PANASONIC UPGRADES SIDEWRITER PERSONAL LASER-QUALITY PRINTERS

SECAUCUS, N.J., June 28, 1994--The newly-enhanced SideWriter line of
laser-quality page printers from Panasonic Communications & Systems Co., a
division of Matsushita Electric Corp. of America, has been designed to
attract small office/home office (SoHo) workers with its value and unique
design. With street prices starting below $500 and an ultra-compact
footprint that occupies less surface than an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper,
the SideWriter saves desktop space as well as money.

New configurations include: memory buffer upgraded to 1MB RAM on entry
model KX-P4400; new model KX-P4401, sold exclusively through warehouse
clubs; and an AppleTalk interface for Macintosh compatibility on the
top-of-the-line model KX-P5400M1.

"In today's competitive environment, home office and small business workers
are under tremendous pressure to present a professional image on a limited
budget," said Tim Curran, vice-president of Panasonic's Computer Products
Group. "We've designed the SideWriter line for those who can't afford to
sacrifice on document quality yet don't want a large, expensive machine."

Because of its understated styling and outstanding print quality, the
SideWriter printer is as much at home in the executive suite as it is in
the small business and home office. Its low price and small footprint put
the printer in reach of many office workers who may have had to share
printers in the past. "Personal printers give executives greater control
over their time and the privacy of their documents," said Curran.

The unit's quiet operation also helps the SideWriter keep a low profile
-especially desirable for business people who spend a lot of time on the
phone, and for home offices that do double duty as living rooms, bedrooms
or family rooms. Thanks to specially placed air vents on the top of the
printer, Panasonic was able to eliminate the fan that normally generates
noise in most printers, even in standby mode. The absence of the fan saves
energy, too. The SideWriter line complies with the Energy Star program
sponsored by The Environmental Protection Agency.

The SideWriter measures only 11.5 inches high by 5 inches wide by 15 inches
deep and weighs just 14.5 pounds. Models KX-P4400 and KX-P4401 each have a
standard RAM buffer of 1MB expandable to 5MB, up from 512K standard when
the KXP4400 was first introduced. Model KX-P4400 incorporates HP PCL4,
while the KXP4401 supports HP PCL5.

Panasonic's KX-P5400 and KX-P5400M1 come with 2MB standard, expandable to
4MB. Both units come standard with true Adobe Postscript and 17 Adobe
fonts, as well as HP PCL4 and 28 internal bitmap fonts. With an optional
PostScript fax board, these two printers can double as plain paper fax
machines. The new KX-P5400M1 includes a built-in AppleTalk interface for
Macintosh compatibility. Any consumer now purchasing a KX-P5400 will
receive a free AppleTalk add-on interface.

The SideWriter prints clean, crisp 300 dots-per-inch (dpi) laser quality
printouts at four pages-per-minute, fed from a 100-sheet, multipurpose
input tray. The output tray accepts up to 50 sheets, fed face down for
instant collating. Both the input and the output trays can fold away when
not in use to give the printer an even sleeker profile. The EZ Set front
panel features a 16-character LCD to walk users through the set-up. For
optimal connectivity, a Centronics parallel interface is standard, and an
optional RS-232C interface is offered across the line.

Panasonic was able to put laser-quality capability in such a small unit in
part by incorporating LED (Light Emitting Diode) printing technology. LED
printers offer the same top-quality, electrophotographic imaging found in
laser printers. But since LED technology doesn't use a laser scanning unit
and mirrors as do standard laser printers, there are fewer moving parts.
This allows Panasonic to offer a smaller, more reliable and less costly
product.

Currently available at retail, the SideWriter printers carry average street
prices of $499 for the KX-P4400 or KX-P4401 and $799 for the KX-P5400 or
KX-P5400M1. The printers are backed by a one-year limited warranty plus a
five-year warranty on the LED printhead. The line was designed, developed
and manufactured by Matsushita in Japan.

In the United States, Panasonic Communications & Systems Company markets an
extensive line of office automation equipment that also includes: laser
printers, dot matrix and thermal color printers; color monitors;
multimedia speakers; optical disk and storage products; color scanners;
electronic filing systems; office copiers; electronic whiteboards;
electronic typewriters; facsimile machines; personal communication
systems; digital pagers; business telephone systems and notebook PCs
through Panasonic Personal Computer Co.

Panasonic Communications & Systems Company
Two Panasonic Way, Secaucus, NJ 07094
1-800-742-8086 or 201-348-7000

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