Connectix Ships Agent 95 for Windows 95; First performance utility designed exclusively for Windows 95 analyzes Windows 95 to achieve optimal performance.SAN MATEO San Mateo (săn mətā`ō), city (1990 pop. 85,486), San Mateo co., W Calif., on San Francisco Bay; inc. 1894. It is a commercial and retail center with some high-technology manufacturing. San Mateo, Spanish for St. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 13, 1996--Connectix Corporation announced today it is shipping Agent 95(TM), a real-time performance diagnostic utility that helps users work smarter, faster and more efficiently with Windows(R) 95. With an expected street price of US$59.95, Agent 95 provides exact readings, in real time, about application and system memory usage with no guesswork about performance slowdowns. When Windows 95 memory, resources or performance become low, Agent 95 responds with configurable on screen alerts. Agent 95 includes four agents: Memory Agent, Resource Agent, Performance Agent and System Info Agent. Each agent works to provide up-to-date information about the end user's system, and graphical charts to communicate performance information in an easy-to-understand format. Agent 95 is designed exclusively for Windows 95, taking advantage of unique Windows 95 features, specifically the memory management model and the graphical user interface graphical user interface (GUI) Computer display format that allows the user to select commands, call up files, start programs, and do other routine tasks by using a mouse to point to pictorial symbols (icons) or lists of menu choices on the screen as opposed to having to . Agent 95 requires only 180K of available memory to operate when running in Reduced Mode (approximately 600K in Full Mode). Gina Clark, Group Product Manager, commented, "As users begin multitasking multitasking Mode of computer operation in which the computer works on multiple tasks at the same time. A task is a computer program (or part of a program) that can be run as a separate entity. and pushing Windows 95 to its limit, there is an increased need for optimal and reliable performance from the system. Agent 95 is the first utility to specifically analyze Windows 95 performance and ensure the best possible results." AGENT 95 WORKS IN REAL TIME Unlike other diagnostics which display static information, Agent 95 continuously measures and analyzes the system to provide real-time information. Access to all Agent 95 features is available from the Agent 95 icon in the Taskbar An on-screen toolbar that displays the active applications (tasks). Clicking on a taskbar button restores the application to its previous appearance. Windows 95 popularized this feature. See Win Taskbar. Tray. Memory Agent When the hard disk is grinding away, Windows 95 is using virtual memory because physical RAM is not available. Agent 95's Memory Agent reports exactly how applications are using physical RAM and virtual memory to maximize use of existing physical RAM and improve performance. Resource Agent Greater use of multitasking under Windows 95 increases the demand on System Resources (1) In a computer system, system resources are the components that provide its inherent capabilities and contribute to its overall performance. System memory, cache memory, hard disk space, IRQs and DMA channels are examples. . When a system resource limitation is reached, Windows 95 may truncate To cut off leading or trailing digits or characters from an item of data without regard to the accuracy of the remaining characters. Truncation occurs when data are converted into a new record with smaller field lengths than the original. the names of files to save resources, be unable to open additional applications, or become unstable. Resource Agent informs users exactly how each application and Windows 95 are using System Resources. Performance Agent Performance Agent analyzes how the system and applications are using physical RAM and virtual memory. An easy-to-understand bar chart dynamically updates the display of memory usage, average performance, and trends. Performance Agent provides the best method to track virtual memory dependency and determine how adding additional physical RAM will affect overall performance. System Info Agent System Info Agent provides one click access to important system information that is either unavailable or hard to find in Windows 95. The information gathered by Agent 95 can be emailed, faxed or printed to share with support personnel or used as a quick reference when upgrading the system or peripherals. System Info Agent also gives easy access to device information and network properties. Dynamic RAM The most common type of computer memory. Dynamic RAM (DRAM, D-RAM) chips are very dense because they use only one transistor and one storage capacitor for each bit. Unlike non-volatile firmware chips (ROM, EEPROM, flash, etc. Compression Agent 95's dynamic RAM compression improves virtual memory performance in certain situations. Unlike fixed-size RAM compression found in other products, Agent 95's unique compression activates only when it can help performance and won't slow the system down when memory demands increase. REQUIREMENTS Agent 95 requires Windows 95, a PC equipped with 486 or higher processor, 8 MBs RAM minimum; 16 MBs recommended, 1 MB hard disk space, and a mouse or other pointing device An input device used to move the pointer (cursor) on screen. The major pointing device is the mouse for the desktop computer and the touchpad for the laptop, although many road warriors bring along a mouse. . US PRICING, AVAILABILITY AND UPGRADING Agent 95 is available at many popular retail and mail order outlets throughout North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. and carries a suggested retail price of US$99. Connectix estimates a US street price of $59.95. Owners of RAM Doubler A software technique that compresses the contents of memory, thereby doubling (more or less) its available capacity. for Windows are eligible for a free upgrade available via download from online services (Web Site: www.connectix.com) or by request from Connectix Customer Service for a nominal shipping fee (800/950-5880). Agent 95 comes with toll-free technical support and a 30-day money back guarantee. Founded in 1988 and based in San Mateo, Calif., Connectix Corporation designs, manufactures, distributes and publishes award-winning personal computer enhancement products. The company's flagship products A primary product of a company, which is typically why the company was founded and/or what made it well known. For example, MS-DOS, Windows and the Microsoft Office suite have been flagship products of Microsoft. CorelDRAW is a flagship product of Corel Corporation. include Color QuickCam, RAM Doubler, Speed Doubler Refers to hardware or software that doubles the speed of its predecessor. For example, Intel's earlier Speed Doubler was the name given to the technology that allowed the clock speed to be doubled on its 486 DX2 chips. , and Connectix VideoPhone (1) (VideoPhone) A line of videophones (definition #1 below) from AT&T that were introduced in the early 1990s and later pulled off the market due to poor sales. The first models came with a price tag above $1,000, and a pair were needed. See Picturephone. . For more information, contact Connectix at 800/950-5880, 415/571-5100 or fax 415/571-5195. The company can be contacted at http://www.connectix.com -0- Note to Editors: Agent 95, QuickCam, RAM Doubler, Speed Doubler, and Connectix VideoPhone are trademarks of Connectix Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders. CONTACT: Connectix Corp. Gina Clark, 415/571-5100 clark@connectix.com or Wilson McHenry Marc Franklin, 415/638-3400 |
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