MIDWEST MICRO STRENGTHENS POPULAR SOUNDBOOK LINE

FLETCHER, Ohio, Oct. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Building upon its successful SoundBook(TM) line, MidWest Micro, a leading mail-order computer manufacturer, bolstered its product offering today with the announcement of the SoundBook CD and SoundBook IIP.

The new SoundBook CD has become MidWest Micro's high end notebook, while the very popular SoundBook Plus was enhanced to produce the SoundBook IIP. MidWest Micro's notebook line will include the SoundBook II, SoundBook IIP and SoundBook CD, giving notebook users a well-rounded selection from budget systems to top-of-the-line technology. These additions enhance MidWest Micro's strong reputation for producing high-quality notebook computers, at very equitable costs.

Over the past several years MidWest Micro has become a major player in the notebook market. The Ohio-based company was the first to introduce a Pentium portable and one of the first to offer a three year parts and labor warranty. In addition, their notebooks have been heralded by national trade publications as "the best notebook money can buy," "the top performer of any notebook," and "the fastest notebook we have ever tested." This type of recognition coupled with a strong commitment towards customer service has helped MidWest Micro become one of the largest computer companies in the US.

According to MidWest Micro President and Owner Mark Runkle, the company has worked very hard to come up with a strong product line that will address the needs of their customers. "There is a large number of consumers who want a product that incorporates the power of the SoundBook Plus with the versatility of the SoundBook II," Runkle said. "Other customers, who are concerned with top-of-the-line performance, want a notebook that is even faster than our SoundBook Plus. The SoundBook IIP and SoundBook CD were developed with those needs in mind. We are hoping that these two notebooks will attract the home/office and very high-end users that need powerful and reliable machines."

The MidWest Micro SoundBook CD is a Pentium-based multimedia notetebook with a built-in quad-speed CD-ROM. Expected to ship in early November, the system is equipped with 256K internal cache and 8 Mb of RAM, expandable to 40 Mb. The SoundBook CD will be available in a 120 MHz processor using Intel's TCP technology. TCP (Tape Carrier Package) allows the notebook to run at much cooler temperatures. Equipped with a huge 12.1" SVGA active matrix screen, Lithium-ION battery, and large hard drive, this notebook is aimed at the high-end user.

"The SoundBook CD is a robust notebook that fits the true desktop replacement category. This notebook incorporates the latest in technology and features. We feel the SoundBook CD is perfect for users who need power coupled with mobility," said MidWest Micro Business Development Manager Jim Wilmath.

Also added to the MidWest Micro product line is the SoundBook IIP, estimated to ship in October. The SoundBook IIP has a modular design merged with the power, sound, and display qualities that made the SoundBook Plus a success. The personality modules allow the user to swap out different hardware options for varying needs. These modules make the SoundBook IIP a very versatile machine at a great low cost.

MidWest Micro Product Manager Roy Mansfield remarked, "Many of our customers were asking us to bring out a modular version of the SoundBook Plus. We worked very hard to develop a high quality product that would also stay within a moderate price range. We feel the SoundBook IIP fits the needs of our customers in both performance and price. It gives us a notebook that bridges the slight gap between the SoundBook II and the new SoundBook CD."

MidWest Micro takes pride in being an industry leader, becoming the first to produce a Pentium based notebook and to offer the "Real Three Year Warranty." The Fletcher Ohio based company, founded in 1982 out of a spare bedroom, manufactures and sells custom computers and a full line of peripherals throughout the United States and its territories. For more information contact MidWest Micro at 800-842-0524 or Internet access at http://www.mwmicro.com/.

Products mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

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/CONTACT: Kelly Jones, or Chuck Rust of MidWest Micro, 513-368-3753/

CO: Infotel, Inc.; MidWest Micro ST: Ohio IN: CPR SU: PDT

TC -- CL022 -- 1684 10/02/95 11:30 EDT