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To: Patrick E.McDaniel who wrote (147453)11/15/1999 7:58:00 AM
From: TechMkt  Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 176387
 
Sony unveils new music player, Dell to release pagers

By Michael Kanellos
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 15, 1999, 4:20 a.m. PT
comdex LAS VEGAS--Gadgets are going big time with major manufacturers.

Sony today will announce the "Music Clip," a pen-sized MP3 music player that can hold up to 120 minutes of music while sources close to Dell Computer say that the company will roll out a branded version of the "Blackberry" pager/organizer later next week, a release that will mark Dell's entry into the device space.

Although notebooks will likely remain the core focus of most PC manufacturers, Quote Snapshot
these companies are clearly rushing in to supply consumers with smaller, limited-function devices, according to industry executives and analysts at MobileFocus, an evening event held the day before the official opening of Comdex. The event, held amid the imperial splendor of Caesar's Palace, serves to showcase upcoming portable technology.

Sony today also announced joint development and marketing deals with Microsoft, Palm Computing, and IBM.

Sony and Microsoft said they have agreed to collaborate on the interoperability between Microsoft Windows Media and Sony's OpenMG copyright protection technology. Sony has also agreed to support Windows Media Audio, an audio compression technology, on its upcoming VAIO Music Clip in addition to Sony's own proprietary ATRAC3 format.

Sony and Palm will collaborate on the joint development of next-generation Palm handhelds, the company said. Sony will license the Palm OS, while Palm will adopt Sony's Memory Stick storage and data exchange technology as part of its Palm Computing devices.

Palm Computing will enable its devices to support Memory Stick technology and will be able to license systems to third party manufacturers. Sony plans to use the Palm OS as part of a new line of handheld electronics products expected to include mobile wireless telecommunications-enabled consumer electronics products, the company said.

Sony and IBM, meanwhile, said they have advanced their collaboration on content management technologies for electronic music distribution.

Notebooks, of course, were also a topic at the event. Pentium III notebooks will begin to emerge in numbers toward the end of the year, said sources, while the company will come out with 600-MHz and 650-MHz notebook Pentium IIIs in January.

While these new devices function independently of the PC, they will also serve as a peripheral of a basic computer. Sony's Music Clip will largely be marketed as an extension of the company's Vaio notebook line. Music Clip does not connect to the Internet itself. Rather, users download music onto their PC and then transfer files to the Music Clip via a USB cable. The device, which will sell for $299, will come out in Japan first and make its way to the United States by January, said a Sony spokeswoman.

The Music Clip is about the size, shape and heft of a fountain pen. It comes in a silver or black case and with built-in headphones. Music files are stored on flash memory inside the clip. The system does not take advantage of Sony's Memory stick technology, representatives said.

Dell's move into pagers, meanwhile, will likely be marketed in conjunction with Dell's existing PC product line. The Blackberry pager has emerged in recent months as one of the "must have" items in the computing world. The devices, which are marketed by a number of companies, allow users to receive and send text and numerical messages as well as store data such as personal calendars or phone lists. Put another way, the pagers perform many of the functions of a Palm pilot but come with built-in mobile communications.

Dell did not comment on the product. However, Dell executives have been discussing the company's possible foray into devices since August. The company has also set up an internal division to explore marketing Internet-centric hardware. Some of these future devices may be made by Dell, or by other parties on behalf of Dell.


On the notebook side, Compaq today will showcase its Prosignia 170 Pentium III notebook. The notebook will contain a 500-MHz Pentium III processor and come with a 13.3 or 14.1 inch screen, according to Prosignia marketing manager Charles Lunsford. Compaq is considering also coming out with notebooks containing 15-inch screens next year. Although announced now, consumers won't likely see many of the Prosignia 170 notebooks until mid-December, he added.

Among other news at Mobile Focus, e-book developer NuvoMedia announced News Stand, a service that allows owners of the company's RocketBook to download articles from The New York Times and other partnering publications, according to marketing representative Marcus Colombano.

NuvoMedia also rolled out its RocketBook Pro, a new version of the device with 16MB of memory, four times the original RocketBook. Prices of these devices have also come down drastically. Premiering for close to $500 nearly 18 months ago, the RocketBook Pro will sell for $269 while the standard edition will sell for $199.

Although ostensibly a hardware company, NuvoMedia over time will increasingly take more revenue through selling electronic texts. "The long term vision of the company is as a content company," Colombano said.



To: Patrick E.McDaniel who wrote (147453)11/15/1999 12:02:00 PM
From: kemble s. matter  Respond to of 176387
 
Patrick,
Hi!!!
RE: NEW PRODUCTS from DELL

I am wondering if this is a harbinger of what you and I have discussed in the past...
:o)

Best, Kemble

Dell Extends Worldwide Internet Leadership With New Commerce, Customer
Support Features; Leading Commerce Site Redesigned to Accommodate
Customer Preferences

ROUND ROCK, Texas, Nov 15, 1999 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Dell Computer
Corporation (Nasdaq:DELL), a leader in Web-based business solutions,
today announced a global redesign of www.dell.com, with new
Internet-enabled capabilities that make interactions easier and more
tailored to discrete customer needs.

