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By and large, the computers made today are pretty reliable. Sure, sometimes companies have problems like Dell did a few years ago with bad capacitors on motherboard but compared to the pieces of… equipment… that were sold in the 80’s and 90’s, we’ve got it pretty good.

Who made the worst PC ever? There are so many options to choose from, it’s hard to choose. Below is a list of some of the worst ones I could come up with. Rather than include current manufacturers, I’ve only listed makers who’s brands are, quite rightly, on the ash heap of history.

Pick the brand you thought was the worst or click Other and sound off in the Comment section:

Name the brand that was the worst PC-compatible:

View Results

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Who made the worst PC ever? John Sheesley - TechRepublic ProTechrepublic Moderator | 04/18/08
Suprised Compaq didn't make the list. Locrian_Lyric | 04/21/08
Compaq not on the list John Sheesley - TechRepublic ProTechrepublic Moderator | 04/21/08
never understood that move by HP... Locrian_Lyric | 04/21/08
HP bought Compaq... gibsonrd | 04/25/08
To beat IBM and Dell John Sheesley - TechRepublic ProTechrepublic Moderator | 04/25/08
From my understanding The Scummy One | 04/25/08
HP bought Compaq for a couple of reasons mkoelsch@... | 04/29/08
From another perspective Oz_Media | 04/25/08
Compaq brings a tear to my eye... ben@... | 05/14/08
I thought it was a good move dch48 | 09/28/08
The original Compaqs were built like tanks... JohnMcGrew@... | 04/21/08
Ditto that for the CD-ROMs Locrian_Lyric | 04/21/08
True Oz_Media | 04/25/08
Bad news if that's the case... Wolfie2K3 | 10/24/08
Not computer but programs installed mitchharris1947@... | 12/22/08
Worst PC Title Goes to Packard Bell donaldcoe@... | 04/21/08
You mean Packaged Hell BrendanMeehan | 04/25/08
Better name - Crappy Smell Dr. John | 05/08/08
Packard Bell / teladyne pmbrent@... | 05/08/08
IBM doesn't own E-Machines.. Wolfie2K3 | 10/24/08
And dch48 | 10/25/08
Not exactly what you had asked... NotSoChiGuy | 04/21/08
I had an eMachine... boxfiddler | 04/21/08
My eMachine experience JamesRL | 04/21/08
wasn't it e machines ??? ijusth@... | 04/21/08
Must have been a long time ago. JamesRL | 04/21/08
eMachine...the words that should never be spoken. mkoelsch@... | 04/29/08
E-word lilhaje | 04/29/08
eMachines are the worst erikbjersee@... | 05/01/08
EMACHINE watsrob | 05/23/08
E-Machines are fine dch48 | 09/28/08
who made the worst computer ever stargate1121@... | 04/22/08
Dell is slipping in quality, and their tech support BITES! Locrian_Lyric | 04/22/08
"Packaged Hell" gets my vote douglaswlloyd@... | 04/25/08
Acer Oz_Media | 04/25/08
IBM strickjh2005@... | 04/27/08
I can't beleive nobody said 'I did' DanLM | 05/04/08
Ha! boxfiddler | 05/04/08
lol, I deserved that... But I swear, I was lurking in this thread DanLM | 05/04/08
Blind... boxfiddler | 05/04/08
Tweezers! NickNielsen | 05/05/08
Darn good point! seanferd | 05/05/08
Worst PC jck | 05/08/08
You Forgot Jarmstrong@... | 08/22/08
TRS-80's John Sheesley - TechRepublic ProTechrepublic Moderator | 08/25/08
Tandy moved to 16 bit in 1982. deepsand | 09/01/08
Shame on me John Sheesley - TechRepublic ProTechrepublic Moderator | 09/02/08
Mod 16 & 6000 came with both TRS-DOS & TRS-XENIX . deepsand | 09/02/08
Have you had much experience with TRS machines? deepsand | 09/01/08
Subject santeewelding | 09/01/08
Still up to my ass in alligators & herding cats. deepsand | 09/02/08
Yours santeewelding | 09/02/08
Cats fast; 'gators slow. deepsand | 09/03/08
who made worst pc ever? kctobyjoe | 09/10/08
early Gateway were bad dch48 | 09/28/08
Gateway Business/Education butkus@... | 05/20/09
RE: Who made the worst PC ever? jmhmaine | 04/18/08
Bad Acers John Sheesley - TechRepublic ProTechrepublic Moderator | 04/18/08
Acers were great, once you got one that worked.... robo_dev | 04/18/08
Great now djmorrissey | 04/18/08
Agree... boxfiddler | 04/21/08
The Ti44A was a junk heap RFink | 04/18/08
The TI99 4/A John Sheesley - TechRepublic ProTechrepublic Moderator | 04/18/08
TI 99/4A ben@... | 05/14/08
... worst PC.... jaqpc1@... | 05/27/08
I loved mine, it got me started. TripleII | 04/18/08
Absolutely! RknRlKid | 04/18/08
Not me GSG | 04/18/08
Entering the codes Freebird54 | 04/22/08
Tying in programmes service@... | 09/10/08
Same here klaasvanbe@... | 09/24/08
"Junky," perhaps; but, it was a delight for the hardware hackers. deepsand | 04/18/08
Junk? Palmetto | 04/21/08
Or, it may have been the physical form that put him off it. deepsand | 04/21/08
