L O N G L I F E PB Batteries

[William Daul]

VST Power Systems, Inc. Taranto Office Building, Suite 3
Phone: (508) 287-4600 1620 Sudbury Road
Fax: (508) 287-4068 Concord, MA 01742

June 17, 1993

Dear PowerBook User:

Thank you for your interest in the VST ThinPack T,4 for the Macintosh
PowerBook. We are ourselves very excited about this new product, and
the enthusiastic response from the Macintosh community is most
rewarding.

We announced our battery earlier this week (see the June 7, 1993, issue
of MacWeek, page 3), and we will be introducing the ThinPack at the
Boston MacWorld Expo in August, with initial availability beginning
mid-July. In the meantime, we wanted to be sure that those who have
expressed an interest in our battery were kept informed of our progress
and are therefore enclosing:

>- The complete text of our recent press release

>- A Product Specification sheet

We appreciate your interest in the VST ThinPack, and we will be in
touch with you again as soon as our flat-in-profile, light-in-weight,
long-on-power battery becomes available.

Sincerely yours,

Vincent Fedele
President



June 1,1993

For Immediate Release
New Product Announcement

Concord, MA-VST Power Systems has announced VST ThinPack (TM) for the
PowerBook (TM), an external maintenance- free battery only slightly
more than a quarter of an inch thick that weighs in at a pound and a
half. Designed to slip into a side pocket of virtually any notebook
carrying case, ThinPack is the first external power product that is
practical to use.

Greatly extended battery runtimes for PowerBook models 100, 140, 145,
160, 165c, 170, and 180 have been reported by beta testers and early
users. Reported runtimes for a PowerBook 180 are 7-7.5 hours under
typical use, allowing users to fly coast to coast with power to spare.
PowerBook 165c users report more than 5 hours under typical use.
PowerBook 100 users now have an alienate source for batteries, with
runtimes in excess of 9 hours with ThinPak.

The ThinPack requires no additional peripherals: it is charged using
the PowerBook's standard AC adapter. Charge times are typically 3-5
hours from a full discharge, depending on which model AC adapter is
being used.

ThinPack is intended to be used with the standard internal battery.
Easy three-step instructions are: 1) charge the internal, 2) charge the
ThinPack, and 3) power up.

VST Power Systems, Inc., which specializes in battery-based product
design, is planning a Boston MacWorld EXPO introduction of the
ThinPack, with availability beginning in July. The suggested list price
is $179.95.

Technical Information

All data provided below originated from beta testers who recorded run
tines under similar conditions using PBTool (TM) for comparative test
runs.

Typical Runtime Data

====================================
GRAPH MISSING HERE (shows runtime data - ThinPak vs. Internal Only)
====================================

Standard Nickel Cadmium arrays waste significant volume due to
cylindrical cells being placed into a rectangular enclosure. ThinPack
TM achieves very high energy densities by utilizing a proprietary
technology that significantly improves the volumetric density of a
rectangular cell, thus resulting in far greater energy densities.
ThinPack is rated at a full 5 ampere hours of capacity.

Cycle life, at 800-1,400 cycles, is in excess of what most Nickel
Cadmium cells will provide. The ThinPack has been designed to be
recyclable and includes materials that are recoverable when users
return the product to their dealers. Under normal use ThinPack should
be expected to last from three to five years. ThinPack has no memory
effect and can be fully recharged from any discharge state.

ThinPack has been specifically engineered with the following safety
features: all electrical connections are recessed with no exposed
connections to short-circuit; auto resetting short-circuit protection
is built in; and all Department of Transportation and international
civil and air transport approvals have been received.

Apple(r) and PowerBook(TM) are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
PBTools (TM) is a trademark of Bill Steinberg.



VST ThinPack (TM)

Model No. B1001 Product Specifications

Ampere Rating 5.0 Ampere Hours

Energy Density 20.0 Watt Hours /Lb

Maximum Charge Current 3.0 Amperes

Rated Cycle Life 800 to 1,400 Cycles-3 to 5 years typical use

Output and Charger Overload Automatic interruption upon short circuit
Protection

Indicators Charger-On LED

Charger Input Connector 5.5mm O.D./2.1mm I.D. DC Power Receptacle

Power Output Connector 5.5mm O.D./2.5mm I.D. DC Power Receptacle

Weight 24 oz.

Dimensions Height: 5.60 inches
Length: 9.40 inches
Thickness: 0.375 inches

Warranty One year limited warranty on parts and labor
on all electronics, 90 days on battery

Recyclable Materials Contains the following recyclable materials:
Silver, Nickel, and Lead

DOT, FAA, IATA, and ICAO Air and Ground shippable anywhere in the
classified world

UL Component Recognition All internal components are UL recognized
or listed. UL product listing applied for

All specifications are subject to change without notice.

Special Note to Dealers and Resellers

VST Power Systems, Inc. is currently working to establish distribution
arrangements that will provide access to our products through the major,
national distribution channels. In the meantime, we do expect to ship direct
beginning in mid-July.

We appreciate your interest in our product and will keep you informed as we
enter into agreements that will facilitate the distribution of the VST

ThinPack
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William Daul Advanced Support INFORMIX SOFTWARE INC.
4100 Bohannon Dr. (415) 926-6488 - wk
Menlo Park, CA. 94025 uunet!infmx!billd or bi...@informix.com