Be Demonstrates VirtualMac for the Be Operating System; New Technology from fredlabs, inc. Will Provide a Bridge for Customers and Developers Making the Transition to the BeOS.

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 7, 1997--This week at Macworld Expo, Be Inc. is demonstrating, for the first time, technology that allows the Be Operating System (BeOS(TM)) to run System 7.x MacOS applications directly within its multitasking, multiprocessor environment.

Developed by fredlabs, inc., a software company based in San Francisco, VirtualMac(TM) allows both modern BeOS applications and current System 7.x applications to be active at the same time, and for data to be exchanged between the systems.

Last August, Be announced it would enhance the BeOS to provide support for a wide variety of PowerPC based systems, including those based on Apple's PowerMacintosh designs. The company began shipping the BeOS for PowerMac development kit to software developers last month. Be has committed to delivering "dual-boot" capability AD the ability to run both the BeOS and MacOS (or any other system) on a single machine -- when it delivers the first public release of the BeOS in the first calendar quarter of 1997. The company has also committed to delivering the ability to access Mac formatted disks within the BeOS, as well as data file compatibility and Internet compatibility between the two systems.

But VirtualMac capabilities go a step further -- adding the ability to run System 7.x applications directly within the BeOS environment. During the Expo, Be and fredlabs plan to demonstrate Microsoft Word and Excel, ClarisWorks, and other applications running within the VirtualMac environment.

"We've believed that creating virtual machines, such as VirtualMac, was possible on the BeOS because of the modern OS services and uncluttered architecture it provides," said Jean-Louis Gassee, president and CEO of Be, Inc. "What fredlabs has created, however, has far surpassed our expectations, and this product will provide a clear bridge for customers and developers making transitions to the BeOS."

"We've been looking at the BeOS environment for the past year, and after taking a close look at the OS, we asked ourselves the question, `What type of software could we build that would really enhance the BeOS for a large number of users?'" said Fred Huxham, co-founder of fredlabs, inc. "VirtualMac seemed like a logical answer."

The companies stress that VirtualMac is still under development, and that a number of decisions remain to be made regarding how best to integrate the System 7.x environment into the BeOS. For example, whether VirtualMac appears in a window within the BeOS, or in one of the BeOS's desktop workspaces, has yet to be decided. fredlabs has prototyped both approaches.

To provide the System 7.x capabilities, VirtualMac creates a set of processes within the BeOS which, to MacOS applications, look like a Macintosh environment. In this way, VirtualMac is simply another task within the BeOS system. The implementation makes use of the MacOS ROMs found in PowerMacintosh hardware designs, within PowerMac clones, and within future systems based on the PowerPC Platform (PPCP or CHRP) design.

The companies stated that it will take further study to determine how far the multitasking and multiprocessor capabilities inherent in the BeOS can be used within the VirtualMac environment, and the limits on compatibility with certain classes of System 7.x software. But early results are encouraging, and one benefit is immediately apparent: If the VirtualMac environment encounters problems, it can be shut down and rebuilt without rebooting the BeOS system or the hardware.

Attendees of the Macworld Expo can see the VirtualMac demonstration at Be's booth in the south hall, as well as at the Power Computing booth in north hall. Information is also available at Be's web site at http://www.be.com . -0-

Be Operating System (BeOS) Summary of MacOS System 7.x Compatibility Features

DUAL BOOT CAPABILITIES

Includes the ability to run the BeOS and MacOS on a single PowerPC system. One OS is active at any one time. Supports loading systems on separate hard disks, or on separate partitions of a single disk.

Available: Now Introduced with the BeOS development kit last month. Will be a feature of the Q1 public release.

DATA COMPATIBILITY Includes the ability to access MacOS formatted volumes directly from within the BeOS, and ability to read System 7.x files and various data formats.

Available: In Q1 Release

NETWORK COMPATIBILITY Internet TCP/IP-based service compatibility and interchange with Mac and Windows systems, and AppleTalk capabilities with Mac-based systems.

Available: Now

Internet capabilities to be enhanced in the Q1 release. Be is studying AppleTalk network compatibility, availability to be announced.

VIRTUALMAC CAPABILITIES Includes the ability to run existing System 7.x applications within the BeOS environment.

Available: Demonstrated Availability to be announced later in Q1 -0-

About fredlabs, Inc.

fredlabs, inc. is a privately held company that was founded in 1995 by Fred Huxham and Fred Monroe. fredlabs is a quiet, yet powerful software developer that has produced software for a wide range of platforms, including Windows 95, Windows NT, MacOS, and the BeOS.

fredlabs, inc Tel: [phone] e-mail: [e-mail] Internet: http://www.fredlabs.com

About Be, Inc.

Be, Inc. was founded by Jean-Louis Gassee in 1990 to overcome the limitations of existing computer architectures. With a team of industry-leading engineers and business executives in the United States and Europe, the company has positioned itself to become a key player in fast-growing application markets. Be, Inc. is headquartered in Menlo Park, California.

Corporate Offices: Be, Inc. 800 El Camino Real, Suite 300 Menlo Park, California 94025

Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] Internet: http://www.be.com e-mail: [e-mail] FTP site: ftp://ftp.be.com

European Offices: Be, Inc. Suite 336, Immeuble Olivetti Rue de l'ancien marche

92800 Puteaux France Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] Internet: http://www.beeurope.com e-mail: [e-mail] -0-

Note to Editors: Copyright 1997 Be, Inc. Be is a registered trademark, and the Be logo, the BeOS logo, BeBox, BeOS, BWare and GeekPort are trademarks of Be, Inc. fredlabs and VirtualMac are trademarks of fredlabs, inc.

All other trademarks mentioned belong to their respective owners.

CONTACT: Be, Inc.

Mark Gonzales, 415/462-4100 (North America and Pacific)

[e-mail]

or

Jean Calmon, 33-1-49-06-73-75 (Europe)

[e-mail]