Download After Dark Online Now! Free Collection of Internet News Delivery Screen Savers At http://www.afterdark.com

Business Wire, Oct 1, 1996

BERKELEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 1, 1996--Berkeley Systems, Inc., a leader in the consumer software market, has made After Dark Online available for free download at http://www.afterdark.com.

After Dark Online is a stand-alone collection of screen savers that broadcasts news and information to the desktop from top branded national news, sports, financial, and computer industry sources along with stock quotes, and sports scores from the Internet. Berkeley has partnered with Data Broadcasting Corporation, Sports Illustrated Online, USA TODAY, The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition and ZD Net to deliver the best in consumer Internet news delivery.

"We made After Dark Online with the general consumer in mind. It's cross-platform, runs great on a 14.4 modem and is easy to use," stated Julie Wainwright, President and COO of Berkeley Systems. "And, with such premier partners as DBC, Sports Illustrated Online, USA TODAY, The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition and ZD Net, After Dark Online is the complete news source."

After Dark Online uses the standard After Dark interface that millions are already familiar with. Designed specifically with the mass market consumer in mind, After Dark Online is easy, fast, and fun to use. This collection of consumer oriented screen savers does not require T1 lines to operate efficiently, allowing users with 28.8 or even 14.4 Baud modems to access the news they need.

T1 lines, typically used by businesses and not general consumers, can accommodate greater amounts of data than the analog lines employed by 14.4 and 28.8 Baud modems. Users can also schedule downloads of After Dark Online updates for greater control. And, because After Dark Online is backwards compatible with all members of the After Dark product family, users can enjoy an entertaining mix of their After Dark animated displays and Internet news channels by selecting the popular "Randomizer?" feature.

In After Dark Online, Berkeley Systems has partnered with top branded sources to provide timely, in-depth news that's updated around the clock, delivering users coverage of the news that's affecting them. After Dark Online retrieves information from the various content providers' sites and dynamically illustrates the news right on the desktop in screen saver form.

Saving consumers the time and trouble of searching the Internet to find the news they want, After Dark Online is the easy-to-get-at and comprehensive news delivery system.

After Dark Online allows users to tailor the information they receive. For example, a user can customize the various screen savers by indicating from which sections he or she would like to receive news. Each Internet screen saver offers a wealth of material, and users can easily choose only those topics that are of interest to them.

Moreover, to receive the complete story, users simply click on the article of interest and are immediately connected to the screen saver's corresponding Web site. Even updating information in the screen saver takes no more than a few minutes. And, the user determines how frequently the news is to be refreshed; either with a simple mouse-click or by a custom schedule. Users are online only for news updates; then the news acts as a screen saver.

After Dark Online works with any Internet Service Provider (ISP) and is compatible with today's popular browsers.

After Dark Online is also available in After Dark 4.0, due out in retail stores in mid-October for Windows and Macintosh.

Founded in 1987, Berkeley Systems, Inc. develops and markets multimedia entertainment software for grown-ups. To date, the privately held Company has sold over five million units and is a leading innovator in the marketplace.

Leveraging the success of its widely known After Dark screen saver franchise, Berkeley Systems established a second franchise with the irreverent pop-culture trivia game You Don't Know Jack?. With an eye on the future, Berkeley Systems continues to produce cutting-edge titles that offer unique experiences and take advantage of the latest technology and online advancements. -0-

Note to Editors: Review copies, color slides and video b-roll footage of screens are available upon request. For more information, please contact DeEtte Christie 510/540-5535, ext. 254, or Monica Granados, ext. 204, or pr@berksys.com. Additional information on Berkeley Systems and its portfolio of products is available at http://www.berksys.com.

CONTACT: Berkeley Systems Inc., Berkeley

DeEtte Christie or Monica Granados, 510/540-5535

pr@berksys.com