News release

Compaq Unveils Monochrome iPAQ Pocket PC Model with Immediate Availability

New Foldable Keyboard Option also Unveiled

Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE: CPQ), a global enterprise technology and solutions company, today announced the iPAQ Pocket PC H3100 Series, a new monochrome version of the top-selling iPAQ Pocket PC. The company also announced a new foldable keyboard for the entire family of iPAQ Pocket PC products.

Available immediately for the first time in the U.S. and Canada, the monochrome-screen iPAQ Pocket PC H3150 offers most of the same features as the extraordinarily popular H3600 Series, at the lowest price of any Pocket PC on the market — $349 ⁽¹⁾. The iPAQ Pocket PC H3100 Series also provides the same powerful wireless capabilities of the color version in a value-based model with a crisp, 15-grayscale monochrome screen, underscoring the company's commitment to redefine the way the Internet is being used by creating leading-edge Internet access devices.

The iPAQ Pocket PC H3150 helps customers manage their most critical business and personal information wherever they are, whenever they want. It is simple to own, simple to use, and offers improved personal information management. Featuring a 206 MHz Intel StrongArm processor and 16MB RAM, the iPAQ H3150 enables Compaq to provide a wider range of choice to its handheld computing customers, with the basic functionality of the highest performing Pocket PC for the broader market.

"The iPAQ Pocket PC Series is quickly becoming synonymous with the best in handheld computing," said Ted Clark, Vice President, Wireless Internet Solutions. "This product exemplifies Compaq's strategy of developing innovative products and integrating them into reliable solutions that enable our customers to accomplish their most critical tasks. In fact, both the iPAQ H3150 and the color model were featured last week in conjunction with the City of Los Angeles Emergency Operations Center's annual earthquake simulation exercise, while the iPAQ H3650 is currently being used by more than 2,000 participants at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland — all for the purpose of giving users access to critical information and communications capabilities wherever they are."

Expanding the Possibilities

Continuing with the iPAQ H3100 Series, customers can add standard PC Card and CompactFlash options to their iPAQ Pocket PC through Expansion Packs. The flexibility of this design means customers can select the wireless solution that is right for them today — ranging from accessing the Internet and intranets to corporate data secured on a network to e-mail — while building a migration strategy for future wireless technologies. Hardware and software vendors throughout the industry see the value in this powerful solution and are rapidly porting their applications to this new platform.

Compaq is the only vendor capable of delivering true end-to-end wireless Microsoft Exchange 2000 solutions. The breadth of Compaq's wireless e-mail solutions range from the highest performing industry standard server platforms, to installation and support services, to the iPAQ Pocket PC, enabling customers to be connected to their information anytime, anywhere.

Coupled with the PC Card Expansion Pack and the new iPAQnet Mobility Solutions, the iPAQ H3150 can also provide uncompromised coast-to-coast access to corporate e-mail and intranets, the Internet and Internet e-mail. iPAQnet Mobility Solutions deliver secure, real-time access to corporate e-mail, intranet data and Web-based applications, revolutionizing the productivity of mobile professionals.

Compaq iPAQ Pocket PCs outfitted with wireless capabilities will soon be evaluated for potential use in a number of incident management situations at the Winter 2002 Olympics. E Team, a software development firm based in Los Angeles, is developing this capability as an extension of their current solution. E Team enables people to use the Internet to master any incident — before, during, and after it happens. The software allows users to report events, prioritize needs, deploy resources, coordinate mutual aid, and interact collaboratively across public and private disciplines and geographical borders with a common database, graphically displayed and instantly updated. Based on the Incident Command System (ICS), E Team is designed to give operators and decision makers the tools they need to improve their ability to meet the needs of their communities and constituencies.

"We are currently developing our handheld solution for the iPAQ Pocket PC because the product can work wirelessly on the Internet, and it provides the technology platform needed to easily support our enterprise level software application," said Matt Walton, President and Chief Executive Officer of E Team. "Our demonstration during the Los Angeles earthquake exercise last week was the world's first using a satellite-enabled, Internet-based Incident Management System. We believe the iPAQ H3150 bundled with E Team illustrates the far reaching potential for an anytime, anywhere toolkit for incident management teams."

New Foldable Keyboard

In addition to the new iPAQ Pocket PC H3150, Compaq also today announced the Targus Stowaway Portable Keyboard for the English version of the iPAQ Pocket PC, enabling customers to answer e-mail on the road, keep up with meeting minutes, and work in Word or Excel whenever a stylus just isn't enough. The new keyboard, priced at $99, will be available beginning February 12 from Compaq DirectPlus at www.directplus.compaq.com.

About Compaq Compaq Computer Corporation, a Fortune Global 100 company, is a leading global provider of technology and solutions. 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 that are sold in more than 200 countries. Information on Compaq and its products and services is available at http://www.compaq.com.