News release

Compaq Offers New nForce-Powered AMD Platform for Lifelike Graphics, Sharper Video; Unveils Sleek New Look for Consumer Line

New Intel Mobile Pentium 4; Entertainment Bundles for Presario PCs Unleash Endless Possibilities for Productivity, Creativity and Fun

Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE: CPQ) today became the first major PC manufacturer to announce the powerful new NVIDIA® nForce™-powered AMD platform for Presario desktop PCs and unveiled a sleek, streamlined look for its new consumer product line. The company also announced the availability of the new Intel® Mobile Pentium® 4 processor for its Presario notebook PCs.

For select new Presario desktop PCs, Compaq introduced the new nForce platform, which combines AMD processing power, including the just-announced AMD Athlon™ XP 2100+ processor, with integrated NVIDIA GeForce™2 4X AGP graphics to create the industry's most balanced, powerful platform for supporting digital video and audio, gaming, digital photography and personal productivity needs.

"Compaq has created a new platform for Presario customers which combines industry-leading technology from AMD and NVIDIA to produce a PC that empowers our customers to create, share, and enjoy the digital experience to its fullest," said Mike Larson, senior vice president and general manager of Compaq's Access Business Group. "The nForce platform provides Presario users with the power and advanced graphics of a 32 MB AGP video card, but in a more cost-efficient integrated design for uncompromised video performance."

Compaq's new consumer line also features a stylish carbon and silver design—from the new Presario desktops and notebooks to a Compaq printer and coordinating monitors. Available direct from Compaq (www.athome.compaq.com) immediately, the new product line will be found in retail outlets by early April.

"Compaq developed the look and feel of the new consumer lineup to closely mirror design trends emerging in the consumer marketplace, from cars to appliances to home electronics—and the new Compaq Presario products complement that design style," Larson said. "Coupled with the power of the new Intel Mobile Pentium 4 processor and the nForce platform, this is the most exciting new Presario lineup yet."

"The Compaq consumer product line fully reflects the company's expertise in industrial design," said IDC analyst Roger Kay. "The new style, advanced graphics, and entertainment offerings should generate a fair amount of interest among the buying public."

New Presario Desktops Offer New Look, Latest Technology, Easy Access

The new lineup of Presario desktops includes the innovative and attractive new Presario 4000, 6000 and 8000 Internet PCs for the home or home office.

With the right features at the right price (starting at just $649), the Presario 4000 offers great value in a dependable, easy-to-use Internet PC. Simple and smart, the reliable Presario 4000 is available with Intel Celeron™ processors up to 1.3 GHz, two USB front ports for easy access, and supports two optical drives—making it an ideal first PC or additional computer for learning, connecting to the Internet or home productivity.

The Presario 6000 is a powerful solution for home entertainment, digital audio, digital imaging, gaming and running multiple applications. Available with fast Intel Pentium 4 processors up to 2.2 GHz or as advanced as the AMD Athlon XP 2000+ processor, PC2100 DDR memory, Digital Video Center (two USB and 1394 digital front I/O ports), five drive bays with support including DVD-R/RW and CD-RW combo drive and built-in networking for easy broadband service or home networking, the Presario 6000 takes you beyond basic computing to enhance the digital experience. The Presario 6000 starts at just $799.

For extreme performance with the greatest scalability for today and tomorrow, Compaq offers the Presario 8000 desktop PC, starting as low as $1099. Always supporting the newest and fastest Intel or AMD processors, 72000RPM hard drives up to 120 GB, DVD rewritable technology and 1 GB DDR memory, the Presario 8000 is a state-of-the-art digital powerhouse that has no trouble rendering the most complex 3D environments generated by the latest video games (featuring 5.1 audio support) or keeping memory intensive applications like digital video editing running quickly and smoothly.

Both the Presario 6000 and 8000 desktop PCs provide the industry's best ease of access with tool-less entry to the chassis for upgrading or servicing the computer. Simple thumbscrews allow easy access to internal components, which can be quickly and easily removed, allowing consumers to replace components quickly and conveniently.

For more information about the new Presario desktop lineup, visit www.athome.compaq.com.

