PenWare and Merisel Announce Distribution Agreement to Deliver Pen-Based Software with Broad Appeal

November 16, 1992 — PenWare Inc. and Merisel Inc. announced Monday an alliance which will make PenWare’s pen-based application soft-ware available through Merisel’s comprehensive distribution network.

The new relationship will provide resellers with easy and quick access to pen computer applications. PenWare will initially be offering PenCell 1.0, the award-winning spreadsheet running under Windows for Pen Computing.

“Merisel offers an expansive network of distribution for pen-based software, enabling us to reach a broad range of potential customers,” said Tom Nunan, marketing manager for PenWare. “Merisel is as enthusiastic about opportunities in pen computing as we are, and has fresh ideas for approaching the market.”

Pen hardware offerings today are beginning to deliver the winning combination of power and features which the market needs to move forward. PenCell delivers on the software side, providing a fully pen centric software application which virtually everyone can use — a spreadsheet.

“With applications like PenCell, and the availability of new pen-based hardware platforms, pen computing is poised to finally come into its own,” stated David Weiss, director of Advanced Technologies at Merisel. “Our partnership with PenWare demonstrates our commitment to making leading edge technologies widely available and affordable. PenCell represents a major step forward in our plan, as a first of its kind.”

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 is available under Windows for Pen Computing. After its introduction at Comdex/Fall ’91 on a proprietary system, PenCell was selected as a finalist for the Best of Comdex awards in the software applications category.

PenCell permits users to take full advantage of the pen as both a pointing/selecting mechanism and true input device. PenCell also allows direct manipulation of the spreadsheet.

With the pen, users can write directly in the spreadsheet, drag and drop cells, and carry out operations such as delete, copy, sum, etc. PenCell offers another innovation with its Unlimited Undo facility, the first in a spreadsheet, permit-ting operations to be reversed step by step all the way back to the beginning of a session.

PenCell maintains compatibility with Lotus and Excel file formats, making it an ideal mobile companion to current desktop spreadsheets.

Merisel Inc. (NASDAQ:MSEL) is the world’s largest publicly held distributor of microcomputer hardware and software products. Forbes magazine named Merisel as one of its Forbes 500 companies for 1991 and Fortune Magazine named it as one of the 100 fastest-growing U.S. companies in 1992, where it was the third largest of all the companies rated.

The company presently stocks products from more than 700 manufacturers for sale to 65,000 resellers worldwide and maintains 21 distribution centers that serve North America, Europe, Latin America and Australia.

Merisel sells more than 20,000 products and offers a wide range of services to support resellers with the sales of these products.

PenWare is located at 845 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, Calif. 94304-1011; phone 415/858-4920. PenCell works on all types of pen systems which run Windows for Pen Computing.

Merisel is located at 200 Continental Blvd., El Segundo, Calif. 90245; phone 310/615-3080.

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

CONTACT:
PenWare Inc., Palo Alto
Tom Nunan, 415/858-4920
or
Merisel
Cathy Quattrocchi, 310/615-3080
or
Lindsay PR
Mary Lindsay, 408/984-7242