Packard Bell's New Products Provide Support From the Inside Out; New Packard Bell Showroom Helps Users Maximize Their Packard Bell PC

Business Wire, August 24, 1998

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 24, 1998--New PC owners can now put down their manuals and easily help themselves when using their Packard Bell PCs.

With Monday's introduction of a new full-featured lineup of PCs, Packard Bell offers users the most extensive service and support at their fingertips.

Rather than opening a manual or placing a call to technical support, Packard Bell PC users can now go to their local Home Page in the Packard Bell Showroom -- a new and unique interactive guide that teaches users how to utilize the full potential of their PCs, what's installed, and quick and simple instructions on how to use it.

This innovative tool, available on select Packard Bell PCs, complements Packard Bell's numerous hardware and software enhancements directly targeted to improve customer satisfaction and support as well as ease-of-use, making Packard Bell systems the moy of exclusive tools to help users get the most out of their online experience, including the newPackard Beld audio self-paced training directly to the deshat's why Packard Bell PCs remain the ideal choice for families who are buying their first computer, and consufacturer to launch a sub-$1,000 Packard Bell brand PC in January 1997. In May 1998, Packard Bell NEC was in ble estimated price of $699.

With the addupport package provides support tools that literally back up the PC from the inside out. Packard Bell's exclw EZ Tools provides easy problem resolution. PCs.

The new Packard Bell PC line ranges 400MHz Intel Pentium II processor; 32MB to 64MBare helps users explore their system: CyberTrio, which creates three distinct Windows 98 PC operating environments for different levels of users; Packard Bell Navigator Assistant, which helps users find their way around their PCs quickly and easily; and CyberCoach interactive tutorials which feature live multimedia "how-to" lessons.

Other software titles include Microsoft Word, Microsoft Works, Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia, Intuit Quicken Basic 98, MGI PhotoSuite, plus other brand name edutainment, entertainment, finance, graphics, telecommunications and Internet tools.

Company Background

Based in Sacramento, Calif., privately-held Packard Bell NEC Inc. is the No. 3 supplier of personal computers in the United States and the No. 5 supplier worldwide according to International Data Corp.

The company designs, manufactures and markets a broad range of desktop, notebook and mobile computers and network servers under the Packard Bell, NEC and Zenith Data Systems brands. Packard Bell NEC's major manufacturing operations are in Sacramento; Fife, Wash.; Angers, France; Sao Paolo, Brazil; and Penang, Malaysia.

For more information on Packard Bell NEC, visit www.packardbell.com. -0-

                     PACKARD BELL PRODUCT LINE-UP
                              SUMMER 1998

Packard Bell Multimedia 820               Estimated Retail Price: $699

     Cyrix MII-300 MMX Enhanced processor, 32 MB memory, 3.2 GB hard
drive, 32X CD-ROM drive and 56 Kbps capable ITU v.90 modem.

Packard Bell Multimedia 830               Estimated Retail Price: $799

     Cyrix MII-300 MMX Enhanced processor, 64 MB memory, 4.3 GB
hard drive, 32X CD-ROM drive and 56 Kbps capable ITU v.90 modem.

Packard Bell Multimedia 875               Estimated Retail Price: $899

     300MHz Intel Celeron processor with 128 KB of L2 cache, 64 MB
memory, 4.3 GB hard drive, 32X CD-ROM drive, 56 Kbps capable ITU v.90
modem, ATI Rage Turbo AGP graphics and PCI AC97 audio.

Packard Bell Multimedia 925               Estimated Retail Price: $899

     Cyrix MII-333 MMX Enhanced processor, 64 MB memory, 4.3 GB hard
drive, 32X CD-ROM drive and 56 Kbps capable ITU v.90 modem and ATI
Rage Turbo AGP graphics.

Packard Bell Multimedia 945               Estimated Retail Price: $999

     333MHz Intel Celeron processor with 128 KB of L2 cache, 64 MB
memory, 4.3 GB hard drive, 32X CD-ROM drive, 56 Kbps capable ITU v.90
modem, ATI Rage Turbo AGP graphics and PCI AC97 audio.

Packard Bell Multimedia 950               Estimated Retail Price: $999

     Cyrix MII-333 MMX Enhanced processor, 64 MB memory, 6.4 GB
hard drive, 32X CD-ROM drive, 56 Kbps capable ITU v.90 modem, ATI Rage
Turbo AGP graphics, multimedia keyboard and 3D wheel mouse.

Packard Bell Platinum 7800              Estimated Retail Price: $1,399

     350MHz Intel Pentium II processor, 64 MB memory with 100 MHz
front side bus, 6.4 GB hard drive, 32X CD-ROM drive, 56 Kbps capable
ITU v.90 modem, multimedia keyboard, 3D wheel mouse, 4 MB Video
memory, ATI Rage Turbo AGP graphics and Advanced PCI audio with 3D
stereo effects.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Please contact Yunsun Wee at 310/444-1310 or yunsun.wee@ketchum.com for product photography.

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               Yunsun Wee, 310/444-1310
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