IBM ANNOUNCES ITS FIRST COLOR LAPTOP, SLC-BASED NOTEBOOK, ENTRY-LEVEL NOTEBOOK

              IBM ANNOUNCES ITS FIRST COLOR LAPTOP,
            SLC-BASED NOTEBOOK, ENTRY-LEVEL NOTEBOOK
    WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., March 24 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM today broadened its family of portable products, introducing systems that offer dazzling colors, sizzling speed and attractive prices.
    IBM introduced its first color laptop computer today, the Personal System/2(1) |PS/2(1)~ Model CL57 SX, featuring the industry's largest, brightest active matrix color display.  The 10.4-inch state-of-the-art color display utilizes thin film transistor (TFT) technology, enabling it to display vibrant colors with exceptional brightness and clarity.
    IBM also announced the PS/2 Model N51 SLC notebook, the first portable to take advantage of the advanced computing power of IBM's SLC processor technology.
    In addition to these systems, IBM debuted the PS/2 Model N51 SX notebook, an entry-level 386SX portable designed for price-sensitive customers.  The PS/2 Model N51 SX and Model N51 SLC, known as PS notes, are lightweight computers with a sleek design in a black, 6.2-pound package.
    "With the introduction of these portable products, we are demonstrating our commitment to this important marketplace," said Michael R. Coleman, vice president, product marketing, IBM's National Distribution Division.  "The N51 SX with its aggressive pricing, the N51 SLC with its powerful processor technology and the new laptop with its stunning display will be very attractive offerings for our customers."
    PS/2 Color Laptop
    For the first time, customers don't have to compromise brightness and clarity when purchasing a portable computer with a color screen. The PS/2 Model CL57 SX, known as the PS/2 Color Laptop, displays bold, bright colors on its state-of-the-art, 10.4-inch color screen.  With its active matrix TFT display, the largest of its kind in the industry, the PS/2 Color Laptop is ideal for customers looking for a portable system that truly provides the benefits of a desktop computer, with the added convenience of battery-operated portability.
    The PS/2 Color Laptop offers a 20 megahertz (MHz) 386SX processor, 2 megabytes (MB) of random access memory (RAM) expandable to 16 MB, an 80 MB hard drive, an internal 1.44 MB diskette drive, a full-size PS/2 keyboard, rechargeable nickel metal hydride batteries and the reliability of IBM's Micro Channel architecture.  The new laptop has an integrated trackball pointing device, making it ideal for customers running Operating System/2(1) |OS/2(1)~ 2.0.
    PS/2 N51 SLC Notebook
    With the introduction of the PS/2 Model N51 SLC, IBM has brought the sizzling speed of its SLC processor technology to the PS/2 portable family.  Developed and manufactured at IBM's Burlington, Vt., facility, the 16 MHz SLC processor operates up to 80 percent faster than standard 16 MHz 386 SX processors, offering processing power equivalent to a 25 MHz 386 SL processor.
    The PS/2 Model N51 SLC comes with 2 MB of RAM, expandable to 10 MB, an 80 MB hard drive, an internal 1.44 MB diskette drive, video graphics array (VGA) resolution and 32 shades of gray with a 9-1/2-inch diagonal Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), and two nickel metal hydride batteries, standard.
    The large storage capacity and powerful processor of the Model N51 SLC make it a very attractive offering for customers running advanced operating systems, such as OS/2 2.0, or running applications that take advantage of fast processing speed, such as numeric- or graphics- intensive applications.
    PS/2 N51 SX Notebook
    Customers looking for a powerful, entry-level notebook computer at an attractive price can stop looking and start buying.  The PS/2 Model N51 SX is just right for price-sensitive customers who want the reliability and solid design of a PS/2 in a sleek, black package.  With the Model N51 SX, customers can keep in touch, especially when traveling.  With the optional data/fax modem, for example, customers can connect their notebook to a phone line in their hotel room, receive faxes from their office, review the information, prepare a reply, and send out a reply fax all with a few keystrokes.
    The PS/2 Model N51 SX offers a 16 MHz 386SX processor, 2 MB of RAM expandable to 10 MB, a 40 MB hard drive, an internal 1.44 MB diskette drive, VGA resolution and 32 shades of gray on the 9-1/2-inch LCD display, two nickel cadmium batteries, standard, and the comfort of full-sized, normally spaced alphanumeric keys, all in a package that fits right in your briefcase.
