National Semiconductor Demonstrates the World of Information Appliances at CeBIT 2001

Santa Clara, CA -- 3/1/2001 -- National Semiconductor (NYSE:NSM), the leading technology innovator for the information age, will present "The Sight and Sound of Information" with the world's best information appliances (IAs) at its stand in Hall 13, C52, at CeBIT 2001 (Hannover/Germany, March 22 - 28). National Semiconductor's award-winning family of highly integrated Geode? processors provide the heart of the most advanced IAs manufactured by leading consumer and IT companies. National's leading global customers include for example Acer, AOL/Philips, Cocom, COM1, COMPAQ, Dell, E-LAB Laboratories, Grundig, Honeywell, IBM, i3 micro technology, Octal, RSC, Samsung, Tatung, 3COM and Wyse.

At CeBIT, National will showcase the newest and most dynamic personal access devices (PADs) from about 15 different manufacturers, ten settop box models, five thin clients and two residential gateways, all with exceptional features. Worldwide, with more than 120 design wins in development or production, National is the runaway leader in providing processors and analog solutions for companies that are driving the information appliance market.

WebPAD™ Appliances
Among the exhibition highlights will be the world's first personal access device that supports all common wireless protocols: GSM, CDMA, DECT, wireless LAN (802.11) and Bluetooth™. The WebPAD™ devices demonstrated on National's booth come with features which go far beyond the basic functionalities of internet access and E-mail. For example, they allow users to do secure home banking and home shopping through a built-in smartcard reader, wireless printing and telephony. Some also offer voice messaging and the capability to download and listen to MP3 audio files and/or to view images and video. Several PAD models provide remote PC capabilities, enabling the user to run standard office applications, which transforms the access device into a "thin client" for server-based computing. There are mobile and "wired" PADs, with a variety of browsers and operating systems, and supporting various wireless protocols which allow the user to exchange information and surf the web wherever and whenever he or she chooses to do so - such as GSM and GPRS (when the service will be available), Metricom Ricochet (a wireless protocol currently used in the USA only), 802.11 wireless LAN, DECT and Bluetooth.

TV Set-top Boxes
National's booth also showcases the most advanced technology for set-top boxes from a number of leading European manufacturers. These advanced digital set-top boxes bring users high-resolution TV, E-mail, broadband internet access, shopping, banking, chatting, receiving and recording of interactive digital video broadcasts, audio/video on demand, networked games, integrated DVD/CD players and other digital media services. Using National's superior Geode technology, set-top boxes can become fully equipped, yet easy-to-use and affordable information and entertainment stations in peoples' living-rooms.

Home Networking with Residential Gateways
Another highlight on National's stand will be a prototype for a Residential Gateway. This is an information appliance which - at a minimum functionality - allows multiple home devices connected on the local area network (LAN) at home to share a single internet connection (the wide area network; WAN). National Semiconductor will demonstrate the basic functionality of a Geode based Residential Gateway through several devices (such as a WebPAD device or a WAP mobile phone) to wirelessly control appliances in the home.

Thin Clients for Corporate, Education Environments
For corporate and educational environments, National offers visitors the latest in thin client technology. Easy to use and maintain, with a compact form factor and attractive design, thin clients equipped with National Semiconductor's Geode processor offer the full range of server-based computing along with E-mail and internet browsing functionality.

"CeBIT visitors who want to see the world's most innovative and advanced information appliances only need to visit one booth - National Semiconductor's stand", said Georges Batars?Marketing Director Information Appliance and Networks at National Semiconductor in Europe. "National's Geode silicon solutions and many of our advanced analog semiconductors are powering the information appliances of today and tomorrow. We are proud that by choosing our Geode technology, our worldwide renowned customers have made us the number one silicon solution provider for the fast growing information appliance market."

The Geode family of microprocessors consists of integrated single-chip and two-chip solutions as well as reference design and development platforms, all based on the x86 architecture. National has integrated most of the semiconductor content, including processors and essential analog components, for an information appliance onto a single chip. Customers' overall design and manufacturing costs are lower because National provides validated system solutions with fewer components.

National's Geode processor and platform have gained widespread recognition in the industry as preferred solutions for information appliances. In January, the Geode processor received an Analyst's Choice Award from Microprocessor Report for being the Best Highly Integrated Processor of 2000. The editors of EE Product News, meanwhile, honored the Geode WebPAD reference platform as one of eight Products of the Year. Last fall, the editors of CNET and ZDNet selected the Geode WebPAD Metro from National and Metricom as "Best of Show" in the services category at Comdex 2000.

About National Semiconductor
National Semiconductor is the premier analog company driving the information age. Combining real-world analog and state-of-the-art digital technology, the company is focused on the fast growing markets for wireless handsets; information appliances; information infrastructure; and display, imaging and human interface technologies. With headquarters in Santa Clara, California, National reported sales of $2.1 billion for its last fiscal year and has about 10,500 employees worldwide.