Packard Bell is celebrating its 100th birthday with a turntable in a suitcase
Yes, you read that correctly: PB's DotLoop is a portable turntable
by Mike Lowe · T3
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As part of its 100th anniversary celebrations, Packard Bell, which was acquired by Acer back in 2008, is to release a new line of products under the 'Dot' moniker.
The headline-grabber of them all, however, is the DotLoop, which is a portable turntable housed in its own briefcase structure. It'll go on sale in Europe later this month, priced €149.
For many people of a certain age, Packard Bell will hold a special place in their memories. The once computer giant exited from the States back in 2008, due to acquisition by Acer.
But that doesn't mean the brand vanished in its entirety, as Acer has used PB's marque to launch various products over the years – before phasing it out in 2013. But 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the brand's original founding date.
To celebrate, Acer has revived the brand – and there's a whole new product series, called Dot, with various value-proposition products set for European launch this month. The highlight? It's got to be the DotLoop, which is a portable turntable housed in none other than a briefcase.
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There's certainly been a major retro revival over recent years, with vinyl in particular picking up a lot of attention. It's fitting of the brand's history, too, as accessible radio products were a big part of its success – before selling personal computers.
The DotLoop weighs 3kg, features two built-in 3W speakers for output, or you can override with RCA wired or Bluetooth out to connect with another system – such as a portable wireless Bluetooth speaker.
It's also not the first time we've seen tech sandwiched into a briefcase. LG is the most prominent that springs to mind, with its portable OLED TV product – the StanbyMe – which wasn't the stuff of concept, but a real, viable on-sale product.
The Packard Bell prospect isn't nearly as pricey as LG's telly, though, with its September launch price set at €149 for the EMEA market (that's Europe, Middle East and Africa – it won't be more widely on sale).
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There's a bunch more in the Dot range, too, from a home speaker (DotTune) to headphones (DotBass), audio glasses (DotLook) to a feature phone (DotLine) and laptop (DotBook).
Separately to Packard Bell's 100th anniversary reveal, Acer has also launched a swathe of new product as part of its annual global conference at the IFA show in Berlin, Germany.