108 Years of National Geographic Magazine Captured in CD-ROM Collection.

NOVATO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 9, 1997--

National Geographic Interactive, Kodak, and Mindscape Bring More Than 185,000 Pages of Exploration, Adventure & Images Alive with The

Complete National Geographic

Discover the remains of the Titanic. Explore the lush beauty and perilous dangers of the Nile. Uncover the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu. For nearly 11 decades, National Geographic magazine has fascinated and educated readers everywhere with its compelling explorations and descriptions of the natural world. National Geographic Interactive, Eastman Kodak Company, and Mindscape bring every exotic corner of the world as close as the computer, with the release of The Complete National Geographic: 108 Years of National Geographic Magazine on CD-ROM, now shipping to stores.

"National Geographic has been the premier provider of compelling photography and reporting on human adventure and natural history for over a century," said Larry Lux, senior vice president of National Geographic Interactive. "By partnering with Mindscape and Kodak, we are able to expand our content into multiple technology platforms."

The comprehensive CD-ROM archive includes all of National Geographic magazine's award-winning photographs, stories, page maps, and graphics, plus classic period advertising from the past century.

Featuring more than 9,000 articles from over 1,200 issues of National Geographic magazine, plus a robust search engine and a direct link to an exclusive area on the National Geographic Web site, this unprecedented collection of 30 CD-ROMs makes the world-class magazine more accessible than ever before. Developed by Dataware Technologies and sponsored by Kodak, The Complete National Geographic is available through Mindscape on hybrid CD-ROM for Windows 95, Windows 3.1, and Macintosh for an estimated street price of $199.00.

"This project is a natural extension of the relationship between Kodak and National Geographic, which dates back to 1908," said Carl Gustin, chief marketing officer for Kodak. He added, "When Kodak first set out with its theme, Take Pictures. Further., we never really imagined all the things it could stand for. Then along came along the opportunity to sponsor this exciting collection."

A World of Exploration at Your Fingertips

From the breathtaking valleys of the Grand Canyon, to up-close-and-personal meetings with giant whales and bearded seals, The Complete National Geographic brings vivid explorations of unique cultures, distant landscapes, and rare plants and animals to your computer screen with a simple click of the mouse.

This digital library makes it easy to relive every National Geographic adventure, including some that even the most devoted readers may have missed, such as a chilling account of a life- threatening expedition on Mount St. Helens, a pioneering trek to the North Pole, or an exploration of the secrets of the wild panda.

Navigate Your Way through 108 Years of Adventure

Whether for school projects, research, adventure planning, or personal interest, finding specific articles, topics, and images is easy with The Complete National Geographic's powerful search engine.

Simultaneously search 108 years of National Geographic's reporting -- a total of more than 185,000 printed pages and over 1,200 issues of the magazine -- from any of the 30 CD-ROMs included in the collection. The program directs users to each article's location. Search on a number of criteria:

-- Date, issue, or cover -- Subject (topic, title, or key word) -- Explorer, writer, or photographer -- Advertiser -- Photograph or map

When an article is selected, the program highlights related topics and contributors to extend the search. You can print pages in color or black and white, or bookmark articles you want to return to later.

Keep track of your search with an "articles viewed" feature. A direct link takes users to an exclusive area on the National Geographic Web site (www.nationalgeographic.com) for the latest editorial features, activities, expeditions, and news from the National Geographic Society.

The National Geographic Society

The National Geographic Society, founded in 1888, is the world's largest nonprofit scientific and educational organization, with nine million members worldwide. The Society has supported more than 5,800 scientific research projects and expeditions as well as a major campaign in American schools to combat geographic illiteracy.

Using vehicles that range from its flagship magazine, National Geographic, to a broad variety of television programming, the Society continually seeks to engage people in global adventure.

National Geographic Interactive, which is producing a line of CD-ROMs including The Complete National Geographic, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Geographic Society. National Geographic Interactive also produces the Society's World Wide Web site (www.nationalgeographic.com).

The National Geographic & Kodak Collaboration

Kodak's sponsorship of The Complete National Geographic extends its nearly century-long relationship with the magazine. National Geographic and Kodak have worked in tandem since Kodak placed its first ad in National Geographic in 1908. In fact, National Geographic magazine photographers were among the first in their profession to capture action in color on Kodachrome 35mm film.

The first images on Kodachrome film appeared in the magazine's April 1938 issue, and they will come to life again in the new CD-ROM collection. To emphasize the National Geographic/Kodak collaboration, all packages containing the CD-ROM collection showcase Kodak's logo and Take Pictures. Further.(TM) theme.

Mindscape Customer Service

Customers interested in inquiring about Mindscape's products may call the company at 800/234-3088 or 415/897-9900. They can also receive product information and technical support through Mindscape Online at www.mindscape.com

Additional Corporate Background

Mindscape Inc., is a leading developer and publisher of consumer software for the home, entertainment, education, and reference markets. Mindscape is headquartered in Novato, Calif., with offices in Canada, England, France, Germany, Japan, and Australia.

The company's subsidiaries include Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI), of Sunnyvale, Calif. Founded in 1980, Mindscape is part of Pearson, plc, the international media group based in London, which focuses on the information, education, and entertainment markets.

Kodak is the world leader in both traditional silver halide imaging and digital imaging. With major manufacturing plants in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, England, France, Germany, and Australia, Kodak markets a range of products in more than 150 countries.

Those products include: photographic films, papers, and chemicals for amateur and professional use; motion picture films; diagnostic imaging film and equipment; digital imaging products including cameras, scanners, sensors and printers; copier-duplicators; microfilm and image management systems.

Kodak, headquartered in Rochester, N.Y., employs approximately 95,000 people worldwide.

Dataware Technologies (www.dataware.com) is the leading provider of software for professional electronic publishing. Dataware's software products and solutions enable customers to manage and distribute a wide variety of information via the Internet, intranets, CD-ROM, enterprise networks, commercial online services, print-on-demand, and combinations of these media.

Dataware's software is used by more than 2,000 organizations worldwide -- including commercial publishers, corporations, government agencies, professional firms, and educational institutions -- serving over 800,000 end-users in more than 20 countries. -0- Mindscape is a registered trademark of Mindscape Inc. Kodak and Take Pictures. Further. are trademarks of Eastman Kodak Co. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

CONTACT: Mindscape Inc.

Adrienne Hankin or Cynthia Leonard, 415/897-9900, x828

[e-mail]

or

National Geographic Society

Sarah Clark, 202/828-5664

[e-mail]