AST ADVANTAGE! PCs STREAMLINE WINDOWS 95 NAVIGATION WITH NEW AST WORKS II, FEATURING "SPOT".

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 7, 1995--It's as smart as Lassie, as powerful as Rin Tin Tin, and as friendly and loyal as Old Yeller. It's "SPOT," ( the dynamic little icon at the center of AST Works( II, the next generation desktop organizer and navigator designed to help users to easily maneuver through Windows(r) 95 that debuts with new AST Advantage!(r) multimedia PCs this fall.

Place SPOT, a small unobtrusive round "button", anywhere on the screen and it stays there, ready to spring to action. Move the cursor over SPOT, and a ring with four labeled sections appears around the dot. Move the cursor into one of the sections, and a larger menu selection appears. Take the cursor away, and SPOT returns to its compact state of readiness. SPOT's "Tools" menu, at the upper left, is the fastest route to Windows 95 desktop utilities and folders like CD Player, My Computer, Printers, Add/Remove Programs and Speaker Phone.

At the upper right, SPOT's "Software" menu, containing categories such as Communications, Financial, Productivity and Fun & Learning, gives instant access to the more than 30 software programs that are bundled free with every AST Advantage! multimedia PC.

Below that, at SPOT's lower right corner, is the "Folders" menu which leads to user files, favorite software programs and System Tools.

Completing SPOT's circle is the powerful "Ask AST" menu, a complete user resource with topics that include "Getting Started," several "Help" options, glossary of terms, and complete on-line hardware and software manuals that are only a mouse click away, and a glossary.

"Even with all of its power and enormous potential, Windows 95 is a brand new operating system with a brand new look and feel," said Scott Smith, AST vice president and general manager, desktop division. SPOT makes it easier for every member of the family to be comfortable and productive with this new environment right out of the box."

AST LifeLine sets customer support precedent

One of the most exciting and revolutionary additions to the new Advantage! family will be the AST LifeLine remote control interactive technical support system that incorporates Radish's VoiceView(r) integrated voice and data protocol, included with every Advantage! PC this fall. For the first time voice, graphics and data communications can be quickly exchanged between the customer and PC support technician in order to quickly diagnose software and hardware problems and implement a fix all during a single call on a standard phone line.

This new class of customer service takes the blindfold off the support technician. When a customer calls for technical support on their Advantage! PC's built-in phone system, they will first be greeted by an automated agent that will pop up on the computer screen a listing of the most commonly asked PC questions help the caller to answer their question. If a solution is not obvious, the customer will be connected to a live support person who will have the ability to look at the users system files and interpret in real-time what the PC problem is and quickly solve it for the customer.

Users asked for it

End users overwhelmingly welcome this breakthrough in technical support based on a 1995 AST Advantage! User survey which cites that 94 percent of respondents would like a support technician to provide remote diagnostics by connecting to their PC.

If that's not enough, AST's On-line! bulletin board service and Info-FAX provide a broad level of technical support and information for users 24 hours a day. AST also sponsors forums on Compuserve and Prodigy online services.

Plenty of Power for Windows 95

AST's new lineup of Advantage! multimedia PCs have been designed "from the plug up" to provide all the power and speed required by multimedia applications operating under Windows 95. The new Advantage! systems will include fast Intel(r) processors, ranging in speed from 75MHz to a blazing 133 MHz. A minimum of 8MB of memory, expandable to 128MB, ensures more than enough memory muscle for today's home and home office applications. Huge hard drives of up to 1.6 GB guarantee plenty of storage space for the future.

Telephone communications capabilities have long been a cornerstone of AST Advantage! multimedia PC's, and the new models are no exception. A fast 14.4 or 28.8 kbps data/fax modems with voice mail and boardroom-quality speakerphone is included.

Corporate Background

AST Research Inc., a member of the Fortune 500 list of America's largest industrial and service companies, is one of the world's leading personal computer manufacturers. The $2.468 billion company develops PC products ranging from portable systems to superservers sold in more than 100 countries worldwide. Corporate headquarters is located at 16215 Alton Parkway, P.O. Box 57005, Irvine, Calif. 92619-7005. Telephone [phone] or [phone]. Fax: [phone].

Editor's note: photography available on Business Wire/PhotoWire.

AST and Advantage! are registered trademarks and SPOT and AST Works are trademarks of AST Research Inc. Voice View is a registered trademark of Radish Communications Systems Inc. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

CONTACT: Hollie Chriss Cronin

AST Research Inc.

714/727-7977

[e-mail]