________________________________________________________________________________ Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 10:41:32 -0800 To: "MacDev-1 (Moderated)" From: MacDev-1 Moderator Subject: BeOS for Free, Going Public This message comes to you from MacDev-1(tm). See below for more info on this list (including sub/unsub details). __________________________ Be Shifts Resources to Focus on Internet Appliance Market Company to Distribute Desktop Operating System for Free Via the Internet and Partnerships MENLO PARK, Calif.--January 18, 2000--Be Incorporated (Nasdaq: BEOS) today announced that it is shifting its resources to focus primarily on the growing Internet appliance market. In order to maximize the visibility and acceptance of Be technology, the upcoming version 5 of the BeOS desktop operating system will be available for personal use at no charge beginning later in the first quarter of 2000. At that time, individuals who register with Be at http://free.be.com will be able to download BeOS 5 for free. Be also intends to work with publishers and other partners to make commercial versions of BeOS 5 available through retail channels. "The post-PC revolution of Internet appliances has started," said Jean-Louis Gassée, chairman and chief executive officer of Be. "Our customers and partners, such as Compaq, National Semiconductor, RealNetworks and Qubit, have validated our belief that Be is well positioned to play an important role in this emerging market. We want to do everything in our power to make the best use of this opportunity. Making the free version of BeOS 5 available through the Internet and other channels allows us to aggressively promote our technology, maximize our visibility and obtain valuable market feedback while aggressively pursuing Internet appliance opportunities." As a result of this shift in resources and offering BeOS 5 for free, Be will not realize the revenues previously anticipated from sales of the desktop version of its operating system. First Call's consensus estimate of revenues for the year 2000 has been approximately $16,000,000. Analysts estimated that desktop sales for 2000 would account for approximately 85 percent of revenues. This shift will negatively impact future revenues as well. Be's product for the Internet appliance market is code-named Stinger, a software solution for appliances that deliver information and entertainment over the web. Based on BeOS, Stinger is fully customizable, offers a complete browser and supports popular streaming audio and video standards. BeOS 5 is the newest version of BeOS, an alternative desktop operating system designed to deliver the most satisfying experience possible on a personal computer. BeOS provides a high-performance robust platform for all applications, excelling in the areas of audio and video manipulation. Users will be able to download BeOS 5 via a web browser and store it as a file within their existing operating system (such as Windows). No repartitioning will be necessary, and launching BeOS 5 will be as simple as double-clicking an icon on the desktop. About Be Incorporated Founded in 1990, Be Incorporated creates software platforms that enable rich media and web experiences on personal computers and Internet appliances. Be's headquarters are in Menlo Park, California, with offices in Paris and Tokyo. It is publicly traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol BEOS. Be can be found on the Web at http://www.be.com. __________________________ Be Incorporated Announces Possible Public Offering MENLO PARK, Calif.--January 18, 2000--Be Incorporated (Nasdaq: BEOS) announced that it is contemplating the filing of a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a public offering of its common stock. The timing and size of the offering are dependent on market conditions and other factors. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of Be Incorporated. The offering will be made only by means of a prospectus contained in a registration statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and will be sold through underwriters engaged by the Company. __________________________ You're getting this message via MacDev-1 -- the Mac(tm) OS Developer News and Info server sponsored by MacTech(r) Magazine http://www.mactech.com, mailto:info@mactech.com, or 805-494-9797 Developer Depot(tm) http://www.devdepot.com, mailto:info@devdepot.com or call 800-MACDEV-1 To submit a posting to MacDev-1, mailto:press_releases@mactech.com. To subscribe to MacDev-1, send mail to listserv@listmail.xplain.com with the SUBJECT line reading "SUBSCRIBE MACDEV-1". To unsubscribe, the SUBJECT line should read "UNSUBSCRIBE MACDEV-1". 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