ATARI COMPUTER INTRODUCES THE PORTFOLIO(tm) HANDHELD PC COMPATIBILITY FOR LESS THAN $400 CHICAGO, IL (April 10, 1989) -- Atari Computer has developed the most functional piece of compact technology since the microchip itself. Designed around the energy efficent Intel 80C88 microprocessor, the company has introduced Portfolio, the computer industry's first handheld IBM(R)-compatible personal computer. The one-pound computer, which is about the size of a VCR tape, is small enough to slip into a coat pocket, yet powerful enough to meet the needs of today's busy executive and information user. "Unlike most leading-edge products that manufacturers introduce, the Portfolio does not have limited features and an outrageous price," said Sam Tramiel, Atari Corporation president. "User don't have to wait for two years for the price to come down before they can justify the costs/benefits. The technology, capabilities and convenience are here now, at a price they can afford." In fact, the 4.92-MHz IBM-compatible system has a suggested retail price of less than $400.00. The featherweight system is MS-DOS(R) 2.11-compatible and has 128K of RAM as standard (expandable to 640K). Disk drives are replaced with credit-card size 32K or 128K RAM cards. The 128K RAM card can hold the equivalent of 50 pages of text, yet uses minimal power and provides significantly faster access times than disks. A port is also included for file exchange with desktop or laptop PCs. Additional programs will be provided for the Portfolio on ROM cards, which are presently available with up to 4MB of storage capacity. "Most laptop computers are too heavy and cumbersome to be truly portable," said Tramiel. "But the Portfolio can be easily slipped into an attache' case, a coat pocket, purse, or student backpack." The 7.8 x 4.1 x 1.2-inch system has a 63 key IBM compatible keyboard and offers an 8-line by 40-character LCD display. Depending on the application, standard AA batteries will power the computer for over a month. "There's no comparision between the convenience of carrying three AA batteries, as opposed to the cumbersome battery pack used by many laptops," emphasized Tramiel. Applications Not Limited by Compact Unit The Portfolio is provided with an appointment calendar with automatic alarm and enough memory to manage the user's appointments for 60 years. An address/phone list card that allows users to stores name and numbers alphabetically or by category is also included. The phone list even has a built-in automatic telephone dialing function. Users simply hold the phone receiver up to the computer and, with a single keystroke, the system sounds the appropriate tones, ensuring that that numbers are never misdialed. The system's text processor includes standard edit functions, line and column counters and the ability to search/replace and paste. User's can also transfer data from different types of files. For instance, figures can be moved from a spreadsheet into a report. For financial applications, the Portfolio also includes a Lotus 1-2-3(R) file-compatible spreadsheet and a powerful calculator. "Our system designers made certain that the Portfolio handheld computer would look and feel familiar to any compatible user," said Tramiel. "The software is viewed in frames and overlapping windows; everything is menu-driven." For business people on the road, Portfolio files can be easily transferred back to the office via modem from anywhere in the world. Users may also opt to transfer data between systems by adding a "smart cable," which connects the Portfolio directly to a PC; or an external card drive, which allows memory cards to be accessed directly by their system. Since it's recent expansion in the U.S. market, Atari Computer has rebuilt its distribution channels by developing a product-specific, three-pronged dealer base. The Portfolio handheld computer will be available for delivery in June. # # # Atari is a registered trademark and Portfolio is a trademark of Atari Corporation. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machine Corporation MS-DOS is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Lotus 1-2-3 is a registered trademark of Lotus Development Corporation