Press/Digital Adds New Pentium Models To Its Starion PC Retail Line
Digital Press & Analysts News
Digital Equipment Corporation
Maynard, Massachusetts 01754-2571
Editorial contact:
Sandy McLaughlin
(508) 264-7981
DIGITAL ADDS NEW PENTIUM MODELS
TO ITS STARION PC RETAIL LINE
...First PC Vendor to Offer Entirely Pentium Processor-Based
Retail PC Product Line with Three-Year Warranty...
...Signs Incredible Universe and Nobody Beats the Wiz...
MAYNARD, Mass. -- March 14, 1995 -- Digital Equipment Corporation
today announced that it is the first PC vendor to offer an entire
Pentium processor-based PC line, with a three-year limited warranty,
in the retail market. This latest offering reinforces Digital's
commitment to deliver the latest technology complemented by premiere
service and support. With the introduction of eight new 75MHz,
90MHz and 100MHz models in its popular Starion line, the company
also announced it has signed agreements with Incredible Universe and
Nobody Beats the Wiz, consumer electronics superstores, to sell the
Starion line. Digital's Starion models start as low as $1999,
including monitor.
The Starion line is targeted at a segment of the small office/
home office (SOHO) retail market that Digital dubbed the tiny
office/home office (TOHO) market -- organizations and home-based
businesses with five or fewer employees, primarily in
service-oriented businesses -- a market virtually ignored by other
PC vendors.
Today's announcement follows Digital's successful entry into
the retail market last November. At that time, Digital offered
Starion models exclusively through Sam's Club and CompUSA, where
they have been extremely well received.
"We are very pleased with our initial foray into the retail PC
market," said Raymond Weadock, vice president and general manager,
Americas, for Digital's Personal Computer Business Unit. "Further
expansion into superstores makes our popular Starion PCs available
to more small business owners where they shop."
In addition to Pentium processing power, most Starion models
come with a 1GB hard drive, giving users plenty of room for their
favorite applications today and in the future. A quad-speed CD-ROM
drive comes standard on all but the entry-level model, so users can
run a myriad of multimedia software, as well as music CDs.
Quad-speed CD-ROM drives improve the performance of today's popular
CD-ROM titles and provide the speed for the next generation of
applications. All minitower models include a full duplex
speakerphone for hands-free telephone conversations.
Starion products are loaded with standard features, such as 8MB
RAM, 1MB video DRAM, 14.4 data/fax modem, built-in telephone
answering machine, and 16-bit stereo sound. The fax feature allows
users to send and receive faxes directly from their PC and offers
quick connection to online services. With the telephone answering
machine, Starion systems act as a message center with up to 999
private voice mailboxes.
A number of robust business applications are bundled with the
Starion line, including multimedia demos and tutorials, to help
users get right down to business, right out of the box.
They include Intel ProShare, ClarisWorks, Lotus ScreenCam, and
CompuServe. In addition, MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows for Workgroups,
and "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Windows" are pre-loaded. The
Starion line also supports the industry standard for Plug and Play
and is Microsoft Windows 95 ready.
"Our focus group research tells us that people view our Starion
line as a sport-utility PC in a world of econoboxes," said Rod
Keller, director, U.S. Consumer Market Development for Digital's PC
Business Unit. "They are rugged -- loaded with standard equipment
-- built with a fuel-injected engine -- designed with tons of cargo
space -- and come with a 3 year/36,000 mile limited warranty."
The Starion 200i, Starion 400i, Starion 600i and Starion 800i
PCs are offered exclusively through Sam's Club. The Starion 300i,
Starion 500i, Starion 700i and the Starion 900i PCs are offered
through CompUSA, Incredible Universe and Nobody Beats the Wiz.
Starion models range in price from $1999, including a 14" monitor,
for the Starion 200i PC to $2999 for the Starion 800i PC. The new
Starion models carry a limited three-year warranty, with the first
year onsite. Included with the systems is an upgrade coupon for
Digital's Service-in-a-Box program. Priced at $144, the program
provides one year of telephone support for more than 400 business
software programs. Digital also offers remote support via modem for
quick problem resolution.
Digital Equipment Corporation is the world's leader in open
client/server solutions from personal computing to integrated
worldwide information systems. Digital's scalable Alpha platforms,
storage, networking, software and services, together with industry-
focused solutions from business partners, help organizations compete
and win in today's global marketplace.
####
Note to Editors: Digital, the Digital logo and Starion are
trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation.
Pentium is a registered trademark and ProShare is
a trademark of Intel Corporation.
MS-DOS and Microsoft are registered trademarks and
Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Lotus ScreenCam is a trademark of Lotus
Development Corporation.
ClarisWorks is a trademark of Claris.
Service-in-a-Box is a service mark of Genicom
Corporation.
CORP/95/838
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