General Magic Announces Magic Cap for Windows; Offers Free Pre-Release Version on the Internet
SUNNYVALE, Calif. — December 4, 1995 — General Magic, Inc. (Nasdaq: GMGC) today announced the availability of a pre-release version of Magic Cap(TM) for Windows(TM), the company's first software application for the personal computer market. Magic Cap for Windows integrates today's popular modes of communication including electronic mail services, fax, paging, and telephones. It includes the functionality of the Magic Cap platform for personal communications, plus Windows-specific features that make it an integrated communication center for Windows users. Magic Cap for Windows also incorporates AT&T PersonaLink(SM) Services, a Telescript-based public network service that supports smart messaging, Internet mail connectivity, fax services, and rich content such as text, digital ink, sound, and animations.
"The Magic Cap platform provides users with an integrated communications center that includes email, faxing, and personal information management tools," said Marc Porat, chairman and chief executive officer of General Magic. "By providing this pre-release version for free over the Internet, we look forward to both garnering awareness among Windows users, as well as obtaining additional customer feedback on new features and functionality to incorporate into future commercial releases."
General Magic expects to ship the first commercial release of Magic Cap for Windows in the first half of 1996. In the commercial release of Magic Cap for Windows, the company intends to incorporate direct support for popular on-line services and Internet service providers, enabling people to use Magic Cap for Windows to send and receive multimedia messages using their existing email or Internet accounts.
Magic Cap Means Communication
Magic Cap for Windows enables users to send and receive electronic messages to business or personal contacts, while providing a fun, easy to use interface that depicts real world objects. The product also integrates personal organization tools that help users prepare, track and follow up on important messages and activities.
With Magic Cap for Windows users can quickly and easily send electronic messages throughout the world. Using AT&T PersonaLink Services, users can send and receive messages from America Online, AT&T PersonaLink Services, CompuServe, Internet, MCI Mail, Prodigy, AT&T Mail, and X.400 gateways. Users can also send faxes directly to any fax machine, and pager messages to SkyTel subscribers.
Magic Cap for Windows is one of the first Windows communications applications that offers integrated multimedia messaging. With Magic Cap for Windows, users can add impact to their messages by incorporating graphics, animation, sound, handwriting and file attachments. The software includes a variety of decorative and functional stamps (clip art, animated images, and songs); drawing tools (pencils, crayons, line tools, stars, boxes, and circles); a voice stamp for sending short recorded messages; and digital ink support for handwriting a signature or quick note.
Integrated Personal Organizational Tools
In addition to its communications capabilities, Magic Cap for Windows provides a variety of integrated tools to help users prepare, track, and follow-up on important messages. The Name card file lets users keep track of people and organizations with any number of work and home addresses, phone numbers, pager numbers, and email addresses. It also generates new Name cards for senders of any incoming messages, enabling Magic Cap for Windows' users to keep their contact information up to date automatically.
With the integrated Datebook, users can schedule meetings, send invitations and confirm appointments with other Magic Cap users. When scheduling a meeting, an invitation can be automatically composed and sent to the attendees. Recipients can accept or decline. If accepted, the meeting is automatically entered into the recipient's Datebook and an automatic confirmation is sent back to the user.
Magic Cap for Windows also includes a Phone for logging calls, speed dialing, and billing calls to credit cards, and a built-in File cabinet for sorting, filing and organizing messages, Notebook pages, and Windows documents.
Easy to Learn and Fun to Use
Magic Cap for Windows offers a real world interface that has been refined through testing with thousands of users, making communication fast, efficient and fun. Users easily recognize and navigate through Magic Cap using familiar objects such as the Name card file, Datebook and Phone. A built-in Getting Started tutorial helps new users quickly personalize the software, sign up for the communications service, and send a message in minutes.
Users can also launch their Windows applications from anywhere within Magic Cap for Windows. Leading Windows applications are automatically installed in the right Desk drawer for easy access.
Pricing, Availability & System Requirements
For the next 60 days, people can download the pre-release version of Magic Cap for Windows from General Magic's web site (http://www.genmagic.com/MCW/) for free. They can also purchase the pre- release version for $9.95 (diskettes only) or $14.95 (diskettes and user guide) by calling 800-879-3800 (US orders only). Magic Cap for Windows users subscribing to AT&T PersonaLink Services will receive an introductory offer of unlimited e-mail messaging over the PersonaLink network for $9.95 per month, with an initial month free.* For services other than e-mail messaging over the PersonaLink network, additional charges may apply. For additional information customers can contact AT&T PersonaLink Services at 1-800-936-LINK.
Magic Cap for Windows requires a 486/33SX or higher IBM-PC or compatible, 8 MB RAM, 8 MB hard disk space, a modem, Microsoft Windows 3.1 or Windows 95.
About General Magic
General Magic, Inc. was founded in May 1990 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. Its mission is to participate in the electronic marketplace by developing and licensing software to leading providers of communication products, network services and network applications. The General Magic Founding Partners Council includes AT&T, Cable & Wireless, France Telecom, Fujitsu, Matsushita, Mitsubishi Corporation, Mitsubishi Electric, Motorola, Nortel, NTT, Oki, Philips, Sanyo, Sony, and Toshiba.
NOTES: *This special introductory offer may be terminated at some time during 1996.
Magic Cap and Telescript are trademarks of General Magic, Inc. General Magic acknowledges the rights of the trademark owners for all trademarks referred to herein.
CONTACT:
Jane Anderson, 408-774-4040, or jane(underscore)anderson(at)attpls.net,
or
Viki Paige, 408-774-4434, or viki(underscore)paige(at)attpls.net