Compaq Computer Corp. Provides $100,000 to Help Mr. October Foundation For Kids Bridge the `'Digital Divide''.

Business Editors and High-Tech & Sports Writers 

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 7, 2000

Hall of Fame Baseball Player Reggie Jackson Joins Compaq CEO in

Helping Children

Recognizing the growing gap in access to technology among America's youth, the Mr. October Foundation for Kids (MOFK) Tuesday announced that all proceeds raised from their first annual charity auction and golf tournament will be donated to help broaden access to technology, enhance educational opportunities and provide youth with the technological capacities needed to succeed in the job markets of the future.

Spearheading this drive was a $100,000 sponsorship from Compaq Computer Corp. (NYSE:CPQ) that will help MOFK bridge the "Digital Divide."

"Compaq's partnership with Mr. October supports our mission to bridge this gap," said Michael D. Capellas, chairman and CEO of Compaq. "We believe if you help children harness the power of technology, they can unlock their imagination, stimulate creative and logical thinking and expand their world of knowledge and communication."

The first annual Reggie Jackson's Hi-Tech and Celebrity Golf Tournament was designed to bring together powerful business leaders, celebrities, government officials and athletes in order to make a difference in the lives of thousands of underserved young people.

Joining Capellas on the links of the Bayonet Golf Course to raise money for this great cause was Mr. October himself, Reggie Jackson, Hall of Fame Quarterback and former San Francisco 49er Joe Montana, the Bay Area's "Say-hey Kid," Willie Mays as well as Hall of Famers George Brett, Robin Yount, Rollie Fingers and Jim Palmer.

"For the youth of today, there are few things as valuable as having access to technology," said Jackson. "More importantly, the opportunity to learn and develop key skills through using the Internet will prepare them for a more successful future. We believe that education can empower the children to lead more productive lives and the Internet is the key to unlocking this information."

One of the priorities of the Mr. October Foundation for Kids is to bridge the "Digital Divide." Though children and teens make up the fastest growing segment of Internet users, only two percent of children in low-income or rural households currently have Internet access.

Even those underserved children who have managed to find a bridge over the "Digital Divide" encounter barriers due to a lack of relevant Internet content. MOFK, with the aid of its technology partners, focuses on helping these at-risk youth gain access to the Internet and the relevant content they need.

MOFK provides the necessary hardware, software and grants to remove the barriers for these children and facilitate their advancement. The Internet is a great vehicle to unlock opportunities and inform the underserved about government-created programs, grants and assistance that can help them with this advancement.

It is hoped that this golf tournament will create a fertile business-networking environment from which to create alliances and partnerships to confront this digital gap.

"By using golf as a vehicle to bring these great leaders of business and government together we have developed a info-tech group to assist in bridging the `Digital Divide'," said Jackson. "This challenge needs a team effort, one from all areas of industry and society, in order to make tomorrow a better place for the youth of today."

About Compaq

Compaq Computer Corp., a Fortune Global 100 company, is the largest supplier of computing systems in the world. Compaq designs, develops, manufactures and markets hardware, software, solutions, and services, including industry-leading enterprise computing solutions, fault-tolerant business-critical solutions, and communications products, commercial desktop and portable products, and consumer PCs.

Compaq products and services are sold in more than 200 countries directly to businesses, through a network of authorized Compaq marketing partners, and directly to businesses and consumers through Compaq's e-commerce Web site at http://www.compaq.com.

Compaq markets its products and services primarily to customers from the business, home, government, and education sectors. Customer support and information about Compaq and its products and services are available at http://www.compaq.com.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current expectations that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. The potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially include: delays in the implementation of changes in delivery models, increased competitive environment and pricing pressures, delays in product rollout schedules, component shortages, slow acceptance for new form factors, employee retention, disruptions related to restructuring actions, the financial condition of resellers, delays in new systems implementation, operational inefficiencies related to sales cycles, equity investment volatility, and emerging market political or economic instability. Further information on the factors that could affect Compaq's financial results is included in Compaq's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, including the latest Annual Report on Form 10-K and the latest Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.