No doubt in my mind NickNielsen | 04/18/08
5 1/4" floppy TripleII | 04/18/08
Oh yeah, the Amstrad trackpads@... | 04/18/08
The Amstrad WAS the "fzhit" cory.schultze@... | 04/21/08
M1 Tank Platoon JamesRL | 04/21/08
Oh yeah trackpads@... | 04/29/08
I have one GSG | 04/18/08
The only thing worse than a Packard Bell was... CaptBilly1Eye | 04/18/08
eMachines ray44420@... | 04/21/08
Whoa! Blast from da Past! :-) CaptBilly1Eye | 04/21/08
One virus in the BIOS and it's garbage BALTHOR | 04/18/08
If you don't have anything intelligent to say, Palmetto | 04/21/08
I'd say its a toss up between... itpro_z | 04/18/08
RE: Who made the worst PC ever? mjd420nova | 04/18/08
RE: Who made the worst PC ever? colnorth@... | 04/18/08
RE: Who made the worst PC ever? kernsconsulting@... | 04/19/08
Packard Bell wins, but really its anything that is proprietary RknRlKid | 04/19/08
PackardHells jdclyde | 04/21/08
Leading Edge Palmetto | 04/21/08
RE: Who made the worst PC ever? Dennis.Keeling@... | 04/21/08
Radio Shack patfoley@... | 04/21/08
ah yes, the "Trash-80" Locrian_Lyric | 04/21/08
Not really dch48 | 09/28/08
Not Radio Shack! teyoung68 | 04/21/08
Radio Shack/ Tandy John Sheesley - TechRepublic ProTechrepublic Moderator | 04/21/08
Anyone remember the Colico 'Adam' Locrian_Lyric | 04/21/08
Coleco Adam Whyaylooh | 04/28/08
I still have one dch48 | 09/28/08
TRS-80s get a bum rap. deepsand | 04/21/08
Fond spot for TRS-80's NotSoChiGuy | 04/22/08
I still have the Speech Synthesizer for the Mod I Level II. deepsand | 04/24/08
Tandy 1000A snoopy_tn | 05/02/08
Sounds like the 1000A was pretty good to you. deepsand | 07/10/08
Pre-A 1000 John Sheesley - TechRepublic ProTechrepublic Moderator | 07/11/08
Ditto for the HD added to my 1000A. deepsand | 07/13/08
Not even close. deepsand | 04/21/08
Grid was the worst sboverie@... | 04/21/08
Grid? John Sheesley - TechRepublic ProTechrepublic Moderator | 04/21/08
Grids really did suck! nixon_public@... | 04/25/08
RE: Who made the worst PC ever? ksharp25@... | 04/21/08
PB, gotta be PB... RipVan | 04/22/08
RE: Who made the worst PC ever? Maui Lion | 04/24/08
Mine constantly booted into Safe Mode... boxfiddler | 04/24/08
emachine kehoffman | 04/25/08
RE: Who made the worst PC ever? Joe Cement Mason | 04/25/08
RE: Who made the worst PC ever? Sensor Guy | 04/25/08
Ummm, forgot about those chiclets. deepsand | 04/25/08
RE: Who made the worst PC ever? elangomatt | 04/25/08
Well, what do you think? for_merlin@... | 04/25/08
RE: Who made the worst PC ever? celmert@... | 04/25/08
RE: Who made the worst PC ever? jhelliott@... | 04/25/08
The PC Junior? ken@... | 04/26/08
Actually, the chiclets were already mentioned, just not in an obvious way. deepsand | 04/26/08
RE: Who made the worst PC ever? still_learntoo | 04/26/08
What Model ? deepsand | 04/27/08
RE: Who made the worst PC ever? vicpf51@... | 04/27/08
Heard horror stories, or experienced such? deepsand | 04/27/08
Worst PC? Easy: IBM NetVista. airacobra@... | 04/27/08
RE: Who made the worst PC ever? donahl01@... | 04/27/08
RE: Who made the worst PC ever? dbristol@... | 04/28/08
RE: Who made the worst PC ever? lgamoran@... | 04/29/08
RE: Who made the worst PC ever? glen2gs | 05/04/08
RE: Who made the worst PC ever? jthacker@... | 05/08/08
Me, with help from AMD, Toshiba, and Asus mikewbc | 05/08/08
Dauphin DTR carrilion | 05/08/08
What about the Apple Lisa? tyner@... | 05/09/08
I don't think it was so much a "bad" computer... JohnMcGrew@... | 05/11/08
RE: Who made the worst PC ever? webmaster@... | 05/13/08
,, Ctec2001@... | 05/14/08
Packard Bell: Possibly got an unfair review? Ctec2001@... | 05/14/08
Possibly. Possibly not... seanferd | 05/14/08
Hate to break it to you but... devlin_X | 05/28/08
I wonder dstowesr | 07/01/08
PB not HP. seanferd | 07/02/08
Acer bought Packard Bell, NOT rwjs@... | 02/12/09
Acer didn't purchase HP John Sheesley - TechRepublic ProTechrepublic Moderator | 07/02/08
RE: Who made the worst PC ever? unprofitableservant27@... | 06/21/08
Owned a Packard Bell that actually worked for years. pccoder28@... | 09/09/08
We were wondering what happened to the demo machine! deepsand | 09/21/08
RE: Who made the worst PC ever? secerov@... | 09/10/08
Only by reputation, not from persoanl experience. deepsand | 09/21/08
RE: Who made the worst PC ever? SirMykol@... | 09/24/08
RE: Who Made the Worst PC Ever?=NOT AT&T m1keh | 10/09/08
RE: Who made the worst PC ever? victoriabreton@... | 12/03/08
RE: Who made the worst PC ever? rlcomp@... | 01/15/09
EVESHAM The 'G-Man.' | 01/15/09

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