Creative Labs Launches 'Family' Multimedia Upgrade Kit with Microsoft Encarta 96

- Creative Extends Suite of Top Microsoft Titles included with Top of the Range Creative Hardware -

17th September, 1996 - Creative Labs, the leading provider of multimedia products for the PC, announced at its annual European Technology Forum in Marbella a new version of the Sound Blaster Multimedia Family 32 8x upgrade kit. The kit continues to offer Creative's state of the art hardware as well as a generous selection of Microsoft software for use by all members of the family. Microsoft's Encarta 96 forms part of the software line-up that also includes Microsoft Works 3.0 and Autoroute Express for adults, as well as Creative Writer and Fine Artist for children.

The kit will be available from the end of September at a suggested retail price of Ł299 inc VAT.

The kit is ideal for parents who want to manage and organise their home, relax with games and cultural software titles as well as provide entertainment and educational titles for their children.

Jan Hauer, Creative's multimedia upgrade product manager, commented that "The new Family Kit enables the customer to bring their PC in line with today's top of the range multimedia hardware and Microsoft software. Representing much greater value than individual component shopping, the kit is also easier than ever to install."

The Sound Blaster 32 card now includes Internet software as standard:

Microsoft's Internet explorer for browsing

Creative's WebPhone for local rate phone calls worldwide

Progressive Network's RealAudio player that enables the play-back of stored or real-time news and radio over the Internet.

Creative has added these applications at no extra charge to the consumer.

Plug and Play hardware from Creative enables the kit to be installed by non- technical users, eliminating the need for manual configuration of hardware.

The Kit Includes:
Hardware

8x CD-Rom Drive

Sound Blaster 32 Plug and Play card

High performance stereo speakers with an output power of 10W

Headphones

Software

For parents

Microsoft Works 3.0 for Windows 3.1

Autoroute Express: Map of Europe 1.0

Wine Guide 1.0

Home CD Sampler

For teenagers

Microsoft Encarta 96

Microsoft Golf 2.0

For children

Creative Writer

Fine Artist 1.0

Explorapedia - The World of People

Technical Details
Sound Blaster 32 Plug and Play is a WaveTable audio card suitable for a wide variety of multimedia applications. The card utilises EMU8000-based wave table technology which generates real instrument, rather than synthesised sounds. The card features Creative's 3D Stereo Enhancement technology.

About Creative ...
Creative Technology, Ltd., is the world's leading provider of multimedia hardware and solutions for personal computers, including sound, graphics, communications and video conferencing products with its Sound Blaster technology adopted as the world-wide standard sound platform for PCs.

Founded in 1983, Creative Technology's corporate headquarters are based in Singapore with international subsidiaries and affiliate offices in China, Europe, South Korea, Australia, Malaysia, Japan, Taiwan and the US. The European head office is based at Ruscombe near Twyford in the UK. In January 1994, Creative opened its European operations and technical centre in Dublin, which provides telephone support for European customers in six languages. Creative Labs Europe has grown eight-fold in the past three years with subsidaries in France, Spain, Italy, Germany, UK, Benelux, Denmark and Sweden. The European operation currently employs around 450 staff.