Symbios Logic and Scriptel Announce WriteTouch Pen and Touch Technology Support for Windows 95; WriteTouch’s Support of Color Active Matrix Displays Demonstrated At WinHEC

March 20, 1995 — Symbios Logic Inc. (formerly NCR Microelectronic Products Division) and Scriptel Holding Inc. today announced that WriteTouch — the breakthrough cordless electrostatic digital pen and touch technology jointly developed by the two companies — now incorporates a Windows 95 software driver and supports color active matrix displays. Both WriteTouch technology developments will be demonstrated at WinHEC.

“The availability of a Windows 95 driver for WriteTouch is a signal to OEMs and developers that the long-heralded promise of a ‘real’ pen computing solution has finally arrived,” said Bruce Trunck, manager of product management at Symbios Logic. “Together, WriteTouch and Windows 95 will revolutionize the use of pen and touch input, and breathe new life into the evolving portable computing market.”

WriteTouch and Windows 95

Before the advent of Windows 95 and WriteTouch, no complete software and hardware solution existed to make pen applications viable. Unlike Windows for Pen Computing, Windows 95 is the first mainstream operating system to design-in pen support from the bottom up.

While Windows 95 will provide operating system support for pen applications, WriteTouch will provide the hardware platform to not only enable pen, but also touch, input. The Windows 95 WriteTouch driver will permit system OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and application developers to offer end users the superior pen and touch technology of WriteTouch in a Windows 95 environment. WriteTouch technology will be implemented in pen computers, pen-enabled notebooks, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and even desktop systems using tablets for annotation, drawing, or signature verification.

Designed-in pen and touch support will enable many new applications. For example, during a simultaneous voice-data call to the office, a user could use WriteTouch technology to mark up the shared display of a word-processing document, a received fax, or a spreadsheet with the WriteTouch pen, while also sharing an electronic whiteboard for hand-written notes and meeting results.

Color Active Matrix Display Support

Unlike electromagnetic technology, WriteTouch’s unique electrostatic design with shielding between the sensor and LCD provides reduced interference from the high noise levels characteristic of color active matrix displays. This capability makes WriteTouch the digital pen subsystem most capable of color active matrix display support.

“Delivering on the promise of a WriteTouch Windows 95 driver and support for color displays was the next logical step in the evolution of the WriteTouch technology,” said J. Vance Holloway, president and chief operating officer of Scriptel Corporation, a subsidiary of Scriptel Holding Inc.

WriteTouch Technology

WriteTouch is the first digital pen, designed expressly to meet the requirements of mobile computers which use a pen or pen-and-keyboard combination. The components of the WriteTouch technology include a controller, sensor panel, stylus cartridge and drivers. WriteTouch has both the accuracy required for pointing, quick smooth electronic ink and good handwriting recognition when using a stylus, and the capability of accepting input from the touch of a finger. The input quality, light weight, low power utilization and high noise immunity of the device make it a highly desirable product for OEMs building end user systems.

Symbios Logic and Scriptel intend to make WriteTouch generally available in 3Q95.

About Scriptel

Scriptel Holding Inc. (OTC:SCRH) with its principal corporate offices in Columbus, Ohio, is the holding company for Scriptel Corp., Coloray Display Corp. and Ampsco Corp. Scriptel’s electronic pens and tablets, called digitizer systems, are sold worldwide to major computer manufacturers and value-added resellers. Coloray Display Corporation, recently acquired by Scriptel Holding Inc., is a leading Silicon Valley F.E.D. flat panel display firm. Ampsco is en-gaged in the machining industry.

About Symbios Logic

Symbios Logic Inc., formerly NCR Microelectronic Products, a division of AT&T Global Information Solutions Company, develops, manufactures and markets a wide range of semiconductors for mobile computer, PC desktop, workstation, server, communication and peripheral markets. Mass storage products include disk drive, CD-ROM drive and tape drive electronics as well as RAID storage systems. The company is one of the world’s leading suppliers of SCSI chips with associated software and cell-based, mixed-signal ASICs. Also offered are Ethernet controller and gate arrays.

Note to Editors: WriteTouch is a registered trademark of Symbios Logic Inc. and Scriptel Holding Inc. All other products and company names used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Photos available upon request.

CONTACT:
Symbios Logic Inc.
Sherry Trunck, 719/573-3201
Scriptel Holding Inc.
J. Vance Holloway, 614/276-8402
Walt & Sommerhauser Communications
John Evans or Paige Burgess, 408/496-0900