NEC TECHNOLOGIES UNVEILS THE FASTEST GRAPHICS PCs; EXTRAORDINARY FEATURES
SET OF 15 IMAGE SERIES PCs SURPASSES THE COMPETITION AND SETS A NEW
PRICE/PERFORMANCE PRECEDENT

(Boxborough. Mass.. February 23, 1993)--Bolstered by outstanding features
such as ImageVideo graphics technology, OptiBus for optimized I/O
throughout, integrated SCSI, and Intel Overdrive upgradability supporting
future Pentium core microprocessors, NEC Technologies, Inc. today laid
claim to providing the fastest graphics PCs with the introduction of the
Image Series of desktop computers.

Comprised of 15 modular systems based on Intel's 486SX/25, 486DX/33, and
486DX2/66 microprocessors, the Image Series offers advanced business users
faster graphics performance than systems currently available in the
marketplace. The new Image Series will replace NEC's existing PowerMate
"i" Series, but is priced up to 15% lower.

"The introduction of the Image Series represents a major milestone in NEC's
laser approach to marketing desktop systems, whereby the company offers
products such as Ready systems for the small/home office, the PowerMate
Series for general business users, and the Image Series for advanced
business users," said Denny Lane, NEC's director of Desktop Marketing. "In
developing the Image Series for advanced business users, we incorporated
all of the features our customers told us was needed in such a
product--superior graphics performance, integrated SCSI,
network-readiness, optimized I/O, and investment protection--all part of a
balanced system design with each subsystem optimized to improve overall
system performance."

ImageVideo for Outstanding Graphics Performance

Developed to provide users with a total graphics solution that enhances the
overall video performance of the system, NEC's ImageVideo consists of
three components--local bus video, a graphics accelerator, and true
color.

Local Bus Video

With the introduction of the PowerMate "i" Series in 1991, NEC introduced
the industry's first PC to take advantage of local bus video technology, a
concept which has since become widely adapted throughout the industry. The
new Image Series represents NEC's second generation of local bus video
technology, offering users yet another quantum leap in video performance.

ImageVideo's 32-bit wide dedicated local bus carries data directly to the
CPU for processing at the speed of the CPU, eliminating the bottleneck
commonly associated with placing an image into video memory.

Graphics Accelerator

Addressing yet another bottleneck--moving images once they're in video
memory--NEC has implemented a graphics accelerator into the design of the
Image Series, resulting in more than a 200% increase in graphics
performance as opposed to non-accelerated implementations. The graphics
accelerator enhances graphics performance by executing BitBLT operations
such as speeding large data transfers, increasing the performance of
pattern fill operations, accelerating graphics text scrolling, and
amplifying pixels to speed up text printing and color expansion. As a
result, bus traffic is minimized by offloading the tasks normally
performed by the CPU.

True Color

Further enhancing ImageVideo is the ability to display photo-realistic
images. The Image Series includes 24-bit True Color, allowing for 16.8
million colors to be displayed simultaneously, adding photo-realism to
desktop publishing and technical illustrations.

With the introduction of Photo CD technology, the use of true color images
for importing color photographs into applications, and the ability to edit
and save such files, is becoming increasingly important to organizations
such as insurance companies, human resource departments, law firms, and
low enforcement agencies. For instance, an insurance company could import
a photograph of a damaged vehicle and place that photo into the accident
report for future claim reference.

Paving the way for the expected infiltration of Photo CD technology within
corporate computing environments, NEC bundles MicroGrafx' PhotoMagic
software, which enables users to easily display, file, and edit
photo-realistic True Color images.

The Image Series also offers users a full 1MB of video memory for
resolutions up to 1024 X 768 X 256 colors non-interlaced. NEC's exclusive
ImageSync technology, a standard feature of the Image Series, enables the
system to sense when it is connected to one of NEC's MultiSync FG monitors
and automatically adjusts to the highest possible refresh rate--up to
72Hz--providing clear, flicker-free information display.

"With the use of GUls now commonplace among the advanced business users,
the demanding graphics performance needed to operate these applications
dominates a user's impression of system performance. To optimize graphics
performance, we've designed ImageVideo as a total graphics solution,
combining a 32-bit local bus, BitBlt graphics accelerator, and 24-bit True
Color to enhance the overall video performance of the Image Series. We
believe this combination represents the best graphics performance
technology available in the industry," added Lane.

OptiBus for Optimized I/O Throughout

To optimize the data transfer rate between the CPU and the hard drive of
the Image Series, NEC has developed OptiBus, an architecture that provides
up to a 30% increase in I/O performance for typical Windows-based
applications.

To achieve the fastest I/O throughout possible, NEC's OptiBus architecture
is implemented in two stages. The first stage occurs on the ISA bus, where
OptiBus transfers data by using two clock cycles, rather than three clock
cycles. As a result, the data from either the IDE or SCSI controller
travels across the bus at a faster rate, providing a 33% increase in raw
data throughout.

Unique to OptiBus is the use of Block Mode PIO, a technology found in the
second I/O stage which significantly reduces CPU overhead by instructing
the IDE hard drive controller to collect eight sectors of data before
issuing an interrupt to the CPU. Without the implementation of Block Mode
PIO, a typical IDE hard drive controller sends data to the CPU at a mere
one sector at a time. OptiBus technology provides faster I/O throughout
without compromising device compatibility.

