eCOST.com Launches ''Quote Finder'' and Other New Features for Small Business Users

Business Wire, April 12, 2000

Business Editors

TORRANCE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 12, 2000

Top-rated e-Commerce Site Also Adds Office Supplies,

Financing and Daily News Feed

Following the announcement of its planned acquisition of Entrepreneur.com (www.entrepreneur.com), eCOST.com (www.eCOST.com) a subsidiary of Creative Computers Inc. (Nasdaq: MALL), today announced major enhancements to its popular e-commerce site. Designed to increase the site's appeal to small-business customers, the redesigned eCOST.com site now offers a number of significant new features in addition to nearly 50,000 hardware, software and office products.

"The site enhancements are in response to customer feedback," said Doug Falk, President and CEO of eCOST.com. "Our users told us what they liked about our site and what new features and functions they most wanted, and we responded to their requests."

New Site Features

The site re-design includes four significant new features:

-- The new "Quote Finder" section. "Quote Finder" matches buyers and sellers in over 60 business categories using a simple question and answer interface. Small business buyers can expect multiple quotes for their requests, thereby providing an efficient nationwide market from which they can draw upon. eCOST.com is currently signing up suppliers for this new service and expects to be operational in early May.

-- The Office Supplies Center. Because basic office supplies are vital to setting-up and running any small business, eCOST.com now offers an Office Supplies Center. Added to the existing Computers and Electronics stores, the Office Supplies Center offers everything from staplers to copiers to office furniture and telephones. The Office Supplies Center will feature over 25,000 office supply products.

-- eZ Pay Financing Plan. To help small-business owners extend their budgets, eCOST.com has developed the eZ Pay Plan. This plan offers most customers credit approvals in a matter of seconds, and low, fixed monthly payments. Once approved by MBNA, customers can begin using eCOST.com's eZ Pay Plan on any order of $750 or more. After the first order, the $750 restriction is removed so any order amount, within a customer's credit limit, can be financed. When additional funds are required for needed items, eCOST.com enables users to access their credit line during the checkout process.

-- Business and Financial News. Through its new relationship with Entrepreneur.com, the most frequently visited small-business site on the Internet, eCOST.com is now offering business and financial news. With over 30,000 pages of content and a 20-year legacy of serving the small-business market, Entrepreneur.com now provides eCOST.com users with relevant, daily information specifically targeted to their needs.

About Creative Computers/IdeaMall

Creative Computers, which has announced a name change to IdeaMall, is focused on the Internet and business-to-business markets. Creative / IdeaMall has a growing portfolio of Web site properties and intends to pursue additional Internet opportunities as they arise and within its strategic focus. The company's current portfolio includes:

-- eCOST.com (http://www.ecost.com) -- a leading and rapidly growing internet site with over 500,000 unique visitors per month that offers a multitude of products and information designed to help small businesses succeed;

-- eLinux.com (http://www.elinux.com) -- a new subsidiary providing products, news, discussion groups, services and support to the Linux community;

-- PCM Business Solutions -- a leading business-to-business marketer focused on IT sales of servers, desktops and network equipment to businesses with 100 or more employees;

-- PCMall.com (http://www.pcmall.com) -- a leading business-to-business marketer of computers and related products for small businesses with less than 100 employees, and high-end consumers;

-- MacMall.com (http://www.macmall.com) -- a leading marketer of Macintosh computers, peripherals and software to the rapidly-growing Apple community.

The company drives traffic to its Web sites and call centers via its distinctive "clicks and catalogs" strategy, outbound telemarketing and marketing on the Web. Creative / IdeaMall also operates a field sales organization under the name CCIT, which is focused on Fortune 1000 companies.

All of the statements, expectations and assumptions contained in the above are forward-looking statements. The realization of any or all of these expectations is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties and it is possible that the assumptions made by management may not materialize. There can be no assurance that acquisition of Entrepreneur.com by eCOST.com will be consummated, eCOST.com's new enhanced Web site, Quote Finder, sales growth, site traffic and the combination of Entrepreneur.com and eCOST.com will be successful, will achieve market acceptance or become profitable, or that the momentum of the combined Entrepreneur.com and eCOST.com will continue. In addition to the factors set forth above, other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations include: competition from companies either currently in the market or entering the market; and price pressures related thereto; uncertainties surrounding the supply of and demand for products; and risks due to shifts in market demand and/or price erosion of owned inventory. This list of risk factors is not intended to be exhaustive. Reference should also be made to the risk factors set forth from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including but not limited to those set forth in the section entitled "Certain Factors Affecting Future Results" in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for 1999.