ALPS Brings 2400 dpi Photo-Quality Color Printer to the Network.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 18, 1999--

The ALPS MD-5000 Desk Top Print Shop(TM) now offers Ethernet

capability through partnership with ASP Computer Products

In a long awaited move to bring ALPS' Micro Dry(TM) printer family to the network, ALPS Electric (USA), Inc., today announced the availability of the ALPS MD-5000E.

With the MD-5000E, ALPS now offers a networkable printer server with the MD-5000 Desk Top Print Shop, enabling the revolutionary photo-quality color printer to function in a 10BaseT Ethernet network environment.

ALPS partnered with ASP Computer Products to provide a print server enabling the network connectivity. The unit is based on ASP Computer Products' groundbreaking JLP2000-A compact printer server.

The pocket-sized unit attaches to the parallel port of the MD-5000, and connects directly to an Ethernet network hub. The resulting network functionality makes the MD-5000 ideal for use in a small network in the case of small business graphics-intensive printing applications, or in a large enterprise for departmental print needs within a corporation.

"With the powerful, photo-quality color output the printer is capable of, the ALPS MD-5000 can allow a small business to produce literature resembling the costly printing jobs of a big business," said David Smith, marketing manager at ASP Computer Products. "We are pleased to work with ALPS to offer these users a convenient solution to share the MD-5000 over the network."

ASP Computer Products added ALPS-compatible software to the JLP2000-A to allow seamless, bi-directional communications between the client and the printer within a Windows 95 or Windows NT network. In addition to the MD-5000, the new interface can be used to support other printers in the ALPS Micro Dry family, including the MD-1300 and MD-1000.

ALPS is currently working with ASP Computer Products to launch a Macintosh-compatible version of the MD-5000E in October of this year. A 10/100BaseT version of the MD-5000E is also in development for launch in Q4 of 1999.

Price and Availability

The ALPS MD-5000E is available now and features the MD-5000 with an included ASP Computer Products printer server. The ALPS MD-5000E is available through VAR and reseller channels and has an estimated street price of $749.

ASP Computer Products markets the JLP2000-A as a separate network print server. The JLP2000-A is also available through VAR and reseller channels such as Ingram and Tech Data, and carries a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $219.00.

The MD-5000 Desk Top Print Shop

Based on ALPS' patented Micro Dry(TM) printer inks, the MD-5000 Desk Top Print Shop brings a new level of high-performance color printing to the home and office. It offers a range of color graphic outputs unavailable in any laser or inkjet printer on the market today, and can handle the demanding color-graphics output requirements of any consumer, business or professional application at resolutions as high as 2400 dots per inch (dpi).

At 2400 dpi, the MD-5000 can produce photo-quality images on virtually any printable surface including transparencies, cardstock, T-shirt transfers, overhead transparencies and embossed foil surfaces.

The MD-5000 Desk Top Print Shop has a suggested retail price of $599 for PC, and $649 for Macintosh.

Available options for the ALPS MD-5000 include the USB Interface Kit and the Dye Sublimation upgrade kit, each with a suggested retail price of $59 and $99 respectively. Adobe PostScript 3 for Macintosh is also available with a suggested retail price of $199. The printer requires Windows 3.1 or later, or Mac Systems 7.0 or later.

About ASP Computer Products

ASP Computer Products is a brand of printer connectivity peripherals offered by CTG, Inc. The line of products ranges form the JetLAN(TM) network print servers to the Intelligent Autoswitch(TM) parallel port sharing solutions. CTG, Inc., a Dayton, OH company, was founded in 1984 as Cables To Go. CTG serves computer equipment manufacturers and resellers worldwide, with products that include standard computer and network cabling, custom cabling solutions, peripheral sharing, power protection, premise wire solutions, network electronics, and tools and test equipment. CTG's cabling and peripheral sharing products are available through Ingram Micro, Merisel, Pinacor, and Tech Data.

About ALPS Electric (USA), Inc.

ALPS Electric (USA), Inc., located in San Jose, Calif., manufactures and markets peripherals, including color printers, floppy drives, keyboards and other input devices. The company also manufactures precision electronic components for the computer market through reseller, government, OEM and direct channels. ALPS Electric (USA), Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of ALPS Electric Co., Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. ALPS Electric Co., Ltd. is a more than $4 billion Fortune International 500 company.

For more information, contact ALPS Electric (USA), Inc. at [phone], or see ALPS' home page at www.alpsusa.com.

Note to Editors: ALPS, Micro Dry, and Desk Top Print Shop are registered trademarks of ALPS Electric Co., LTD. Other names are registered trademarks of their respective companies.