QUICKER THAN A WINK--

CompuServe Adds Powerful Graphics Tools In Alliance With Pegasus Imaging
Corporation

COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 8, 1996 -- No more going for coffee or taking a quick
snooze while the PC monitor slowly fills with a picture or graphic you'd
like to check out. CompuServe Incorporated announced today that it is
partnering with Pegasus Imaging Corporation to integrate its leading edge
graphics technology, RapidVue, into the new online service WOW!,
CompuServe Information Service release 3.0 available this spring, and all
future CompuServe Internet products. RapidVue is a breakthrough imaging
product that offers the industry's quickest access to online color
pictures through high-speed transmission of compressed graphics through
open standards technology based on the progressive JPEG specification.
Tests performed by CompuServe have demonstrated that RapidVue's images are
faster and smoother than any proprietary graphics product currently
available.

This announcement is a continuation of CompuServe's commitment to
incorporate advanced multimedia capabilities into its new interfaces.
Pictures and graphics may be viewed from any area on CompuServe that
contains JPEG graphics. The Electronic Mall area will offer a quick
picture of an item for purchase. News photos and magazine covers quickly
grab attention, and CompuServe's art and design forums take on new,
exciting possibilities. CompuServe's Viewer video conferencing product
will also use the RapidVue technology to enhance the picture quality of
live action shots.

RapidVue allows applications to display progressively clearer images as
they are transferred online through JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts
Group) image viewing. The unique compression technology provides excellent
clarity that allows the user to view the image with as little as one-fifth
of the total image transferred. The user has the option of displaying
images at their full size, or as small thumbnail sketches. As each layer
is transmitted, the image quality increases until the entire image is
received. Features include a start/stop function, dynamic color mapping,
zooming, and low memory requirements. Users with 256 color monitors will
notice a vast improvement in the image quality of JPEG files.

"This is a critical component in our expansion of multimedia capabilities,"
said David Eastburn, vice president of Product Planning and Development
for CompuServe. "We are committed to providing our users with the fastest,
highest quality images possible. Using the right tools is part of that
commitment. Other graphics tools are available, but RapidVue is
state-of-the-art. Waiting several minutes for color graphics to fill your
PC screen is now a thing of the past."

"This partnership with CompuServe is shaping the future of communications,"
said Jack Berlin, president of Pegasus. "We're changing the way people use
online technology by providing them with almost instantaneous access to
enough information to make quick browsing decisions--no more waiting
around while you download the entire file to see it is what you wanted in
the first place. The biggest complaint about online graphics use is the
speed -- we've solved that!"

Pegasus Imaging Corporation was established in 1991 in Tampa, Florida. It
is a leader in digital photographic imaging compression technology and in
providing imaging solutions to corporate clients. Pegasus specializes in
providing high speed imaging tools to publishers and developers which
allow for the incorporation of highly compressed, yet high quality, images
into applications. Pegasus also provides tools for color palette control
for quality viewing on 256 color displays. Its consulting group provides
turnkey imaging solution for corporate clients.

CompuServe is an H&R Block (NYSE:HRB) company.

Founded in 1955, H&R Block is a diversified services company and the
world's leader in tax preparation and online information services. H&R
Block Tax Services handled almost one in every seven returns with the
Internal Revenue Service in 1995, serving 17.1 million taxpayers in more
than 9,500 offices worldwide. CompuServe operates the most comprehensive
online network in the world, providing services to nearly 950 corporate
accounts and more than 4.7 million users in 185 countries.
 
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