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To: DJBEINO who wrote (3831)	8/21/1998 4:19:00 PM
From: DJBEINO	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9582

RELEASE OF WINDOWS 98 SET TO SPUR MEMORY BOARD DEMAND TOKYO, Aug 21, 1998 -- Demand for extension memory boards is expected to increase in response to the release of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows 98 operating system. Windows 98 requires larger memory capacity on a PC than other operating systems. The expected increase in demand for memory boards should be one factor in supporting the DRAM chip market, industry analysts said. However, it is possible that computer users aiming to extend their PC memory capacity for Windows 98 did so one year ago, said an official at the Sofmap Co., a major PC marketing firm. Although Windows 98 was released in the U.S. in June, Microsoft initially planned to release the system at the end of 1997. Some people had expanded their PC memories in anticipation of the earlier planned release. Sales of extension memory boards increased in autumn 1997, according to Sofmap, but had not increased since July 25 this year, when the Japanese-version of Windows 98 was released. Microsoft recommends that Windows 98 users have a 32-megabyte or larger memory capacity on their PCs. Microsoft recommended a 12-megabyte or larger memory capacity for users of Windows 95. Since July, major PC makers have released a Windows 98 pre-installed PC with 64-megabyte memory. Domestic PC shipments in April-June declined 14% year on year, according to the Japan Electronic Industry Development Association. However, the PC market had improved since July 25, a NEC Corp. official said. It would take about one month for Windows 98 users to realise whether the memory capacity on their PCs was sufficient, said an official at Cima Laboratory Co., a peripheral equipment maker. Demand for extension memory boards was likely to increase in or after September, the official said. Despite market perceptions that the DRAM chip market had bottomed out on production cuts by semiconductor makers, full-scale market recovery required an expansion in demand for extending PC memories, analysts said.