article <884028296snz@child.demon.co.uk>, Simon Child
<simon@child.demon.co.uk> writes
>In article <shWQ1LAZWAs0EwPQ@adhoc.demon.co.uk>
>           Stannard@adhoc.demon.co.uk "Tim Stannard" writes:
>
> > Wrong! If you had a <insert name of favourite computer
> > manufacturer/assembler here> '286 with DOS 4.01 and 1Mb that
> > would much worse.
>
>Insert "Olivetti" and you've described my current footrest (Olivetti
>M280 - 286 with DOS 4.01 and 1Mb RAM - honestly!)
>

One of Olivetti's better models. They have a habit of producing some
very good machines and some very bad machines and very little in
between.

I think ths is because the Italians concentrate on style rather than
content.

And only the M200/300 series were really strong enough to act as
footrests- areal bugger getting the cases apart.
-- 
Tim Stannard -  Ad Hoc Computing, Addlestone, Surrey, UK 
                Tel/Fax: 01932 830572  Mob: 0411 056178
                e-mail: stannard@adhoc.demon.co.uk