    Features
    The portables introduced today contain many of the conveniences of IBM's PS/2 Laptop, such as status indicator lights that allow the user to monitor various functions including the battery life, hard drive or diskette drive in use and power-on status.  They also include serial, parallel and pointing device/numeric keypad ports, as well as an external Micro Channel port for the external Communications Cartridge option, also announced today.
    A suspend/resume feature allows customers to close the system, suspending operations without shutting down the application being used. When the cover is opened, the system resumes right where the user left off.  Another convenient feature is the non-disruptive battery exchange, allowing users to exchange batteries without shutting down an application, or even turning the computer off.  Customers simply close the computer, putting it into suspend mode, exchange batteries, open the computer, and resume working.
    Options
    Options announced today for all three new portables include the IBM PS/2 Communications Cartridge, which attaches to a Micro Channel port in the back of the system, giving customers the option of Token-Ring, 3270 or 5250 communications capabilities.
    Customers using the SX version of the PS note who require added battery power can choose optional nickel metal hydride batteries, which provide up to 2.3 hours of battery life per battery.  For customers who need extended battery power, the optional PS/2 External Rechargeable Power Pack is a low-cost, lightweight power pack that easily plugs into the system.  This option provides up to an additional 2 hours of battery life for the PS/2 Color Laptop, up to an additional 5 hours of battery life for the PS/2 N51 SLC, and up to an additional 6 hours of battery life for the PS/2 N51 SX.
    Operating Systems
    The PS/2 Model N51 SX and CL 57 SX support Disk Operating System (DOS) 3.3, 4.0 or 5.0; DOS with Windows; IBM Operating System/2(1) |OS/2(1)~ Standard or Extended Edition Refresh Version 1.30.1; and IBM OS/2 Version 2.0.  The PS/2 Model N51 SLC supports DOS 5.0, DOS with Windows, and IBM OS/2 Versions 1.3 and 2.0.
    HelpWare
    These and all PS/2 products are supported by HelpWare(1), the most comprehensive customer satisfaction offering in the personal computing industry.  HelpWare extends IBM's heritage of service and support with four major programs for PS/2 end-users: HelpCenter(1), HelpBuy(1), HelpLearn(1), and HelpWare component programs.  The telephone number for HelpCenter, an Atlanta-based customer satisfaction center, is 1-800-PS2-2227.
    Prices and Availability
    The PS/2 Model N51 SX, priced at $2,250, is available immediately. The PS/2 Color Laptop, priced at $5,995, will be available in April 1992.  The PS/2 Model N51 SLC, priced at $3,295, will be available in May 1992.  All three systems are available through IBM Authorized Dealers, Industry Remarketers and directly from IBM.  Option prices follow.  Dealer prices may vary.
    NOTE:
    (1) Trademark or registered trademark of the International Business Machines Corporation.
           IBM PRICES AND PLANNED AVAILABILITY OF NEW PRODUCTS
    IBM Personal System/2            Price          Availability
    IBM PS/2 Model N51 SX            $2,250           3/24/92
    IBM PS/2 Model N51 SLC           $3,295              5/92
    IBM PS/2 Model CL57 SX           $5,995              4/92
    Options                          Price         Systems supported
    AC Adapter (1 comes standard)    $   85            PS note
    AC Adapter (1 comes standard)    $  159            Color Laptop
    Car Battery Adapter              $  165            PS note
    Carrying Case                    $   95            PS note
    Carrying Case (Deluxe)           $  114            Color Laptop
    Communications Cartridge         $  475            PS note
    Communications Cartridge II      $  375            Color Laptop
    Data/Fax Modem                   $  365            Both
    External Rechargeable Power Pack $  325            Both
    Extra Nickel Cadmium Battery     $   95            PS note
    Extra Nickel Metal Hydride       $  185            Both
      Battery
    Miniature Mouse                  $   75            Both
    Numeric Keypad                   $  115            Both
    Quick Charger                    $  185            PS note
    Serial Adapter                   $  125            Both
    2 MB SIMM                        $  415            PS note
    2 MB IC DRAM Card                $  415            Color Laptop
    4 MB SIMM                        $  825            PS note
    4 MB IC DRAM Card                $  825            Color Laptop
    8 MB SIMM                        $1,645            PS note
    8 MB IC DRAM Card                $1,645            Color Laptop
    -0-                     3/24/92
    /CONTACT:  W. Dean Kline of IBM, 914-642-5408/
    (IBM) CO:  IBM Corporation ST:  New York IN:  CPR SU:  PDT SM -- NY014 -- 0965 03/24/92 10:16 EST