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PRESS RELEASE
Editorial Contacts:
Phil Parker, Number Nine PR, 781-869-7105 direct, 781-674-0009 main, pparker@nine.com
European Media Contact:
Meika Horbas, Number Nine, Germany, +49 89 61 4491-0, mhorbas@nine.com
Number Nine Investor Relations Contact:
William Ralph, General Manager and Investor Relations, 781-869-7210, wralph@nine.com
News announcements from Intel Developer Forum, Palm Springs, CA. - August 31, 1999
Number Nine Graphics Included in IBM Corporate Desktop PCs
Industries First Design Win with a DVI-I, Digital-Equipped Graphics Accelerator
LEXINGTON, MA., September 29, 1999 -- Number Nine Visual Technology Corp. (NASDAQ OTC-BB: NINE), a leader in high-performance digitally-equipped PC graphics and visual technology, today announced its largest OEM design win in years. Numerous models of the recently announced PC 300GL, PC 300GL-Small Business Series and PC 300PL desktop PCs from International Business Machines® (NYSE: IBM) will ship with Number Nine's new DVI-I enabled SR9 Xtreme or SR9 Graphics Accelerator as standard equipment.
The SR9 Xtreme DVI-I and SR9 are high-speed graphics accelerators powered by the Savage4™ Xtreme and Savage4 graphics processor from S3 (NASDAQ: SIII) Incorporated. These accelerator cards provide pure 128-bit graphics processing power for fast 2D acceleration. True, 32-bit 3D rendering and 3D Texture Compression provides a new level of 3D-image quality and second-generation motion compensation produces smooth playback of MPEG2 / DVD content. For rock-solid stability, Number Nine provides each SR9 with its own set of custom developed display drivers, as well as HawkEye® IV - an advanced set of display control utilities. The bundled card and drivers have earned Microsoft's WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality Labs) Certification for High Quality.
In yesterday's IBM announcement, which targeted corporate users, the PC 300PL Series of desktop PCs was specifically noted as being the world's most secure line of commercial PCs. These systems feature the industries first embedded data encryption and security chip on the motherboard. This technology will make it significantly tougher for unauthorized users to access personal data, even if a PC is hacked into or stolen. This unique capability should be extremely popular with corporate PC users.
New PC 300 Series Offers Advanced, AGP 4X Support - Number Nine's SR9 AGP 4X Ready at Launch
New models of the PC 300 Series of computers, announced yesterday by IBM, are available with Intel's® latest, red-hot Pentium® III technology, with processor speeds running as fast as 600MHz. Many of these new systems will be among the first to be equipped with AGP 4X (Accelerated Graphics Port) support - providing a higher bandwidth graphics bus and port for state-of-the-art, add-in graphics accelerator cards. The SR9 Xtreme is the standard AGP 4X graphics offering for these systems.
When initially announced, the SR9 was noted as being the first graphics accelerator offered with built-in AGP 4X support. Until yesterday, computers were designed with the AGP 2X graphics slot. AGP 4X versions of the SR9 cards were merely waiting for yesterday's official launch of AGP 4X equipped computers. These computers will effectively double the maximum transfer rate of graphics across the AGP bus from 500 megabytes per second to 1000 megabytes per second.
On August 31, 1999, thousands of developers from around the world converged in Palm Springs, California for the week-long Intel Developers Forum. During the keynote address, Intel previewed a system equipped with the AGP 4X chipset and slot. The system selected for the AGP 4X-technology preview was from IBM. The AGP 4X enabled graphics accelerator used in that presentation was the SR9 Xtreme from Number Nine.
Because the SR9 was AGP 2X compatible and offered built-in support for the emerging AGP 4X specification, the transition from existing systems to new, higher-speed AGP 4X equipped systems was smooth, seamless and offered the OEM far greater flexibility.
Industry's First DVI-I Design Win - Strategic Move to Offer Digital Graphics Pays Off
Today's announcement was yet another first for Number Nine. The SR9 Xtreme will not only be the first add-in graphics accelerator to be equipped with the new, integrated analog and digital DVI-I (Digital Visual Interface) connector, it will also be the first design win for a DVI-I graphics solution.
