New NEC Consumer PCs Deliver Strong Combination of Leading-Edge Technology and Performance

Business Wire, July 12, 1999

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 12, 1999--

Perfectly Suited for Home and SOHO Users, Three New Models Are the

First in NEC Consumer PC Lineup to Feature a CD-ReWritable Drive

Home and small office/home office computer users longing for the latest technology and advanced performance will delight in the introduction of three new NEC Ready brand PCs, available from Packard Bell NEC Inc.'s Consumer Division.

In addition to potent processor power, generous 64MB of memory and up to a 10.2GB hard drive, two of these new systems feature a versatile CD-ReWritable (CD-RW) drive that enables CD rewriting capabilities, allowing for easy data storage and archiving. With suggested retail prices of $799 up to $1,299, these new NEC Ready PCs are scheduled to arrive in retail stores nationwide in July 1999.

"We are dedicated to maintaining the heritage of the NEC consumer brand: sophisticated computing with a concentration on performance, advanced technology and innovation in design," said Mal Ransom, senior vice president, Packard Bell NEC Consumer Division. "These three new NEC consumer PCs attain and surpass this standard, and we believe they will also surpass the expectations of the home or home office user."

High-Performance Hardware

Perfectly suited for any home or home office environment, these three new additions to the NEC Ready model line-up promote immediate productivity due to their strong hardware package. Each model is equipped with high-quality Intel processors -- from the 433 MHz Intel(R) Celeron(TM) up to the 450 MHz Intel Pentium(R) III processor -- which deliver outstanding all-around performance for 3-D, multimedia, productivity and Internet applications.

These systems also feature 64MB or 96MB of system memory (expandable to 256MB), an 8.4GB or 10.2GB hard drive, and a 56Kbps-capable ITU V.90 modem, all in an expandable mini-tower chassis for easy access and room for future upgrades.

Whether paired with a 32X CD-ROM drive or a DVD-ROM drive, two of these systems come equipped with the added benefit of a CD-RW drive. This special drive combines full CD-ROM functionality with the extra capability of writing all standard CD formats on both CD-Recordable (CD-R) and CD-ReWritable (CD-RW) media.

In addition to easy data storage and archiving capabilities, the CD-RW drive gives users the ability to create their own CDs, organize and share CD photo albums, and even design and distribute video postcards to friends and family.

Cutting-Edge Multimedia and Internet Tools

All three new NEC Ready models feature powerful multimedia technology including a high-performance 3D AGP graphics/video accelerator that produces vibrant, realistic graphics and PCI audio that generates high-quality 3-D stereo sound. NEC Ready PCs put the Internet at the user's fingertips with a variety of advanced Internet tools including NEC Direct Internet Access, Quicken(R) Online Financial Center, NEC Net Media Player Internet Radio and NEC Learning Center.

New NEC consumer PC owners will also benefit from the introduction of Urocket, Packard Bell NEC's own Internet service provider (ISP). Developed jointly by Packard Bell NEC, Lycos and UUNET, Urocket gives consumers easy, affordable and personalized Internet access, enabling everyone in the household to have their own personalized Internet experience through features like multiple e-mail accounts and individualized home pages.

Available for a special introductory price of $9.95 per month for the first three months ($19.95 thereafter), Urocket also offers heightened levels of parental control and direct access to online PC technical support.

Premium Software Applications

Whether for business or personal use, the premium software package available on all new NEC Ready models enables users to fulfill all of their home computing needs.

Each system comes with a Microsoft(R) Windows(R) 98 software bundle that includes a variety of productivity, finance, graphics and entertainment titles such as Word, Works(R), Encarta(R) Encyclopedia, Greetings Workshop, Money, Entertainment Pack: The Puzzle Collection and Age of Empires.

Additionally, users have access to a recently enhanced Internet-based technical support Web site that allows NEC Ready customers to more quickly and accurately define and answer any computing questions.

About Packard Bell NEC

Packard Bell NEC is a leading producer and marketer of a broad range of desktop and notebook computers and network servers in the Americas. The company's consumer division serves the retail market through the Packard Bell and NEC brands, and claims the highest installed base of home computers of any producer in the industry.

Its NEC Computer Systems Division serves the commercial market with NEC-branded Versa(R) notebook computers, PowerMate(R) desktop computers, Express5800(TM) servers and MobilePro(TM) handheld personal computers.

With headquarters in Sacramento, the company is privately held by NEC Corp. and Groupe Bull. Through these shareholders and its alliance with affiliates Packard Bell Europe and NEC PC in Japan, the company offers global reach and capabilities as well as leading-edge technology.