New Display Line Includes Compaq's First 17-Inch Flat Panel Monitor for Consumers

Compaq also redesigned its consumer monitor line and entry-level inkjet printer in the new carbon and silver color-scheme. The company now offers four series of cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors, the 5500, 7500, 7550 and 9500 series, and two flat panel monitors, the FP7020 and FP5017.

The 5500 series monitors are conventional 15-inch CRT monitors starting at $129, delivering outstanding picture quality and value. The 7500 series are high contrast 17-inch CRT monitors with 1280x1024 maximum resolution starting at $169, while the 7550 series are 17-inch flat-screen CRT monitors for high-impact multimedia, Internet and gaming experiences, starting at $189. Starting at $299, the 9500 series monitors are conventional 19-inch CRT monitors with a large viewing area with 1600x1200 resolution for easy multitasking.

Each of the new CRT monitors features the dual carbon and silver design, on-screen controls to easily adjust screen dimensions, colors and image attributes; and are Coloreal-enabled to ensure true-to-life color representation when shopping at Coloreal-enabled Web sites. Compaq CRT monitors are also available with JBL Platinum Series speakers, which feature a convenient audio jack for easy connection of digital audio devices, on/off/volume control, and are designed to either stand alone or attach to the sides of the monitor.

The newest entry in Compaq's flat panel display line is the FP7020. The 17-inch viewable screen size is comparable to a 19-inch CRT, making it an attractive alternative for space-constrained desktops at just $618 direct from Compaq. The FP7020 monitor presents crystal-clear 1280x1024 SXGA resolution with .264 mm pitch, and up to 200-nit brightness for impressive image quality. The new Compaq FP5017 15-inch flat-panel monitor offers clarity and crispness in a lightweight, space-saving design, priced at just $418 from www.athome.compaq.com. The sleek, silver design accents the new Presario desktops, and integrated speakers provide even greater space savings and convenience. Advanced OnScreen image controls, 1024x768 resolution, 120-degree horizontal viewing area and built-in tilt function maximize the viewing experience.

Compaq's IJ650 Series inkjet printer has been restyled to coordinate with the new Presario line, now available in a carbon and silver design. The IJ650 Series printer is an economical answer to the computing needs of students, multiple PC households and most home offices, leading the industry with 2400 dpi resolution for photo-quality printing and a smaller ink drop size at the breakthrough price of $99.99.

Compaq Brings Integrated Wireless to Consumer Notebooks

Honored as "Editor's Choice" at the 2002 Consumer Electronics Show⁽¹⁾, the Presario 2800 delivers the performance and technology needed to stay productive while on the go. Sporting a sleek, stylish silver casing and weighing less than 6 pounds, the Presario 2800 includes 1.7 GHz Mobile Intel Pentium 4-M processor, 30 GB hard drive, 15" SXGA+ panel, ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 graphics with 64 MB of DDR (Double Data Rate) memory, DVD/CD-RW combo drive, additional MultiBay battery, and integrated 802.11b wireless MulitPort and USB 2.0 support. Pricing for this configuration starts at $2,399.⁽²⁾

Originally introduced with the Evo line of notebooks, Compaq's innovative MultiPort wireless solution will now be available on a variety of future Presario notebooks, including the new Presario 2800. MultiPort provides users the convenience to access the Internet without being limited by the location of their PC or wires, allowing the power and freedom to stay connected anytime, anywhere. Currently available in either an 802.11b or Bluetooth module, MultiPort's modular design provides customers with greater performance than traditional wireless PC cards and increased flexibility for upgrading and expanding. To get additional information to pre-order a system, go to www.compaq.com/athome/2800.

In addition, Compaq has also enhanced its affordable, feature-rich Presario 700 notebook to include the new AMD Athlon 4 1600+ processor, featuring PowerNow!™ technology to delivers performance on demand while enabling extended system battery life. In addition, the Presario 700 includes QuantiSpeed™ Architecture to provide extra performance for handing the most demanding applications. The stylish, dual-tone designed Presario 700 is the affordable mobile solution for personal productivity or small business users, starting at just $1109 with integrated 10/100 Ethernet and JBL Pro Speakers.

