New Internet Appliance Named 'Best Consumer Product'
LAS VEGAS, Nov. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gateway Connected Touch Pad
featuring Instant AOL was named the "Best Consumer Product" shown at the Fall
COMDEX exhibition by a panel of judges from ZDNet and CNet.
"Up until now we haven't seen an Internet appliance that we could
recommend without hesitation to our readers, but Gateway's new AOL-based
appliance changes all that," wrote the judges.
The award follows the official launch of the Gateway Connected Touch Pad
and America Online's new Instant AOL service in New York last Friday. The new
device -- along with the new Gateway Connected Music Player and the innovative
Gateway Connected Home networking system -- is being rolled out in Gateway
Country stores across the U.S. over the next several days. Both devices
utilize Broadcom's High Speed Home Phoneline Networking for connecting locally
and to the Internet. The Gateway Connected Touch Pad can be ordered starting
Dec. 1.
The Gateway Connected Touch Pad is part of the Gateway Connected Home, an
easy-to-use system that connects PCs and other devices in the home at
broadband speed to enable a host of new capabilities and make the Internet an
even more central feature of consumers' daily lives. The Gateway Connected
Home was unveiled last Friday by Gateway Inc. (NYSE: GTW) and strategic allies
America Online, Inc. (NYSE: AOL), Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM) and
Transmeta Corporation (Nasdaq: TMTA). The companies have worked together to
develop an array of new products and services, along with new training
capabilities, that promise to accelerate the proliferation of new home
Internet devices -- adding to the PC's convenience and versatility while
making the vision of the connected home a reality today.
The Gateway Connected Touch Pad featuring the Instant AOL service is a
compact, easy-to-use touch-screen device offering instant-on access to all of
AOL's hallmark features including e-mail, instant messaging, the My Calendar
service and Address Book feature, chat and full Internet access. The Instant
AOL service also puts at members' fingertips content that is particularly
convenient for use in either the kitchen -- like information on home and
family, recipes and shopping time savers for groceries and gifts -- or the
family room, such as TV and movie listings and online music.
"Since launching the Gateway Connected Home last week we've seen a
tremendously positive reaction," said Jeff Weitzen, Gateway president and CEO.
"The recognition of these discriminating judges is especially gratifying to
us. And we're looking forward to winning over the toughest judges of all --
American consumers -- when this product goes on sale in December."
Barry Schuler, president of AOL Interactive Services, said: "From day
one, our conception of this product and the Instant AOL service was to produce
the easiest to use, most consumer friendly Internet device available. Gateway
has been a superb partner in this and we are thrilled that the early reaction
says we hit it right on."
The Instant AOL service also offers key "Essentials" available at the
touch of a button, including a family Notepad, access to Favorite Places,
Search, the Buddy List(R) feature and more. Members also have access to AOL's
20 Channels including House & Home, Kids Only, Parenting and other Channels as
well as AOL's comprehensive Parental Controls feature.
The Gateway Connected Touch Pad with Instant AOL is designed for use in
high-traffic areas of the home -- such as the kitchen or family room -- where
PCs typically are not located. The sleek Gateway Touch Pad with built-in high
speed home phoneline networking from Broadcom can be set on a countertop or
mounted beneath kitchen cabinets. The device is operated using a stylus and
touch screen and with a wireless keyboard that includes convenient shortcut
icons to AOL e-mail, instant messages, Channels and more. For added
convenience, the Gateway Connected Touch Pad features a Notepad where family
members can leave messages for each other during the course of the day.
About Gateway
Gateway (NYSE: GTW), a Fortune 250 company founded in 1985, focuses on
building lifelong relationships with consumers and businesses through complete
technology personalization. Gateway ranked number one in U.S. consumer PC
revenue in 1999(1) and was rated among the top ten best corporate reputations
in America according to a survey conducted in August of 1999 by Harris
Interactive and the Reputation Institute and published in The Wall Street
Journal. In 1999, Gateway was seventh in total return to shareholders among
Fortune 500 companies and tenth in total shareholder returns over the past
five years.(2) Gateway employees worldwide provide clients with services and
built-to-order computers that consistently win top awards from leading
industry publications. Gateway had total global revenue of $8.65 billion in
1999. For more information, visit our Web site at http://www.gateway.com
(1) According to GartnerGroup/Dataquest US PC Quarterly statistics.
(2) According to Fortune Magazine, April 17, 2000.
About America Online, Inc.
Founded in 1985, America Online, Inc. is the world's leader in interactive
services, Web brands, Internet technologies and e-commerce services.
SOURCE Gateway
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Related links:
http://www.gateway.com
CONTACT:
Brad Williams, Consumer Div., 858-799-2511,
or cell, 858-735-7001, brad.williams@gateway.com, Greg Lund,
Consumer Div., 858-799-2512, greg.lund@gateway.com, or John
Spelich, Corporate, 858-799-2657, or cell, 858-354-2657,
john.spelich@gateway.com, all of Gateway; or Trish Primrose,
Corporate, 703-265-1746, tprimrose@aol.com, or Marta Grutka, AOL
New Products, 703-265-0110, mgrutka@aol.com, both of America
Online
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