"Today's announcement is a major win for Number Nine," said Wallace Smith, President and CEO for Number Nine. "Our ability to deliver differentiating graphics technology with AGP 4X and DVI-I digital support was key to winning this business. Our bet that digital equipped graphics was going to be a requirement for the future is now paying off."
The DVI-I enabled SR9 Xtreme is capable of sending a digitally pure video signal to the new breed of digital perfect LCD displays and glass CRT monitors, as well and delivering the standard analog video signal required for traditional monitors - all from a single, industry standard connector.
The DVI connector specification is a relatively new display interface developed by the Digital Display Working Group (DDWG), an open industry group lead by Intel with the charter of addressing the industry's need for a single, common connectivity specification for high-performance PCs and displays. Number Nine has been an active DDWG participant and has developed strong working relationship with participating vendors. IBM was a DDWG founding member and DDWG promoter.
High Quality Video Still Important
Number Nine has a long standing tradition as a maker of high quality graphics solutions, producing products that are not only fast, but capable of outputting a superior video signal. At the expense of shaving a few dollars, many graphics board vendors have compromised the video signal used to generate the picture on the monitor. A poor video signal can often cause onscreen text and graphics to appear blurred or washed out.
Number Nine has remained true to making graphics solutions that produce the industries best video signals, thus making onscreen graphics appear brighter, crisper and easier on the eyes. To that end, Number Nine has been instrumental in helping the world transition to an all-digital graphics environment and has led in the development of digital-equipped graphics accelerators capable of driving the new generation of digital LCD and now, digitally fed glass monitors.
SR9 Graphics Available in Six New IBM Systems
The SR9 Xtreme AGP 4X Graphics Accelerator, configured with 16MB of SGRAM and a DVI-I analog / digital connector, or the SR9 AGP 2X configured with 8MB of SDRAM graphics memory will be available in the followings IBM computers:
- IBM PC 300GL, Model 6574 (4x4 micro-tower)
- IBM PC 300GL, Model 6563 (4x4 desktop)
- IBM PC 300GL, Small Business Series, Model 6564 (4x4 micro-tower)
- IBM PC 300PL, Model 6565 (4x4 desktop)
The SR9 AGP 2X Graphics Accelerator, configured with 8MB of SDRAM graphics memory will be available in the following systems:
- IBM PC 300PL, Model 6892 (7x6 mini-tower)
- IBM PC 300PL, Model 6862 (5x4 desktop)
About Number Nine
Number Nine Visual Technology Corporation, http://www.nine.com, is a leading supplier of high-performance visual technology solutions, including video/graphics accelerator subsystems, chips and productivity-enhancing software. Number Nine is one of the first companies to offer its users drivers certified by Microsoft's Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL). The company is a pioneer in PC graphics, delivering the first 128-bit graphics accelerator, the first 256-color and 16.8 million-color cards, and four consecutive lines of 128-bit graphics chips and boards. Number Nine is a publicly-held company (NASDAQ: NINE) headquartered in Lexington, Massachusetts, with research and development, sales and/or marketing offices in Munich, Germany and Redmond, Washington. DDWG membership information can be found at www.ddwg.org.
Number Nine and HawkEye are registered trademarks of Number Nine Visual Technology Corporation. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machine. Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of the Intel Corporation. S3 and Savage4 are registered trademarks or trademarks of S3, Inc. All other trademarks are properties of their respective companies. All rights reserved. All specifications subject to change.
The Digital Display Working Group is an open industry group lead by Intel, Compaq, Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard, IBM, NEC and Silicon Image. The objective of the Digital Display Working Group is to address the industry's requirements for a digital connectivity specification for high-performance PCs and digital displays.
This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those described herein, including, but not limited to such factors as are described under "Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results of Operations" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-Q for its first fiscal quarter 1999 ended April 3, 1999 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Working Group Site sponsored by Digital Display Working Group Implementers Forum,
creators of DVI technology. Click here for more information.
Last Updated October 14, 1999
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