Key Members of Original Macintosh Team Form New Company to Make Linux Easier to Use; Eazel Will Provide Next Generation Desktop and Services to Both Technical and Mainstream Users.

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PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 22, 2000

Eazel, Inc. today unveiled plans to develop products and services which will make the power and reliability of the Linux operating system accessible to mainstream desktop users. Eazel was founded in August 1999 and is led by a group of industry veterans including Michael Boich, Andy Hertzfeld, and Bud Tribble, all of whom were part of the original Apple Macintosh team and were founders of other successful Silicon Valley companies. Eazel is developing innovative desktop software for Linux that will be integrated with Internet-based services, and will be released this summer.

Currently, Linux is used primarily by technically sophisticated users, who operate servers or administer web sites, and are able to manage the complexity of Linux. The Linux desktop environment still lacks the simplicity and usability expected by mainstream desktop users. To address this, Eazel is working with a group of Open Source software developers at the GNOME project, which was created to build a complete desktop environment for Linux. This development, when combined with the other well known strengths of both the Linux operating system and the Open Source software development model, will revolutionize desktop computing.

Michael Boich, President and CEO of Eazel, founded Apple's software evangelism group for the Macintosh. After Apple and prior to co-founding Eazel, Boich co-founded Radius Inc., which grew to be a $300 million supplier of graphics hardware and software for the Macintosh. Boich was also the founder and CEO of Rendition Inc., a semiconductor firm whose breakthrough graphic rendering engine pioneered the integration of high performance three-dimensional graphics into PC graphics controllers.

Andy Hertzfeld, Software Wizard, designed and implemented a large portion of the original Macintosh system software, including the User Interface Toolbox. Prior to co-founding Eazel, Hertzfeld designed software for a number of Macintosh products including ThunderScan, Switcher and the Radius Full Page Display. He also co-founded General Magic, where he was the lead developer of their innovative Magic Cap platform for personal intelligent communicators.

Bud Tribble, Vice President of Software Engineering, is one of the industry's noted experts in object-oriented programming and user interface design. Prior to joining Eazel he was VP and Chief Technology Officer for the Sun-Netscape Alliance, responsible for guiding Internet and e-commerce software R&D. Tribble began his career at Apple Computer where he managed the original Macintosh software team. In 1985 he helped found NeXT Computer, where he was Vice President of Software Engineering and a key architect of the NextStep operating system.

"We have gathered a uniquely qualified group of software architects, Linux experts and industry veterans to tackle the issue of Linux usability on the desktop," said Michael Boich, president and CEO of Eazel. "Our goal isn't to recreate what we did 15 years ago. It's to combine a next generation desktop with Internet-based services to deliver a superior user experience."

"Linux has the potential to become increasingly important on personal computers, mobile computers, and on intelligent devices," said Dan Kusnetzky, Program Director of market research firm IDC's Operating Environments and Serverware Service. "A few barriers remain, however, such as the need for better user accessibility and manageability."

"We at the Gnome Project are excited to have the expertise of Eazel added to our efforts to make GNU/Linux easier-to-use and, as a result, more ubiquitous," said Miguel de Icaza, co-founder of the GNOME project. "These efforts will bring the true benefit of the Open Source environment to a broader user base and provide compelling alternatives to computer users everywhere. We're encouraging Open Source developers to check out our work and the work of companies like Eazel and get involved!"

The advantages of the Open Source-based Linux operating system have propelled it to worldwide recognition and the fastest adoption rate of any operating system in history. Despite its popularity, the use of Linux has been primarily restricted to "back room" applications because the operating system is too difficult for the typical desktop user to operate. Eazel intends to change that by developing products that make Linux as easy-to-use as Windows or the Macintosh OS. Eazel's products will bring the power and security features of Linux to a much broader group of users by making it suitable for desktop use.

About Eazel, Inc.

Eazel was founded in August 1999. The company is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. For more information, visit the Eazel Web site at www.eazel.com.

Eazel Executive Management Team and Board of Directors

Michael Boich, President and CEO, co-founder

Michael is a personal computer industry veteran and founded Apple's "software evangelism" effort for the Macintosh. Additionally, he has co-founded several Silicon Valley companies including Radius Inc., in 1986, and Rendition Inc., in 1994. In 1991, the National Computer Graphics Association named him "Executive of the Year."

Andy Hertzfeld, Software Wizard, co-founder

Andy is a software industry veteran who designed and implemented a large portion of the original Macintosh system software, including the User Interface Toolbox. Andy has designed ground-breaking software for a number of Macintosh products and co-founded General Magic in 1990. Andy is passionate about writing ground-breaking software that makes computers easier and more fun to use.

Bud Tribble, VP Software Engineering

Bud is one of the industry's noted experts in object-oriented programming and user interface design. Prior to joining Eazel he was VP and Chief Technology Officer for the Sun-Netscape Alliance, responsible for guiding Internet and e-commerce software R&D. Bud began his career at Apple Computer where, in 1981, he was manager of the original Macintosh Software team and helped to design the MacOS and its user interface. In 1985 he co-founded NeXT Computer, where he was vice president of Software Engineering and a key architect of the NextStep operating system, a groundbreaking software environment.

Bart Decrem, VP Business Development, co-founder

Bart is one of the nation's leading advocates on Digital Divide issues. Prior to joining Eazel, he founded Plugged In, a non-profit community technology access center in East Palo Alto, California. The program has become a model for ensuring that low-income communities not be left behind in the information revolution.

Stan Christensen, VP and General Manager, Online Services

Stan is widely recognized for his background on negotiation and has been awarded a Kellogg Fellowship for his work as a negotiator. Prior to Eazel, Stan was the VP of Business Development for MyHealth, a consumer healthcare Internet company. Before that, he was a regional director for CMG, a negotiation strategy firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Mike Homer, Board member

Mike is an active board member and advisor and is helping to guide Eazel's development. He's an industry veteran who started his career at Apple in 1982. Presently, he is Senior Vice President at America Online, Inc. Prior to the acquisition by AOL, Mike held various executive positions at Netscape Communications, including Executive Vice President and General Manager of Netscape Netcenter, and EVP of Sales and Marketing.