DIGITAL TARGETS SUPERCHARGED StrongARM CHIP AT CONSUMER ELECTRONICS MARKET

Enables Better Handwriting Recognition and True Speech Recognition for
PDAs, Sizzling 3D Games, Interactive Home Shopping, Fast Web
Terminals....

MAYNARD, Mass., February 5, 1996 -- Digital Equipment Corporation today
introduced the much anticipated SA-110 StrongARM microprocessor, the first
processor to combine the performance of a supercomputer with power
dissipation low enough to run on AA batteries, and pricing which is geared
toward mass-market, consumer electronics products.

"The StrongARM microprocessor family is one of the cornerstones of our
merchant vendor strategy," said Ed Caldwell, vice president, Digital
Semiconductor, a business of Digital Equipment Corporation. "We see
tremendous opportunity to deploy this technology across many mass-market
application areas." According to industry analysts, the potential
microprocessor volume for the StrongARM target markets -- personal digital
assistants (PDAs), electronic organizers, set-top boxes, and video games
-- will exceed 29 billion units by 1999.

The SA-110 microprocessor is the first member of the StrongARM family
resulting from the architecture license agreement between Digital and
Advanced RISC Machines Ltd. (ARM), developer of the ARM 32-bit RISC
architecture. "Combining ARM's low-power architecture with Digital's
high-performance processor design expertise and CMOS process leadership
has created a new paradigm for embedded consumer electronics products --
supercomputer class performance on AA batteries," said Robin Saxby,
president and CEO, Advanced RISC Machines Ltd.

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Industry watchers see a bright future for the StrongARM technology.
According to Jim Turley, senior analyst, Microprocessor Report, "The
SA-110 StrongARM processor is a technical tour de force and a milestone
for both Digital Semiconductor and the ARM architecture. It offers a
nearly unbeatable combination of performance, price and power
consumption."

Tim Bajarin, president, Creative Strategies International commented, "The
design of the SA-110 StrongARM chip has clearly involved PDA developers,
smart phone manufacturers, set-top box suppliers, and even companies
exploring the internet computer. This type of foresight heralds a new wave
of mobile products which meet consumers' real needs."

INTERNET TERMINALS

The huge market potential for an instant access, low-cost product to 'surf
the net' has grabbed the attention of both the computer and consumer
electronics industries. The SA-110 StrongARM chip is well-positioned to
make this concept a reality.

According to Andy Laursen, vice president of Network Computing at Oracle
Corporation, "The explosive consumer demand for inexpensive,
high-performance internet access will fuel the need for a low-cost web
terminal. StrongARM represents the kind of technology that will put this
product within reach of the mass consumer market."

PDAs AND ORGANIZERS

The SA-110 StrongARM processor will greatly enhance the functionality of
next generation PDAs and electronic organizers. "Apple's Newton team and
the StrongARM design team have worked closely together during the past
eighteen months," said Michael Culbert, system architect, Apple Computer,
Inc. "We are very excited about this new technology and its potential to
carry the next generation of Newton PDAs to a new level. Our customers and
licensees will be delighted by the new applications and human interface
capabilities this chip can enable."

In addition, application developers targeting mobile workers are porting
key applications to the StrongARM platform. Papyrus Associates Inc., a
leader in handwriting recognition software has endorsed the StrongARM
technology. "The excellent computational capabilities will enable us to
offer improved handwriting recognition software," said Bill Kania,
president, Papyrus Associates Inc. "Thanks to a mature compiler
environment, our software was easily ported to StrongARM." Dragon Systems,
Inc., the industry leader in speech recognition technology, is also
enthusiastic about the StrongARM technology. "The performance delivered by
the SA-110 will enable Dragon Systems to provide advanced speech
recognition capabilities for handheld portable products," said Stephen
Breit, manager of special projects, Dragon Systems.

SET-TOP BOXES AND VIDEO GAMES

Second generation set-top boxes will drive the movement to real interactive
TV and hyper-realistic 3D video games in the $200-$400 range. "Interactive
set-top boxes are a demanding product to build -- you need twice the
performance of a desktop PC at one third the cost," said Malcolm Bird,
chief executive, Online Media, Ltd., a leading supplier of set-top box
technology and products. "While the performance of these StrongARM
processors is impressive, what sold us on this technology is the price
points at which the performance is delivered. This technology will help
make interactive TV a reality."

INDUSTRY LEADING MIPS/WATT AND MIPS/DOLLAR

The SA-110, available in 100 MHz, 160 MHz, and 200 MHz internal clock
speeds, has set new industry benchmarks in terms of both power- and
cost-efficiency, as well as overall processor performance.

The 100 MHz part operating at 1.65 volts, delivers 115 Dhrystone 2.1 MIPS
while dissipating less than 300 mW of power. The 160 MHz version delivers
185 Dhrystone 2.1 MIPS at only 450 mW of power dissipation, giving a
performance/power ratio (MIPS-per-watt) of over 400. This makes it the
most power-efficient processor available today.

The 200 MHz part operates at 2.0 volts and performs 230 Dhrystone 2.1 MIPS
while still running on under a watt of power. This device, priced at under
$50, achieves the industry's best performance/price ratio at almost 5
MIPS/$ (MIPS-per-dollar). Pricing for the 100 MHz part is less than $29 in
10k unit quantities, while the 160 MHz part is available for $49 in the
same quantities.

Cost reduction is a primary focus for the SA-110 product. All three
versions are packaged in a low-cost, small footprint, plastic package
(144-pin plastic TQFP). The SA-110 can accommodate 3.3 volt input/output
levels, allowing system designers to utilize off-the- shelf 3.3 volt
memories and other commodity components.

The SA-110 is produced on eight-inch wafers on a 0.35 micron CMOS process
at Digital's state-of-the-art Fab 6 facility in Hudson, Mass. Samples are
available now, with production scheduled to begin in the spring. Software
development tools (compilers, assemblers, debuggers), operating systems,
and applications are available through Digital and other third party
companies supporting the ARM architecture.

Digital Semiconductor, a Digital Equipment Corporation business
headquartered in Hudson, Massachusetts, designs, manufactures and markets
industry-leading semiconductor products including Alpha microprocessors
and PCI chips for networking, bridging, and graphics/multimedia, as well
as low-power StrongARM microprocessors under license from Advanced RISC
Machines Ltd. Mitsubishi Electric Company is a second source for Alpha
microprocessors. World Wide Web site:
http://www.digital.com/info/semiconductor.

Digital Equipment Corporation is the world's leader in open client/server
solutions from personal computing to integrated worldwide information
systems. Digital's scalable Alpha platforms, storage, networking, software
and services, together with industry- focused solutions from business
partners, help organizations compete and win in today's global
marketplace.
 
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