Integrated SCSI: The Fastest Way to Connect Peripherals

To provide high performance and connectivity to a broad range of devices
via an intelligent standard interface, NEC includes "on-board" SCSI II
directly on the Image Series' main logic board. The integrated SCSI
feature of the Image Series enables users to connect internal devices such
as SCSI hard drives and CD-ROM, and up to seven external devices to the
SCSI bus. NEC's integrated SCSI implementation offers a true "plug and
play" SCSI solution that is device independent, alleviating the problems
commonly associated with peripheral expansion.

Realizing the increasing popularity of SCSI devices, especially CD-ROM,
among the advanced business computing community, NEC has included EZ SCSI,
easy-to-use software for hard drives and CD-ROM devices. "With the
inclusion of EZ SCSI, NEC offers a complete hardware and software
solution, not just technology," commented Lane.

Image Series PCs are Network Ready

Using an optional 10BaseT Ethernet network interface card, NEC offers Image
Series users a high-performance network interface that doesn't consume an
extra expansion slot. The 16-bit masters are 100% software compatible,
eliminating the need for switches and jumpers. Since the majority of PCs
used by advanced business users are part of networked environments, NEC
has designed the Image Series to be compatible with Novell, Banyan,
Digital Equipment Corporation, and Microsoft LANs, thereby providing users
with the peace-of-mind associated with working with one, rather than
multiple, vendors.

Pentium Overdrive Upgradability and Modular Design Offer Superior
Investment Protection

To prevent premature product obsolescence and protect a user's investment,
the Image Series is easily upgradable, via a new 238-pin Overdrive socket,
to Intel's upcoming Pentium microprocessor. For ease of upgradability, the
Image Series' 238-pin zero insertion force socket has an extra row of pins
that will be required to support the next level of the Intel Overdrive
processor based on the Pentium core. This zero insertion force socket
offers easy upgradability and provides a superior alternative to low
insertion force sockets.

With the introduction of the Image Series, NEC continues its use of the
modular, ergonomically designed chassis first used with the PowerMate "i"
Series in 1991, and since imitated by other PC vendors. The Image chassis
is constructed of lightweight, durable plastic and features include
snap-in/snap-out rails for quick device release, easy front
installation/removal of diskette/tape backup and CD-ROM readers, an
internal removable dual hard drive cage, and mouse and keyboard ports
easily accessible from the front of the chassis.

Since the modular chassis design of the Image Series is the same as the
PowerMate "i" Series, it offers excellent investment protection for
existing NEC customers who can easily upgrade to the advanced feature set
of the new Image Series via a quick motherboard swap.

NEC PC Product Families: American Designed and Manufactured

All NEC PC products are designed and developed at the company's extensive
Boxborough, Massachusetts Research and Development facilities, and
manufactured at a state-of-the-art manufacturing complex in nearby
Northborough.

With today's introduction, the Image Series becomes the latest NEC PC
product family, and is positioned to meet the needs of the advanced
business user. Other NEC PC lines include the Ready family of desktop
systems for the small office/home office (SoHo) user, the PowerMate Series
for the general business user, and the Express line of powerful,
EISA-based desktop and client/server systems for mission critical
applications.

Pricing, Distribution, and Service Information

The Image Series is available immediately from NEC's extensive nationwide
network of authorized resellers. The following price chart exemplifies how
NEC was able to implement an extensive series of technological
advances--32-bit local bus, graphics accelerator, True Color, on-board
SCSI, and network-ready configurations--in the new Image Series while
pricing the line up to 15% less than its predecessor--the PowerMate "i"
Series. Although actual dealer prices may vary, it is estimated that the
Image Series well sell at or near the following retail prices:

                                       Image     "i"      Cost
                                       Series   Series   Savings
Image 425

4MB, 1.44 FD, NO    HDD                $1,449   $1,699     15%
4MB, 1.44 FD, 170MB HDD                 1,769    2,049     14
4MB, 1.44 FD, 340MB HDD                 1,989    2,249     12
4MB, 1.44 FD, 170MB HDD, 10baseT Ether  1,869     NEW
4MB, 1.44 FD, 340MB HDD, 10baseT Ether  2,089     NEW

Image 433

4MB, 1.44 FD, NO    HDD                $1,849   $2,099     12%
4MB, 1.44 FD, 170MB HDD                 2,169    2,449     11
4MB, 1.44 FD, 340MB HDD                 2,389    2,649     10
4MB, 1.44 FD, 170MB HDD, 10baseT Ether  2,269     NEW
4MB, 1.44 FD, 340MB HDD, 10baseT Ether  2,489     NEW

Image 466

4MB, 1.44 FD, NO    HDD                $2,209   $2,499     12%
4MB, 1.44 FD, 170MB HDD                 2,529    2,849     11
4MB, 1.44 FD, 340MB HDD                 2,749    3,049     10
4MB, 1.44 FD, 170MB HDD, 10baseT Ether  2,629     NEW
4MB, 1.44 FD, 340MB HDD, 10baseT Ether  2,849     NEW

An industry-leading three-year warranty on all parts and labor, including
first-year on-site service and second and third-year return-to-depot
service, is included with the Image Series.

NEC Technologies, Inc.

NEC Technologies, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of computers and
peripherals for the North American market. Product lines include
award-winning ProSpeed laptop computers, UltraLite notebook computers,
MultiSync FG monitors, Silentwriter and Colormate printers, Image,
Express, PowerMate and Ready systems products, and MultiSpin CD-ROM
hardware. NEC Technologies, Inc. is a subsidiary of NEC Corporation.

NEC Technologies
1414 Massachusetts Ave, Boxborough, MA 01719-2298
508-264-8000

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