Compaq Refreshes Monitor Family to Offer Increased Performance and Ease-of-Use Features at Competitive Prices; World Leader in Branded Monitors Delivers New Innovative 15- and 17-inch Models.

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 21, 1996--

Editors' Summary - Compaq refreshes 15-inch and 17-inch value and performance line monitors with key desktop management features to meet the wide array of customer requirements - Compaq performance monitors focus on workstation applications - The Compaq V70 and QVision 210 win numerous awards

Building on its success as the world leader in branded monitor shipments (a), Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE: CPQ) today introduced three new monitors in North America with enhanced performance and ease-of-use features at highly competitive prices. The Compaq P70, a 17-inch monitor (15.68-inch viewable); the Compaq P50, a 15-inch monitor (13.67-inch viewable); and the Compaq V50, a 15-inch (13.77-inch viewable) monitor extend Compaq's complete line of monitors to address the needs of virtually every PC user. The new monitors are designed to meet high-end users' increasingly demanding feature requirements as well as mainstream customers' price sensitivities. Unique capabilities, such as AssetControl features and user-friendly controls, are offered throughout the monitor line to lower the cost of ownership while increasing productivity.

"This announcement completely refreshes our 15- and 17-inch monitor families and positions Compaq as providing the `monitor of choice' for our PC and workstation customers," said Jerry Meerkatz, Vice President, PC Options Division, Compaq. "As the number one supplier of branded monitors worldwide, Compaq has set the bar for innovative features at fiercely competitive prices which others in the industry must meet."

Compaq P70 Monitor

The Compaq P70 monitor is specifically designed to meet the most demanding applications of customers working in high-end, graphic-intensive environments, such as CAD/CAE. The P70's 17-inch (15.68-inch viewable) state-of-the-art Trinitron(R) CRT offers users a larger viewing area which increases productivity by reducing the time spent panning and scrolling through applications. This enables even the most demanding users to take advantage of the full windowing capabilities and sophisticated applications.

Delivering sharper images and enhanced brightness and color definition, the Compaq P70 is designed with a .26 stripe pitch and resolutions up to 1600x1200. The P70's 85Hz refresh represents a new standard in performance monitors.

Compaq will offer the Sonnetech Ltd. Colorific (TM) color management software to further boost the color display capabilities of the Compaq P70 monitors. Colorific software is especially significant for high-end users who increasingly require color output with their business applications and require absolute matching between screen and printed output. Colorific software will turn Compaq monitors into DTP-ready multimedia viewing stations. As a software utility offered on the P70 monitor, Colorific will enable users to characterize and correct the color rendering of their VGA monitors.

Compaq P50 Monitor

The Compaq P50 offers a unique combination of high-quality screen performance and ease-of-use features at an affordable price. The 15-inch (13.67-inch viewable) monitor offers a clear front-of-screen display with .28mm dot pitch and a maximum resolution of 1280x1024. With a refresh rate of 85 Hz at resolutions up to 1024x768, this monitor offers the highest quality, flicker-free images, allowing customers to use the monitor for a longer period of time without eye strain.

Performance Line Standard Features

Performance monitors are geared toward high-end and/or CAD/CAM users. The Compaq P70 and P50 offer the following unique capabilities as standard features: -On-screen controls -- advanced, user-friendly controls appear on-screen to simplify adjustments of viewing area size and shape, color temperatures and language; -Mac compatibility -- provides compatibility with Macintosh computers to ensure platform standardization for customers with diverse installations; -Concealed cable management -- this space-saving feature provides for a vertical insertion of power and signal cables into a recessed section behind the monitor and is neatly enclosed in a panel. This also allows the user to place the monitor against the wall and reduce cable clutter and entanglement (available only on P50), -Tilt-and-swivel chassis -- the stand permits users to easily adjust the monitor angle for comfortable viewing; -Anti-glare screen coating -- to ease user eye strain, an anti-glare coating is placed on the screen's surface; -TCO '95 certification -- ensures the monitor incorporates ecological and environmental benefits to customers (standard on P70; available in select geographics on the P50), -Fault management -- a unique Compaq feature which provides status indicators for help in problem diagnosis. Available in P50 and P70 models, future software releases will provide information to the user or administrator when the monitor is overheating, unable to receive input from the PC and experiencing above-normal power consumption. These features will be accessible via the next release of Compaq Insight Manager and demonstrate Compaq's focus on providing look-forward technologies to our customers.

