Best Buy Unveils New Look, Latest Technology In Private Line of ``vpr Matrix'' Computers.

Business Editors / High-Tech Writers

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 11, 2002

Porsche-Designed PCs Available at All Best Buy Stores

And BestBuy.com Starting the Week of July 14

Nearly seven months after Best Buy Co., Inc. started to test a house brand in all of its stores, the company is set to debut the highly-anticipated designer look and latest technological innovations of its "vpr Matrix" line of personal computers. Beginning Sunday, July 14, new models of vpr Matrix, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Best Buy Co., Inc., will be available exclusively at all Best Buy stores and online at BestBuy.com.

The vpr Matrix line - vpr for value, performance and reliability - was created specifically to address the needs of the Best Buy customer. After consulting with both its customers and retail employees, Best Buy set out to deliver an option for better connecting Best Buy customers to the "digital lifestyle."

With the computer serving as the technology nucleus in most homes, vpr Matrix was designed and built to serve as the integration point for peripherals like digital cameras, camcorders and MP3 music devices, in order to bring the user a more advanced and enjoyable PC experience. The vpr Matrix line features a new look, plenty of expansion room, and configurations that significantly surpass typical industry standards for performance and reliability.

A Fresh Appearance

The newest line of vpr Matrix features a strikingly elegant and angular exterior by Porsche Design GmbH, the Austrian firm founded by F.A. Porsche, grandson of the legendary engineer. Porsche Design is world-renowned for its distinguished aesthetic that refines objects down to their basic function, brings out a clarity and timelessness of form, and incorporates the most suitable, advanced materials and workmanship in order to combine traditional skills with high-tech.

New Line Offers Choice and Expansion Capabilities

Inside, vpr Matrix still insists on using only components from established and trusted industry leaders. Every vpr Matrix comes with 512MB of DDR RAM, six USB 2.0 ports for increased ease of connecting multiple digital devices, CD-RW capabilities, a DVD-ROM drive, and an Intel(R) Pentium 4(R) processor, with speeds ranging from 1.8 to 2.53GHz. Additionally, all vpr Matrix PCs come with a total of five PCI expansion slots, with four open slots available in most models (the high-end model, the 253R, comes with a Sound Blaster Live 5.1 card, leaving three available PCI slots).

The 17" (16" viewable) flat panel CRT monitor, designed by F.A. Porsche, has a 96KHz refresh rate, the highest available to consumers. A higher refresh rate, which refers to how many times per second an image is redrawn, translates into less flicker and reduced eye strain. Additionally, vpr Matrix is the only computer brand offering a monitor with three "Application Brightness" settings, with one-click pre-sets optimized specifically for doing work, enjoying interactive games, or watching movies.

The four latest vpr Matrix offerings were designed to allow the greatest choice for Best Buy customers. From the newly initiated to the serious user, customers can select a computer that will be the right fit for taking their next step into the digital lifestyle:

-- The 180R - 1.8 GHz Intel(R) Pentium 4(R) processor, 512MB DDR RAM, 60GB hard drive, priced at $849.99 - Available Sunday, July 21

-- The 226R - 2.26 GHz Intel(R) Pentium 4(R) processor, 512MB DDR RAM, 80GB hard drive, priced at $1049.99 - Available Sunday, July 14

-- The 240R - 2.4 GHz Intel(R) Pentium 4(R) processor, 512MB DDR RAM, 100GB hard drive, priced at $1,349.99 - Available Sunday, July 21

-- The 253R - 2.53 GHz Intel(R) Pentium 4(R) processor, 512MB DDR RAM, two installed 80 GB hard drives (or 160GB total capacity), priced at $1,699.99 - Available Sunday, July 14

-- All prices indicate cost for CPU, keyboard, mouse and speakers. The vpr Matrix monitor is sold separately at $299.99

Surpassing Industry Standards with Server-Based Technology

The vpr Matrix line sets a new mark by becoming the first computer brand in the retail industry to standardize commercial-grade technology in a consumer PC. All vpr Matrix machines will feature server-class Western Digital 7,200 RPM hard drives built to standards of only 1,500 DPPM (defect parts per million), a commercial file server-level standard that is up to four times higher than most consumer hard drives.

Making Added Security and Speed Easier Than Ever Before

Moreover, all vpr Matrix PCs will come enabled with a standard integrated controller for RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks), a sophisticated multiple hard-drive system incorporating technology that is mostly associated with commercial file servers.

The on-board RAID controller allows consumers to easily add additional hard drives to their vpr Matrix PC for faster and more secure computing. With a second hard drive, the RAID system can be configured either to constantly and automatically back up or "mirror" data to a second hard drive, or to enhance and improve system performance and speed by splitting or "striping" data between two hard drives.

With so many consumers increasing their use of more sophisticated, memory-intensive digital applications into their everyday lives, Best Buy decided it was the right time to demystify RAID technology and bring it to the mainstream.

The consumer benefits of the "mirroring" setting of RAID become apparent when a home PC is used to document and preserve the milestone moments of people's lives.

The explosive popularity of digital photography has led to a record number of technology users who store digital images in a single place - the hard drive of the family computer. With no back-up, digital photos and videos are literally at risk every time the computer is used. If that single hard drive should fail, stored memories - birthday parties, wedding, vacations - irreplaceable images - are gone forever.

RAID that "mirrors" data on to other hard drives is the technology behind the kind of instantaneous data back-up that many people rely on from their workplace PCs. It is what gives users the peace of mind that important information is much less likely to be "lost".

The "striping" setting of RAID, in which data from individual files is split into smaller sections and saved onto separate hard drives, allowing for increased speed in reading and writing, is ideal for the home user who wants another boost in performance and speed. This kind of RAID setting is ideal for "stutter"-free images when using graphic-intensive applications like computer gaming or digital movie editing.

The 253R model of vpr Matrix comes standard with two 80 GB hard drives pre-configured for "striping", making RAID for faster performance available to the user right out of the box. All vpr Matrix PCs are expandable to run four hard drives, which allows the RAID system to simultaneously mirror and stripe data for the highest level of performance and reliability.

What the Leaders Behind vpr Matrix Have to Say

"If Best Buy is to continue being recognized by consumers as a leader in digital-lifestyle options, we need to offer a PC that sets a new technology standard for making the adoption of digital products as easy and enjoyable for the widest range of Best Buy customers," said David Morrish, Best Buy's senior vice president and business group leader for computers, peripherals and digital imaging. "We believe the power, quality and value of a vpr Matrix will make this new offering a compelling option for those looking to take their next step into the connected life."

"In many ways, you could say that we are totally obsessed with a commitment to quality," said Steven Lee, Best Buy's vice president of strategic development, and the person behind the "vpr Matrix" brand. "We wanted to deliver a PC that Best Buy could proudly stand behind and the serious user would appreciate for the dedication to detail. I think people are going to be very surprised to see how we really extended the capabilities of a home PC in every way and still offer a competitive price."

MEDIA NOTE: Visit vprmatrix.com/info for more information and downloadable images.

About Best Buy Co., Inc.

Minneapolis-based Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY) is North America's number one specialty retailer of consumer electronics, personal computers, entertainment software and appliances. The Company operates retail stores and commercial web sites under the names: Best Buy (BestBuy.com), Future Shop (FutureShop.ca); Magnolia Hi-Fi (MagnoliaHiFi.com), Media Play (MediaPlay.com), On Cue (OnCue.com), Sam Goody (SamGoody.com), and Suncoast (Suncoast.com). The Company reaches consumers through more than 1,800 retail stores in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.