Dell's refined Web site, one of the world's leading e-commerce sites,
allows customers to buy, search for information and seek support
according to their personal preferences and technology experience.

Dell also announced an online paperless invoicing capability for its
largest business and institutional customers, an extension of the
company's Premier Pages service.

Dell said the enhancements further extend the Internet as a dynamic
information delivery, service and support, and online commerce vehicle
for businesses and consumers.

"These improvements provide Dell customers an even richer Internet
experience, with better access to a huge repository of online content,
grouped in user-friendly online communities," said Richard Owen, vice
president, Dell Online Worldwide. "Dell's strategy is to become the
preferred online destination for any aspect of technology, and these
new capabilities move us closer to that end."

Global Redesign of www.dell.com

The redesigned www.dell.com is based on XML (eXtensible Markup
Language), a database-driven language that enables extremely fast
content updates worldwide, allowing Dell to respond more quickly to
customer needs or industry changes. For example, new product features
are added simultaneously to Dell's 50 country-specific sites, in local
languages and currencies. In this way, XML ensures that www.dell.com
has accurate and consistent information worldwide, and enhances Dell's
already sophisticated technology infrastructure to speed information
sharing with customers and suppliers.

Dell's Web site, which generates $35 million each day in revenue, is
one of the largest online commerce sites based on XML technology.

New Features of support.dell.com

Further implementing its e-support strategy, Dell also has
re-engineered its support Web site, support.dell.com, making it easier
for customers to get online assistance. Dell currently receives almost
19 million visits to support.dell.com each year, and almost 40 percent
of Dell customers use "E-Support--Direct from Dell." Dell expects at
least half of its customers will use e-support by the end of 2000.

The support site now enables customers to select how they receive
online help, based on their comfort and experience with technology. The
site also features new applications such as "Warranty Status," which
notifies customers when that service is approaching expiration, and
"Birth Certificate," which gives customers direct access to useful
system information, such as its unique service tag number.

Earlier this year, the Association of Support Professionals named
support.dell.com as a Top 10 Web site, making Dell the only computer
manufacturer to earn that honor.

Premier Invoicing

Dell's new online invoicing capability, Premier Invoicing, is the
latest addition to its Premier Pages service for U.S. business
customers. From their Premier Pages Web sites, Dell customers can
search and sort outstanding invoices by date, invoice number,
purchase-order number or customer number.

"Prior to Premier Invoicing, the volume of business we did with Dell
required a full-time accounts receivable clerk to manage Dell
transactions," said Ash Shehata, chief information officer of Antelope
Valley Hospital in Lancaster, Calif. "Now all of our account data is a
click away. It's easily organized, cuts down on paperwork and the clerk
is available to work on other projects."

Premier Pages are customized, password-protected Web sites that Dell
creates for customers. The sites provide one-stop access to simplified
purchasing, purchase history reporting, order status and help desk
support. More than 35,000 customer-specific Premier Pages in 12
languages are currently hosted through www.dell.com.

"The winners in the Internet era will be those companies which
understand the importance of the online customer experience," said
Owen. "We believe enhancements to www.dell.com make it easier and
faster for customers to do business with Dell by shrinking transaction
and fulfillment times, increasing accuracy and providing more
personalized content."

Owen also said he believes that a positive customer experience drives
more e-loyalty than traditional attributes like product selection or
price. As a leader in personal and process connectivity because of its
one-to-one direct relationships with customers, Dell has the ability
and experience to understand what customers want from online
relationships and to provide Web-based solutions that meet customer
needs for faster and more efficient access and greater content.

Ranked No. 78 among the Fortune 500 companies and No. 210 in the
Fortune Global 500, Dell Computer Corporation is the world's leading
direct computer systems company, based on revenues of $23.6 billion for
the past four quarters. Dell designs, manufactures and customizes
products and services to customer requirements and offers an extensive
selection of software and peripherals. Information on Dell and its
products can be obtained through its toll-free number 800/388-8542 or
by accessing the Dell World Wide Web site at www.dell.com.

Dell is a registered trademark and Premier Pages is a registered
service mark of Dell Computer Corporation.

Fortune 500 is a registered trademark of Time Inc.

Dell disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of
others.

Copyright (C) 1999 Business Wire. All rights reserved.

Distributed via COMTEX.
-0-
CONTACT: Dell Computer Corporation, Round Rock
Media Contacts:
Patricia Rowell
or
Bryant Hilton, 512/728-4100 (media only)
patricia_rowell@dell.com
bryant_hilton@dell.com
or
Investor Contacts:
Don Collis, 512/728-8671
don_collis@dell.com
or
Robert Williams, 512/728-7570
robert_williams@dell.com

WEB PAGE: businesswire.com

GEOGRAPHY: TEXAS CALIFORNIA

INDUSTRY CODE: COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS
E-COMMERCE
INTERNET
SOFTWARE

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