Logitech Brings Breakthrough Electronic Sensing Technology to the Retail
Market with TrackMan Marble

Newest Trackball Product Features Unparalleled Reliability and Accuracy;
Paves the Way for a New Generation of Maintenance-Free Pointing Devices

Fremont, Calif. -- September 6, 1995 -- Logitech Inc., international market
leader in computer mice and alternative pointing devices for the PC,
announces TrackMan Marble, a thumb-operated trackball whose new "Marble"
electronic sensing technology for tracking ball movement offers users
virtually maintenance-free operation. The result of four years' extensive
research and development, Logitech's patented Marble sensing technology
uses advanced optics and neural network logic in devices that detect
movement in a manner similar to that of the human eye and transmit this
information to the computer. The retail product will be available this
month from Logitech dealers and distributors at an estimated street price
of $99.

Until now, the mechanical nature of trackball technology -- usually a
complex system composed of rollers, shafts, and wheels -- has given rise
to a number of problems, including the blocking of shafts by dust
particles, as well as reaction and/or corrosion of metallic parts within
the mechanism caused by oils and chemicals from the user's skin. In Marble
sensing technology, a sensor embedded in the pointing device remotely
tracks the movements of a random pattern of dots printed on an inner layer
of the trackball, which is related to dust particles and other
user-introduced contamination, and the TrackMan Marble can thus maintain
accuracy under a variety of adverse conditions.

"TrackMan Marble is a true technological breakthrough, with great
significance for both the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and
retail markets," says Aldo Bussien, Logitech's Business Director for
Pointing Devices. "In the OEM arena, systems manufacturers are looking for
a low-cost, reliable trackball for portable computing solutions, and
Marble technology has already been incorporated into several of the latest
laptop systems on the market. On the retail side, problems with keeping
trackballs clean and accurate are among the most common complaints of end
users."

An evolution of Logitech's popular TrackMan thumb-operated trackball.
TrackMan Marble offers attractive design and comfortable support for the
hand, allowing the fingers to rest on the buttons in a natural manner. Its
three-button design and programmable software increase personal
productivity by allowing users to assign shortcuts to the second and third
buttons (e.g., double-click, draglock, and other frequently used
commands). Additionally, Logitech's MouseWare software permits the
operation of multiple pointing devices in the Windows environment. The
device is plug-and-play ready, offering automatic identification and
configuration per device and the ability to hot plug under Windows 95.

System requirements for TrackMan Marble include an IBM-compatible system,
DOS 3.3 or higher, and an available serial port or mouse port.

Founded in 1981, Logitech designs, manufactures, and markets products that
make human-to-computer communication more intuitive and natural. Retail
and OEM product offerings include pointing devices, hand-held and
sheet-fed scanners, digital cameras, and control devices for computer
games. Logitech International, the financial holding company for the
Logitech Group, is traded publicly in Switzerland on the Geneva and Zurich
exchanges. With operational headquarters in Fremont, Calif., the group
maintains wholly-owned manufacturing sites in the Far East, and offices in
major cities in North America, Europe, and Asia.

For additional information on Logitech products and services, contact the
Customer Sales Center at (800) 231-7717.

Logitech Inc
6505 Kaiser Dr, Fremont, CA 94555
510-795-8500,  fax 510-792-8901
 
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