The Award-Winning PenCell Spreadsheet Bundled with Mouse Systems’ Pen-Mate Input Device Gives Users an Affordable and Useful Opportunity to Experience the Pen

October 19, 1992 — Personal computer users can now afford to experience the benefits and unique flexibility of pen computing on their PCs with a new version of PenWare’s award-winning PenCell spreadsheet now shipping with Mouse Systems’ PenMate pen input device.

Mouse Systems (Fremont, Calif.) and PenWare Inc. announced Monday that PenCell Lite running under Windows for Pen Computing will be bundled with PenMate.

“Users can now afford to experience all that pen computing has to offer — on their existing PCs,” said Faruq Ahmad, vice president of marketing for PenWare. “PenCell has been designed so that users can easily take advantage of the benefits of the pen. With PenCell and PenMate, users can be immediately productive and enjoy the versatility and flexibility of the exciting new pen interface.”

PenMate, which debuted in June, has been one of the industry’s widely accepted pen-based devices. Combining a sleek pen stylus with an active desktop “work pad,” PenMate provides an intuitive pen interface and pointing system that turns any desktop computer into a pen-based system.

While many users are intrigued by the potential of pen computing, prohibitive price tags exceeding $3,000 have limited the platform’s acceptance. PenMate, which retails for $349 and comes bundled with Microsoft Windows for Pen Computing as well as PenCell, provides an affordable bridge to take pen-based computing to a much broader audience.

“Acceptance of PenMate from the end user community has exceeded our expectations and the bundling agreement with PenWare will provide even more impetus for users to try pen-based desktop computing,” said John Murphy, president of Mouse Systems. “Spreadsheet software is a must for numerous business computer users and PenCell Lite marries this application to pen computing.”

PenWare was one of the first developers to introduce and ship applications software for pen computing. PenCell is the first and only spreadsheet designed specifically for the pen and available under Windows for Pen Computing. First introduced at Comdex/Fall ’91 on a proprietary system, PenCell was a finalist for the Best of Comdex awards in the applications software category, selected from among over 2,000 entries.

Providing special features for pen and mobile computing usage, PenCell permits users to take full advantage of the pen as both a pointing/selecting mechanism and true input device. PenCell also takes advantage of the pen for direct manipulation of the spreadsheet.

With the pen users can drag and drop cells, and initiate operations such as delete, copy, sum, etc. Pencell’s unlimited undo facility, the first available in a spreadsheet, allows users to reverse operations step-by-step. PenCell also recognizes electronic ink, so that users can annotate the spreadsheet by writing directly on the overlay.

PenCell Lite is a fully functional version of PenCell. With purchase, PenMate customers will receive a discount coupon for an upgrade to PenCell. The full version of PenCell for Windows for Pen Computing will include support for macros, Excel file formats and handle larger spreadsheets, in addition to the features included in PenCell Lite.

PenMate customers will need to simply install Windows for Pen Computing and the PenCell spreadsheet on their PCs, connect PenMate, and start using the pen. Fully Microsoft Mouse-compatible, PenMate connects to the serial port of a desktop computer for easy “plug and play” use. System requirements for PenMate are Windows 3.1, DOS version 3.3 or later and any 286, 386 or 486-based computer.

PenWare Inc. was founded in 1983 as a software developer in the area of computer language compilers. In 1991 it refocused to develop and deliver application software for mobile professionals.
The company’s first product is the PenCell spreadsheet, which was announced in October 1991 and began shipping to customers in December 1991. PenWare applications are designed to be portable, compact, extensible and easy to inter-nationalize.

PenWare is located at 845 Page Mill Rd., Palo Alto, Calif. 94303-1011; phone 415/858-4920.

Mouse Systems Corp. is a leading designer and manufacturer of microcomputer-based optical and optomechanical input devices for the worldwide end user, retail, distribution and OEM marketplaces. Mouse Systems is located at 47606 Seabridge Dr., Fremont, Calif. 94538; phone 510/656-1117.

Note to Editors: PenWare is a trademark and PenCell a registered trademark of PenWare Inc. All other trademarks, tradenames and product names are registered trademarks of their respective holders.

CONTACT:
PenWare Inc.
Faruq Ahmad, 415/858-4920
or
Mouse Systems Inc.
Lara Kaplinsky, or Jonathan Bloom
McGrath/Power West, 408/727-0351
or
Lindsay PR
Mary Lindsay, 408/984-7242