BW2506 SEP 14,2000 11:28 PACIFIC 14:28 EASTERN ( BW)(NC-IBM/NETVISTA)(IBM) IBM Breaks From the Pack with New NetVista Desktop PCs; New models deliver edge-of the-network capabilities; complete product transition to sleek-designed, easy-to-use systems Business & Technology Editors RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 14, 2000--IBM(a) today announced several new models of its award-winning NetVista(a) PC family, completing the desktop PC model transition begun earlier this year. Today's NetVista announcement continues IBM's Edge of Network (EoN) initiative, with devices designed from the ground up for fast, high-bandwidth Internet access, easy set-up and simplified use. "When IBM broke away from the traditional PC environment earlier this year, for the first time customers could choose systems that were better designed, easier to use, easy to setup and connected them quickly to the Internet," said Harry Nicol, general manager, IBM desktop systems. "With today's announcements, we're delivering new high-volume models designed to get our customers focused on what this tool can do for their business." Announced today: - new Netvista desktop systems - new data recovery/data transfer software - IBM Direct "Build Your Own" NetVista models - new IBM microdrive - new NetVista models with Microsoft (R) Millenium software pre-loaded The new IBM NetVista models offer customers industry-leading software stability, with common designs deployed among several different design styles -- or form factors -- including desktop, micro-tower and mini-tower. The majority of enterprise customers use custom software, which has to be re-qualified with every new systems deployment, an expensive process that can take 60 - 90 days. With one platform offered across a choice of form factors, the NetVista A40 models are designed to help eliminate the need for software requalification. The result is a family of Internet-ready devices matched to whatever task the customer has in mind. As an industry-leader in system security and manageability, IBM also announced today several new "beyond-the-box" NetVista capabilities, including IBM Backup and Restore, a data protection and recovery solution; IBM Data Transfer, a tool for simple data transfer from an old PC to a new PC, and IBM Build Your Own, a configure-to-order direct sales program. Data Protection and Recovery To help address customers' data protection and recovery concerns, several NetVista models feature IBM's previously announced embedded-security chip, providing a layer of security built into the motherboard. In addition, IBM announced today the IBM Backup and Restore program, a software package that helps customers protect critical data and settings by providing automatic backup with one-button restore capabilities in the event of software glitches or system crashes. Another tool announced today, the IBM Data Transfer program, ensures the quick, safe and easy transfer of data and electronic personality settings from any old PC, including other manufacturers', to a new NetVista system. Utilizing an IBM CD, the user can be up and running will all personal settings and data in literally minutes. With this new tool, the old hassles of ghosting and floppy disk exchanges are avoided. "The security and data recovery implications for large organizations are obvious, but individual and transactional customers, such as consumers, small office and small business user, increasingly look beyond the box to evaluate the total solution offered by the vendor," said Roger Kay, PC research manager, IDC. "Our research indicates that these customers will be among the early adopters of the new breed of smaller, slimmer and sleeker desktop PCs." New Direct Capabilities Designed for small businesses and individuals that desire a high degree of customization, IBM's new Build Your Own program allows customers to choose the exact specifications of a new NetVista PC from a list of "ingredients" that range from processor type and speed, to memory and hard drive disk size. Customers can participate in IBM's Build Your Own program through both ibm.com and 1-888-ShopIBM. Available initially on selected models of the IBM NetVista A20i and A40i product lines, IBM plans to extend Build Your Own to other IBM NetVista products. Build Your Own joins other IBM direct sales initiatives including the company's unique "Buy Today, Ship Today" program launched earlier this year, where a customer who orders a ready-to-ship model before 3:00pm can expect IBM to ship the order the same business day. Completing the NetVista Line-Up Today's launch of IBM NetVista A20i, A20m, A40i, A20 and A40 systems round out the company's new NetVista brand of desktop computing devices, all of which were announced within the past four months. The existing line-up, including today's new products, is: - the NetVista X series of award-winning all-in-one PCs (NetVista X40 and X40i models) - the NetVista S series of legacy-free PCs (NetVista S40 and S40p models) - the NetVista N series of thin clients (NetVista N2200 and N2800 models) - the NetVista A series of mainstream PCs for businesses/large enterprises (NetVista A20, A40 and A40p models) - the NetVista A series of mainstream PCs for small businesses (NetVista A20m models) - the NetVista A series of mainstream PCs for individuals (NetVista A20i and A40i models) The NetVista A Series models announced today feature optional new Windows Millenium Edition operating software, announced today by Microsoft, and Intel(a) Celeron(b) (up to 633, 667 or 700 MHz (1), depending on the model) or Intel Pentium III (800, 866 or 933 MHz, depending on the model) processors, with 128 MB of SDRAM standard (up to a maximum of 512 MB). Additionally, the The Build Your Own A40i models feature the latest AMD Athlon and Duron processors. IBM also announced today a new model of its NetVista X40i all-in-one PC. Now available with Microsoft's Windows Millenium Edition, the X40i features a space-saving design that is 75% smaller than the typical home or office PC with a 17-inch CRT monitor. New 1 GB Microdrive To further enhance the new lineup of NetVista desktops and ThinkPad notebooks, IBM also announced today the availability of a new optional 1Gb (2) microdrive. Measuring about the size of a quarter, the 1Gb IBM Microdrive can hold up to 1,000 high-resolution photographs, a thousand 200-page novels or nearly 18 hours of high-quality digital audio music. Priced at $449 (3), the 1Gb IBM Microdrive offers a new, easy way to transfer data-rich content between notebooks and compatible digital devices and desktops.. Pricing and Availability IBM NetVista computers and options are available through www.ibm.com or by calling 1-888-SHOP-IBM. Starting prices (3) for the new models announced today are: NetVista A20 $667 NetVista A20i $699 NetVista A20m $839 NetVista A40i $849 NetVista A40 $1,088 NetVista X40i $1799 For more information, see www.pc.ibm.com/us/netvista. Footnotes (a) Trademark or registered trademark of International Business Machines Corp. Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corp. Celeron, Intel and Pentium are trademarks of Intel Corp. (1) MHz only measures microprocessor internal clock speed, not application performance. Other factors also affect application performance. (2) GB equals one billion bytes when referring to hard disk drive capacity. Accessible capacity may be less depending on operating environments. (3) IBM price; does not include tax or shipping and is subject to change without notice Some software may differ from its retail version (if available), and may not include user manuals or all program functionality. Warranty, service and support for non-IBM products are provided directly to you by third parties, not IBM. IBM makes no representations or warranties regarding non-IBM products. For non-IBM software, applicable third-party software licenses may apply. --30--jtp/ny* CONTACT: Ray Gorman, 919/254-7037 rgorman@us.ibm.com KEYWORD: NORTH CAROLINA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS HARDWARE SOFTWARE PRODUCT