Options and Bundles for Gaming, Digital Video and Audio Enthusiasts

The new Compaq Presario desktop offerings also include a variety of options for gaming and digital video, photo and audio buffs. For advanced graphics at an affordable price, the new nForce platform is available standard on select Presario 6000 and 8000 systems, with integrated performance of an NVIDIA GeForce2 4X AGP graphics card, an additional 4X AGP slot for upgrades, fast DDR system memory and integrated 10/100 NIC for easy broadband connectivity.

For game lovers, Compaq offers two new options to enhance the gaming experience. Delivering earth-shattering performance with sizzling visual effects and frame rates, Presario 6000 and 8000 users can choose the NVIDIA GeForce™4 Ti 4600. The GeForce4 Ti 4600 is the fastest and most advanced graphics solution for extreme gaming and graphics. With its advanced nFiniteFX™ Engine, superior Accuview™ Antialiasing (AA) techniques and flexible nView™ multidisplay technology, the GeForce4 Ti GPU allows end users to experience radically immersive graphical environments, complete with unique visual effects and the most realistic, lifelike images ever seen.

Or, choose the ATI ALL-IN-WONDER® RADEON™ 8500 all-in-one 3D graphics and multimedia solution for unbelievable realism. As an all-in-one television, video and graphics solution, ALL-IN-WONDER RADEON 8500 uniquely enhances Compaq's popular MyMovieSTUDIO digital video solution by allowing users to save recorded analog and digital video content on the PC that can later be edited to record on a DVD. The 125-channel stereo TV tuner delivers great-looking television programs directly to the computer monitor or other display, and allows consumers schedule their favorite television programs to watch or record to the hard drive for later viewing.

Digital video and photo enthusiasts will appreciate the enhancements to Compaq's popular MyMovieSTUDIO solution, and new MyPhotoSTUDIO bundles. Now even more simple and intuitive, the award-winning Presario MyMovieSTUDIO home video editing suite now also features Sonic™ AuthorScript® technology in MyDVD 3.0, allowing users to burn DVDs directly from their digital video recorder in just a few simple steps through a wizard, and it allows users to edit from a previously-recorded DVD. For video enthusiasts, Presario MyMovieSTUDIO solution is also bundled with Pinnacle Systems' Studio 7 for more advanced video editing.

The MyPhotoSTUDIO bundles, which include everything you need to enjoy digital photography from the photo paper to the Epson Stylus Photo 820 printer, also feature two new offerings: the Fuji FinePix A201 digital camera for mainstream digital photographers or the Fuji FinePix 2800 for enthusiasts, both at substantial savings to the consumer.

And digital audiophiles also have a new MyMusicSTUDIO offering, featuring the NewQ External Platinum Digital sound enhancer with FM tuner, Musicmatch Jukebox Deluxe software for managing and burning digital music files, Koss headphones, Afterburner CD stomper, and Altec 4100 4.1 speakers, all for just $249.95.

In addition to these enhanced new lines of products, Compaq customers can rely on award-winning product care and customer service. Customers have the option of utilizing Compaq's industry leading Help & Support Web site (www.compaq.com/consumersupport) which provides 24 hours a day, 7 days a week assistance through either its Compaq Customer Communities (www.compaq.com/communities) or its best-in-class e-mail assisted support. For added peace of mind, customers can also find Compaq qualified technical support by calling 1-800-OK-Compaq or by purchasing an extended service plan by calling 1-888-445-0115.

For more information about these and other Compaq products, go to Compaq's Web site at www.athome.compaq.com, visit a Compaq kiosk located in more than 10,000 popular retail stores and many traditional retail locations, or call Compaq at 1-800-888-0220.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For photos and more detailed information about Compaq's new consumer lineup, press can visit http://www.compaq.com/newsroom/presspaq/031302/index.html.

Company Background

Founded in 1982, Compaq Computer Corporation is a leading global provider of information technology products, services and solutions for enterprise customers. Compaq designs, develops, manufactures and markets information technology equipment, software, services and solutions, including industry-leading enterprise storage and computing solutions, fault-tolerant business-critical solutions, communication products, personal desktop and notebook computers, and personal entertainment and Internet access devices that are sold in more than 200 countries directly and through a network of authorized Compaq marketing partners. Information on Compaq and its products and services is available at http://www.compaq.com.