Oak Technology Introduces New Family of Enhancement Solutions for Digital Office Equipment

Business Wire, July 15, 1999

ANDOVER, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 15, 1999--

PM-2060i Enables High-Speed 1200 dpi and Multi-bit

Rendering for Exceptional Print Quality

Oak Technology (Nasdaq:OAKT), a supplier of silicon, software and platform solutions to store, access and manipulate digital content, today announced the new PM-2060i(tm) ImageChip(tm) family of resolution enhancement ASICs for laser-based monochrome and color printers, digital copiers and multifunction peripherals (MFP).

With the introduction of its next generation iRET(tm) family, Oak highlights its core expertise in image processing by offering cutting-edge technology for the Digital Office Equipment (DOE) market. The PM-2060i family was developed to meet the market demand for higher speed and higher resolution devices, and is the technology driving the trend towards 1200 dpi (dots per inch) and multi-bit (contone) rendering.

With its new ImageChip family, Oak's Imaging Group (formerly known as Pixel Magic) is strategically positioned to deliver the highest quality of resolution enhancement as the imaging industry moves from 600 dpi to 1200 dpi standard output resolution. This proprietary technology enables 600x600 dpi engines to print 1200x1200 dpi at the device's rated speed. Typically for a 600 dpi engine to output true 1200 dpi prints, the engine must operate at half-speed which puts undue strain on end users who continually demand ever faster devices. The PM-2060i is a cost-effective solution that enables OEMs to gain a competitive edge and satisfy market demand without going through the long, expensive process of adopting new engines (which results in completely new printer products).

"OEMs will benefit from the dramatic improvements we can make to the print quality of their solutions without sacrificing speed, as well as low cost and time-to-market savings," said Peter Besen, president of Oak's Imaging Group. "The PM-2060i enables industry-leading print quality with 2x rendering, edge enhancement and multi-bit printing capabilities. By integrating the PM-2060i into DOE devices, OEMs can offer consumers the highest quality printing on high- and low-end devices with photo-realistic images and clean, crisp text and line art."

The PM-2060i is ideally suited for improving the quality of any laser-based DOE device by implementing three proprietary core technologies: 2x rendering (1200 dpi), edge enhancement and multi-bit (contone) printing. Oak's 2x rendering technology enables laser engines with native resolutions between 300 and 800 dpi to double both the horizontal and vertical output resolutions while maintaining the devices rated print speed. Complementing 2x rendering is edge enhancement technology which eliminates "jaggies" on text and line art by using an internal digital modulator to generate precise sub-pixel dot size and positioning. The ImageChip also supports multi-bit (contone) image data, enabling users to render the highest quality, most photo-realistic images obtainable from monochrome and color laser-based devices.

The iRET(tm) family provides state-of-the-art resolution enhancement to maximize the price/performance of printers, digital copiers and MFPs. Oak's patented precision dot positioning technology enables extremely high-quality text, line-art and photographic image output. The PM-2060i is the flagship of the new ImageChip family which also includes the PM-2040i(tm), PM-2020i(tm), and PM-2010i(tm). Multiple ImageChip products allow Oak to offer a range of feature sets and price points to meet customer requirements. All new designs will use the PM-2060i family, and Oak will continue to support current PM-2050(tm) customers.

Pricing and Availability

With the release of the PM-2060i ImageChip series to the iRET family, Oak's Imaging Group continues to offer the industry's highest-quality laser printer, digital copier and MFP enhancement solutions. Orders are currently being accepted, and production shipments will begin next month. Pricing for the fully-featured PM-2060i is under $20 for volume quantities. For more information, please contact Oak Technology's Imaging Group Sales at 978-470-8830 or on the World Wide Web at www.oaktech.com.

The foregoing statements may consist of forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements may differ materially from actual future events or results. Factors that could cause actual outcome to differ materially from those set forth include, without limitation, the rate of adoption of new technology, market acceptance of the product, competitive pricing actions and marketing programs, among others. For a discussion of such risks, see the Company's most recent SEC Forms 10-K and 10-Q.

About Oak Technology

Founded in 1987, Oak Technology, Inc. designs, develops and markets high-performance semiconductors and related software to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) worldwide who serve the optical storage, consumer electronics and digital office equipment markets. Oak has subsidiaries in Japan (Oak Technology K.K.); Taiwan (Oak Technology, Taiwan); Andover, Mass. (Oak's Imaging Group); Bristol, U.K. (Oak Technology Ltd.); and Munich, Germany (Oak Technology GmbH). The Company completed its initial public offering in February 1995. Additional information about Oak Technology and its products can be found on the World Wide Web at www.oaktech.com.