<PAGE>
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
                             ----------------------

                                    FORM S-8

                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


                             BELL MICROPRODUCTS INC.
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)


                California                                    94-3057566
---------------------------------------------        ---------------------------
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation              (I.R.S. Employer
             or Organization)                            Identification Number)


                              1941 Ringwood Avenue
                           San Jose, California 95131
              (Address of Principal Executive Office and Zip Code)



                     BELL MICROPRODUCTS INC. 1998 STOCK PLAN
              BELL MICROPRODUCTS INC. EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
                            (Full Title of the Plan)

                                 W. Donald Bell
                      President and Chief Executive Officer
                             Bell Microproducts Inc.
                              1941 Ringwood Avenue
                           San Jose, California 95131
                                 (408) 451-9400
 (Name, Address and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)


                                   Copies to:
                              Melodie R. Rose, Esq.
                            Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.
                            1100 International Centre
                          Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                               CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
====================================================================================================================
                                                     PROPOSED               PROPOSED
                                                      MAXIMUM                MAXIMUM
  TITLE OF SECURITIES        AMOUNT TO BE          OFFERING PRICE           AGGREGATE               AMOUNT OF
   TO BE REGISTERED          REGISTERED(1)          PER SHARE(2)          OFFERING PRICE(2)      REGISTRATION FEE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                        <C>                     <C>                   <C>                    <C>
  Options to Purchase
Common Stock under the
         Plans                Indefinite               $ 0.00                 $ 0.00                 $0.00

 Common Stock issuable
   upon exercise of
 options granted under
     the 1998 Plan           600,000 shares            $11.30               $6,780,000               $624

 Common Stock issuable
   upon exercise of
 options granted under
    Employee Stock
     Purchase Plan           225,000 shares            $11.30               $2,542,500               $234
                                                                                                     ----

        TOTAL:                                                                                       $858

====================================================================================================================
</TABLE>

(1)      In addition, pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933,
         this Registration Statement also covers an indeterminate amount of
         interests to be offered or sold pursuant to the employee benefit plans
         described herein and any additional securities which may become
         issuable pursuant to anti-dilution provisions of the plans.

(2)      Estimated pursuant to Rule 457(h) solely for the purpose of calculating
         the registration fee and based upon the average of the high and low
         prices of the Registrant's Common Stock on April 23, 2002.

<PAGE>


         The purpose of this Registration Statement is to register additional
shares for issuance under the Registrant's 1998 Stock Plan and Employee Stock
Purchase Plan. The contents of the Registrant's Registration Statements on Form
S-8, Reg. Nos. 33-66580, 33-83398, 33-95968, 333-58053, 333-10837, 333-51724 and
333-72642, are incorporated herein by reference.



                                   SIGNATURES

         The Registrant. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of
1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it
meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in the City of San Jose and State of California, on the 26th
day of April, 2002.


                                    BELL MICROPRODUCTS INC.
                                    (the "Registrant")



                                    By       /s/ W. Donald Bell
                                      ------------------------------------------
                                          W. Donald Bell
                                          President and Chief Executive Officer




         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.



                               (Power of Attorney)


         Each of the undersigned constitutes and appoints W. Donald Bell and
Benedictus Borsboom his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, each acting
alone, with full powers of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his
name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign the Form S-8
Registration Statement of Bell Microproducts Inc. relating to the Company's 1998
Stock Plan and Employee Stock Purchase Plan and any or all amendments or
post-effective amendments to the Form S-8 Registration Statement, and to file
the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection
therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said
attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting alone, full power and authority to do
and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in
and about the premises, as fully to all



<PAGE>

intents and purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person, hereby
ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting
alone, or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done
by virtue hereof.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
         Signature                                   Title                                       Date
         ---------                                   -----                                       ----
<S>                                         <C>                                         <C>
/s/ W. Donald Bell                          President, Chief Executive                  April 26, 2002
---------------------------                 and Director (principal
W. Donald Bell                              executive officer)


/s/ Benedictus Borsboom                     Executive Vice President and                April 26, 2002
---------------------------                 Chief Financial Officer
Benedictus Borsboom                         (principal financial and
                                            accounting officer)


/s/ Gordon A. Campbell                      Director                                    April 26, 2002
---------------------------
Gordon A. Campbell


/s/ Eugene B. Chaiken                       Director                                    April 26, 2002
---------------------------
Eugene B. Chaiken


                                            Director                                            , 2002
---------------------------
Edward L. Gelbach


                                            Director                                            , 2002
---------------------------
James E. Ousley


/s/ Glenn E. Penisten                       Director                                    April 26, 2002
---------------------------
Glenn E. Penisten
</TABLE>



                                     - 3 -

<PAGE>

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549





                             Bell Microproducts Inc.


