GAIA SOFTWARE SHIPS PERSONAL MEDIA FOR THE APPLE NEWTON

Personal Media software provides more natural working environment 
for handheld devices.


PORTLAND, Ore., November 7, 1994 -- Gaia[R] Software[TM] today 
announced that it has begun shipping its Personal Media[TM] 
software, an environment for Apple Newton compatible personal 
digital assistants (PDAs).  Personal Media for the Newton 
provides a more natural working environment for the capture, 
organization and communication of information on handheld 
devices.

With Personal Media, Newton owners can create multiple workspaces 
upon which paper-like notepads can be created and freely arranged 
on screen -- a first for Newton software.  Personal Media gives 
Newton owners the freedom to scale and organize information 
visually, laying it out to suit their personal style.  When 
working in Personal Media, users view information in context and 
can therefore work with it more productively.

"Most people using the Newton today find it attractive for 
tracking contacts and to-dos, but discover they need an 
environment that lets them handle a larger working context of 
information.  Add Personal Media, and the Newton becomes the 
ideal means of capturing and dealing with information on the fly 
-- whether it is client and project notes or e-mail," said Craig 
Fisk, president and chief executive officer of Gaia Software.  
"Personal Media turns the Newton into a true handheld information 
and communications assistant."

People can move from workspace to workspace and task to task 
quickly.  Stripped of computer-like menus, Personal Media relies 
exclusively on tapping and drag-and-drop direct manipulation of 
on-screen icons and objects to accomplish note-taking, 
information management and communication.

Personal Media streamlines faxing, sending electronic mail and 
beaming information by automating the Newton's otherwise 
multi-step communications process.  Users simply drag and drop 
notes, e-mail messages and text documents onto the appropriate 
icons, along with the addresses, and the information is sent.


A More Natural Environment

Gaia Software designed Personal Media specifically as a new kind 
of software appropriate for handheld devices, consciously 
avoiding unnecessary and inappropriate desktop computing 
elements.

Workspaces

Personal Media workspaces act as miniature desktops where notes, 
messages and documents can be created, copied and stored.  Users 
can create multiple workspaces, give them useful names (e.g., 
client or project names) and keep relevant notes, messages and 
documents in their appropriate places. These notes and documents 
can be resized and arranged freely on the workspaces. Users thus 
can switch between workspaces and view information in context:  
grouped with other relevant information and arranged to suit the 
user's personal workstyle.

Notepads

Personal Media features notepads for either handwritten notes or 
typed text with numbered pages that can be turned, torn out, 
copied, filed, e-mailed, faxed, beamed or recycled.  Multiple 
notepads can be created, resized, copied and freely arranged on 
workspaces.  Users simply write on the notepads or type using an 
on-screen keyboard.  Several notepads can be displayed at a time. 
Notepads are automatically filed in Personal Media's file 
cabinet and can be moved easily between storage cards and the 
Newton's internal memory.

Communication

Personal Media streamlines fax, e-mail and beamed communication.  
Users simply drag and drop a copy of the information they want to 
send (e.g., notepad or text document) onto the message box icon 
and drop one or more destination fax numbers or e-mail addresses 
on it.  In the case of e-mail, users can reply to a message by 
typing the reply and dropping the original back in the Personal 
Media message box.  Personal Media automatically addresses it to 
the original sender and prepares it for transmission.  Users can 
access Newton's contact file with all of its fax numbers and 
e-mail addresses from within Personal Media.

Pricing and Availability

Personal Media is currently available for the Newton on disk 
(Windows and Macintosh formats) and on a 1MB SRAM PCMCIA card.  
Suggested retail is $189 on disk and $239 on PCMCIA card.  The 
software can be ordered by calling 1-800-784-8758 or by sending 
an electronic mail message to info@gaia.com.  Through December 
31, 1994, Gaia is offering introductory prices of $99 and $149.

The card version of Personal Media is self-installing when 
inserted in the Newton.  A Newton Connection Kit is required for 
installation of the disk versions.  A Newton-compatible external 
modem or modem card is required for e-mail and fax 
communications.  Installation and operation on SRAM or flash 
memory cards is preferred, as is use of an Apple Newton 
MessagePad 110 or later Newton.

Gaia Software's mission is to create a common environment for all 
handheld personal information and communication devices.  Gaia's 
first product, Personal Media for the Newton, provides a more 
natural working environment for the capture, organization and 
communication of information.  Founded in 1991 and backed by 
venture capital investment, Gaia Software is located in Portland, 
Oregon.
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Gaia is a registered trademark and Gaia Software and Personal 
Media are trademarks of Gaia Software Inc.