Compaq V50 Value Monitor

The Compaq V50 provides value-conscious customers with an unmatched combination of features typically associated with high-performance monitors. The 15-inch (13.77-inch viewable) monitor offers an industry-standard front-of-screen performance with its .28mm dot pitch. The refresh rate of 75 Hz offers flicker-free images in a 1024x768 resolution.

Digital controls provide end users the ability to make precision adjustments, such as imaging, sizing and positioning, all with the touch of a button, and allow automatic recall of the new settings.

Manageability

Leveraging its Intelligent Manageability capabilities -- which sets Compaq apart in the industry -- the company designs all of its monitors with AssetControl to enable the monitors to deliver key information electronically for inventory management purposes. For example, with Compaq AssetControl, a Compaq Deskpro and appropriate software, customers can retrieve a monitor's make, model and serial number -- either locally or across a network, saving the time and support costs of physically checking each unit on location. Additionally, the P70, V70 and V50 monitors are Plug-and-Play compatible, for easy set-up and configuration with Windows 95. Intelligent Manageability is a collection of desktop management tools and features standard on the company's servers, desktops and portables.

Testing and Qualification Standards

To ensure that key quality and functionality criteria are met, Compaq monitors are designed and rigorously tested to some of the industry's highest specifications. Stringent front-of-screen performance tests evaluate user control operation and functionality, as well as circuit design and operational analysis. Additionally, Compaq tests its monitors -- from prototype to production stages -- for consistent quality with reliability, compatibility, packaging, emissions and safety tests.

Compaq monitors(b)are available with a standard, three-year limited warranty for parts, and one year of on-site labor, which can be upgraded to two or three years. In addition, Compaq offers 24-hour, seven-days-per-week telephone hot line support, as well as online support forums available on Prodigy, CompuServe, America Online and the Internet (http://www.compaq.com).

Availability/Pricing

Estimated U.S. pricing(c) on the new Compaq monitors are as follows: the Compaq P70, $949; the Compaq P50, $443; and the Compaq V50, $385. The P70 will be available worldwide in November 1996, the P50 will be available in North America in November 1997 and worldwide in the first quarter of 1997, and the V50 is available immediately worldwide.

Compaq Monitor Awards

The Compaq QVision 210, the company's flagship monitor -- a 21-inch (19.5-inch viewable) monitor -- introduced last year, has been given two "Best Buy" awards from PC World(d). In the November 1996 issue, PC World stated: "Text looked razor sharp, and colors on our sample image of fruit were brilliant."

The Compaq V70 -- a 17-inch (15.68-inch viewable) value-line monitor introduced in July was awarded with PC Magazine's "Editors' Choice"(e). Intended for mainstream business users, the V70 offers cost-conscious users the flexibility and productivity of a larger monitor. In discussing the monitor's new industrial design with user- friendly controls, the PC Magazine article stated: "The on- screen controls are easy to use, and Compaq has added separate brightness and contrast dials on the front -- a convenient touch ... the V70 is a fine choice for the corporate desktop."

Additionally, Windows Magazine(f) noted: "ideal for mainstream corporate users, this is one unit that's also good enough for CAD" and gave the Compaq V70 4-1/2 stars (out of five) to recommend the monitor.

Company Background

Compaq Computer Corporation, a Fortune 100 company, is the fifth largest computer company in the world and the largest global supplier of personal computers and monitors, delivering useful innovation through products that connect people with people and people with information. The company is an industry leader in environmentally friendly programs and business practices. Compaq is strategically organized to meet the current and future needs of its customers, offering Internet and enterprise computing solutions, networking products, commercial PC products and consumer PCs. As the leader in distributed enterprise solutions, Compaq has shipped approximately 1 million servers. In 1995, the company reported worldwide sales of $14.8 billion. Compaq products are sold and supported in more than 100 countries through a network of authorized Compaq marketing partners. Customer support and information about Compaq and its products can be found at http://www.compaq.com or by calling 1-800-OK-COMPAQ. Product information and reseller locations can be obtained by calling 1-800-345-1518.

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(a) Source: Dataquest 1996. (b) The Compaq V50 has an on-site, one-year warranty. (c) All prices herein are estimated street price. Reseller prices may vary. (d) Source: PC World -- January 1996; PC World -- November 1996. (e) Source: PC Magazine -- October 8, 1996. (f) Source: Windows Magazine -- October 1996.

Compaq, Registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Product names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

CONTACT: Compaq Computer Corporation

Rebecca Nahas

713-514-0484

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Miller/Shandwick Technologies

Jessen Wehrwein

617-536-0470

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