MICROTOUCH ANNOUNCES OEM VERSION OF UNMOUSE TOUCH TABLET
Offers Ease-of-Use, Ease-of-Integration Advantages Over Miniature
Trackballs

WILMINGTON, Mass., June 9, 1992 -- MicroTouch Systems, Inc. today announced
availability of the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) version of its
popular UnMouse, the touch-sensitive tablet that replaces mouse or
trackball. The OEM UnMouse is sold to notebook computer manufacturers and
addresses the need for a built-in pointing device to run Windows and OS/2
applications.

The OEM UnMouse, which is customized to fit each manufacturer's
specifications, is a small tablet, typically 2 inches by 3 inches, that is
sensitive to the touch of a finger. To move the cursor, the user merely
touches the glass surface of the sensor. Finger movements are converted
into cursor movements in a method similar to other devices where faster
movements result in larger cursor movements.

While some manufacturers are addressing the need for built-in pointing
devices in portable computers by building miniature trackballs into their
units, the OEM UnMouse has numerous advantages over these scaled-down
trackballs, including greater ease-of-use, ease-of-integration and
durability.

Easy to Use, Precise Cursor Control

The OEM UnMouse is considerably easier to use than the miniature trackballs
designed into several recently introduced notebook computers. The UnMouse
requires only one or two strokes for most cursor movements compared to
multiple rotations required from the same motion with a small trackball.
In addition, a second hand is often required to activate the trackball
"click" button -- with the UnMouse, the user merely taps on the glass.
Finally, trackballs are often loosely set in their casing, making them
difficult to control.

The UnMouse provides easy-to-use, precise, pixel-by-pixel cursor control
due to its high resolution of 1,000 by 1,000 touch sensitive points. The
controller electronics allows the user to make use of this high resolution
by averaging the entire area of finger contact down to a single point,
which is easy to manipulate with small finger motions.

Using the UnMouse requires only very light finger pressure, unlike earlier
resistive membrane touch tablet technology made of plastic. These tablets
were pressure sensitive and often required a sharp stylus to activate the
sensor. Because the UnMouse relies on capacitive sensing, only the
slightest contact between the finger and sensor are required to initiate
cursor movement.

Easy to Integrate

Because notebooks are rapidly shrinking in size, built-in input devices
must be increasingly light-weight and thinner. The OEM UnMouse glass
sensor is only 1.5mm thick, allowing it to easily fit into a notebook
computer's plastic housing without redesigning the layout of the
underlying internal components.

The OEM UnMouse electronics consist primarily of a CMOS chipset which is
easily integrated into the notebook's motherboard. By comparison, built-in
trackballs are bulky. Even micro-trackballs require a space of 14mm thick,
making them difficult to design into today's notebook computers.

The OEM UnMouse is available in a variety of sizes making it convenient for
OEMs to place it anywhere in a notebook's housing. Currently, the
preferred UnMouse location is in the unused surface above the keyboard. In
a layout similar to the Macintosh Powerbook, however, the UnMouse can be
mounted below the spacebar, enabling touch typists to use it without
removing their fingers from the keyboard.

Low Power Consumption

The OEM UnMouse is designed for minimal power consumption and utilizes a
BIOS-controllable "sleep mode" when not in use. Under 1 mA of power is
used when the UnMouse is in sleep mode.

Phoenix Technologies and SystemSoft, the two leading BIOS manufacturers for
notebook computers, have designed their PC ROM BIOS's to optimize the
power management feature of the UnMouse. "We think the combination of the
OEM UnMouse with Phoenix's suite of systems software is an excellent way
to add value to any notebook computer," said Eric Enge, director of PC
platforms at Phoenix Technologies. 'We intend to work closely with
MicroTouch to support our customers who are building the OEM UnMouse into
their computers."

SystemSoft is also providing complete support for the OEM UnMouse,
according to Mike Segroves, vice president of marketing and business
development of SystemSoft. 'We are pleased to support the OEM UnMouse in
our Optimal BIOS for 386SL and SX BIOS products and in our Maximizer Power
Management Software. By doing so we offer MicroTouch OEMs an advanced
solution for enhancing energy and battery efficiency", said Segroves.

Durable, Proven Technology

Durability is a major advantage the OEM UnMouse has over mechanical input
devices. The product has no moving parts, with nothing to wear out or
break. It is also easy to clean compared to trackballs and mice, which
must be disassembled to be cleaned.

The OEM UnMouse is also field-proven. It is a customized version of
MicroTouch's retail UnMouse touch tablet used by thousands of PC users
worldwide. Both the retail and OEM UnMouse are based on MicroTouch's
patented capacitive touch sensing technology. This technology has been
employed in the company's leading touch screen line that has been shipping
for over seven years and has an installed base of over 200,000 sensors in
the field.

Price and Availability

The OEM UnMouse is available immediately. Pricing, which includes sensor,
CMOS chipset, and software, begins at $40 in quantities of 1,000.
Significant discounts are available in OEM quantities.

MicroTouch Systems, headquartered in Wilmington, Mass., is a leading
manufacturer of touch screens used in point-of-sale, gaming, factory
floor, multimedia, and other computer-based applications. The company also
markets digitizers for pen computing and the UnMouse, a mouse replacement
touch pad. Founded in 1983, MicroTouch filed a registration statement with
the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 13, 1992 for an initial
public offering.

MicroTouch Systems, 55 Jonspin Rd, Wilmington, MA 01887
508-694-9900

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