                         Form S-8 Registration Statement



                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit
Number     Exhibit Description

 5         Opinion and Consent of counsel re securities under the Plans
23.1       Consent of counsel (See Exhibit 5)
23.2       Consent of independent accountants
24         Power of attorney (See Signature Page)













                                     - 4 -
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{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "BELL MICROPRODUCTS INC", "cik": "0000900708", "assigned-sic": "5065", "irs-number": "943057566", "state-of-incorporation": "CA", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-87048", "film-number": "02622791"}, "business-address": {"street1": "1941 RINGWOOD AVE", "city": "SAN JOSE", "state": "CA", "zip": "95131-1721", "phone": "4084519400"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "1941 RINOWOOD AVENUE", "city": "SAN JOSE", "state": "CA", "zip": "95131-1721"}}
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
                             ----------------------

                                    FORM S-8

                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                             BELL MICROPRODUCTS INC.
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

                California                                    94-3057566
---------------------------------------------        ---------------------------
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation              (I.R.S. Employer
             or Organization)                            Identification Number)

                              1941 Ringwood Avenue
                           San Jose, California 95131
              (Address of Principal Executive Office and Zip Code)

                     BELL MICROPRODUCTS INC. 1998 STOCK PLAN
              BELL MICROPRODUCTS INC. EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
                            (Full Title of the Plan)

                                 W. Donald Bell
                      President and Chief Executive Officer
                             Bell Microproducts Inc.
                              1941 Ringwood Avenue
                           San Jose, California 95131
                                 (408) 451-9400
 (Name, Address and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)

                                   Copies to:
                              Melodie R. Rose, Esq.
                            Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.
                            1100 International Centre
                          Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
====================================================================================================================
                                                     PROPOSED               PROPOSED
                                                      MAXIMUM                MAXIMUM
  TITLE OF SECURITIES        AMOUNT TO BE          OFFERING PRICE           AGGREGATE               AMOUNT OF
   TO BE REGISTERED          REGISTERED(1)          PER SHARE(2)          OFFERING PRICE(2)      REGISTRATION FEE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Options to Purchase
Common Stock under the
         Plans                Indefinite               $ 0.00                 $ 0.00                 $0.00

 Common Stock issuable
   upon exercise of
 options granted under
     the 1998 Plan           600,000 shares            $11.30               $6,780,000               $624

 Common Stock issuable
   upon exercise of
 options granted under
    Employee Stock
     Purchase Plan           225,000 shares            $11.30               $2,542,500               $234
                                                                                                     ----

        TOTAL:                                                                                       $858

====================================================================================================================
(1)      In addition, pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933,
         this Registration Statement also covers an indeterminate amount of
         interests to be offered or sold pursuant to the employee benefit plans
         described herein and any additional securities which may become
         issuable pursuant to anti-dilution provisions of the plans.

(2)      Estimated pursuant to Rule 457(h) solely for the purpose of calculating
         the registration fee and based upon the average of the high and low
         prices of the Registrant's Common Stock on April 23, 2002.
The purpose of this Registration Statement is to register additional
shares for issuance under the Registrant's 1998 Stock Plan and Employee Stock
Purchase Plan. The contents of the Registrant's Registration Statements on Form
S-8, Reg. Nos. 33-66580, 33-83398, 33-95968, 333-58053, 333-10837, 333-51724 and
333-72642, are incorporated herein by reference.

                                   SIGNATURES

         The Registrant. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of
1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it
meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in the City of San Jose and State of California, on the 26th
day of April, 2002.

                                    BELL MICROPRODUCTS INC.
                                    (the "Registrant")

                                    By       /s/ W. Donald Bell
                                      ------------------------------------------
                                          W. Donald Bell
                                          President and Chief Executive Officer

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.

                               (Power of Attorney)

         Each of the undersigned constitutes and appoints W. Donald Bell and
Benedictus Borsboom his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, each acting
alone, with full powers of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his
name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign the Form S-8
Registration Statement of Bell Microproducts Inc. relating to the Company's 1998
Stock Plan and Employee Stock Purchase Plan and any or all amendments or
post-effective amendments to the Form S-8 Registration Statement, and to file
the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection
therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said
attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting alone, full power and authority to do
and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in
and about the premises, as fully to all
intents and purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person, hereby
ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, each acting
alone, or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done
by virtue hereof.
Signature                                   Title                                       Date
         ---------                                   -----                                       ----
/s/ W. Donald Bell                          President, Chief Executive                  April 26, 2002
---------------------------                 and Director (principal
W. Donald Bell                              executive officer)

/s/ Benedictus Borsboom                     Executive Vice President and                April 26, 2002
---------------------------                 Chief Financial Officer
Benedictus Borsboom                         (principal financial and
                                            accounting officer)

/s/ Gordon A. Campbell                      Director                                    April 26, 2002
---------------------------
Gordon A. Campbell

/s/ Eugene B. Chaiken                       Director                                    April 26, 2002
---------------------------
Eugene B. Chaiken

                                            Director                                            , 2002
---------------------------
Edward L. Gelbach

                                            Director                                            , 2002
---------------------------
James E. Ousley

/s/ Glenn E. Penisten                       Director                                    April 26, 2002
---------------------------
Glenn E. Penisten
- 3 -
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                             Bell Microproducts Inc.

                         Form S-8 Registration Statement

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number     Exhibit Description

 5         Opinion and Consent of counsel re securities under the Plans
23.1       Consent of counsel (See Exhibit 5)
23.2       Consent of independent accountants
24         Power of attorney (See Signature Page)

                                     - 4 -