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Packard Bell Legend for sale on E-Bay

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bettablue

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http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=301082070263&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123

This link to an E-Bay auction is a blast from the past, so to speak. The computer being sold is the exact same computer I paid almost $1000.00 for back in 1995 when Windows 95 was first released with new computers. The only difference here is that I bought the 640 X 480 monitor with the side mounted speakers, mechanical keyboard and rollerball mouse. At first, I thought it was hot stuff. But then, I didn't really know anything about hardware back then. It came with a 75MHz Pentium processor, 4 MB of RAM, a $X CD-ROM and a whopping huge 540 MB hard disc. It didn't take long for me to learn about upgrading the system. Prior to that, the only computer I had actually owned was a TRS-80 Color Computer, but learning the new system was easy. I later learned that Packard Bell Legend series were considered to be the worst computer of all time! I guess I got lucky.

I still stand by my opinion that the GUI was both the best and worst thing to ever happen to the home computer industry. Good in that Windows made it so that anyone with any common sense could now use a computer, and bad because of the very same reason. Anyone with no common sense at all could now use a computer. I knew about running DOS, and could write my own software, but Windows 95 was almost the end of that for me, which is why I fell into vintage computing so easily.
I still have fond memories of working with my Packard Bell. It is the one computer that helped me the most in learning about systems and hardware so that I would eventually get a great job working at UPS in their technical support desk, and where I also reached the position of Supervisor/trainer, and even technical writer.

Thanks to my Packard Bell, I ended up having a great career, from which I had eventually had to retire because of medical issues. And to think it all started because I wanted something to keep me busy while I was on disability waiting for a new hip replacement. It really goes to show you that you never know what will happen, or what direction your life will take when you get into something new.
 
I read somewhere (don't know if it's true) that the 75 MHz Pentium was created specifically at Packard Bell's request, because they wanted a cheaper Pentium to sell, even though Intel had intented to make 90 MHz the minimum for their P54 series.
 
It wouldn't surprise me. And, that kinda makes sense because nobody else had a 75 MHz Pentium. I think that's also why PB got the bad rap they did too. To be honest, I bought one that had to be returned within a week of purchase, but once I got the replacement, I was pretty happy, that is until I began learning about their lack of resources.

vwestlife said:
I read somewhere (don't know if it's true) that the 75 MHz Pentium was created specifically at Packard Bell's request, because they wanted a cheaper Pentium to sell, even though Intel had intented to make 90 MHz the minimum for their P54 series.
Click to expand...
 
What do you mean no one else had a Pentium 75MHz model? Compaq had them in their all-in-one Presario 5522 and other models, as did a number of other OEMs
 
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Packard Bell was the only one I was aware of who had anything lower than a P-90. As for others, well, again, I stand corrected.

Caluser2000 said:
What do you mean no one else had a Pentium 75MHz model? Compaq had them in their all-in-one Presario 5522 and other models, as did a number of other OEMs
Click to expand...
 
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