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Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2000 15:25:51 -0600
From: Jon Beutler <jonb@Censoft.com>
To: press@censoft.com
Subject: Century Software Introduces a Linux Alternative to Pocket PC

Century Software Embedded Technologies is pleased to announce a Linux
alternative to the Pocket PC.

Please visit us at booth #208 and #1214 at Linux Expo August 15th - 17th.  We
will be showing this on the Compaq iPAQ.


Sincerely,


Jon Beutler
Director Business Development
Century Software Embedded Technologies
jonb@centurysoftware.com
801.268.3088 x145

embedded.centurysoftware.com



+ + + For Immediate Release + + +


Contact:


Century Software, Inc.
Gregory Haerr
CEO, Century Software
801-268-3088x103
greg@centurysoftware.com

Century Software Embedded Technologies
Jon Beutler	
Director of New Business Development
801-268-3088x145
jonb@centurysoftware.com
	

Century Software Introduces a Linux Alternative to Pocket PC

Century Software Embedded Technologies introduces a graphical development and
runtime environment for the Compaq iPAQ at Linux Expo

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - August 10, 2000 - Century Software Embedded
Technologies, a leader in open source applications technologies for embedded
Linux, today announced the availability of a Linux-based windowing system and
graphical development environment for the new Compaq iPAQ handheld computer. 
The open source and binary distribution includes a color windowing system,
touch screen input, handwriting recognition, Internet browsing and a software
development kit for new applications development.  This environment, coupled
with MontaVista Software Inc.'s Hard HatTM Linux® operating system and tools,
allows the iPAQ's Microsoft Pocket PC operating system to be replaced with a
graphical system running Linux instead.

"Introducing our Linux-based graphical environment so quickly after the iPAQ's
introduction will allow Linux developers around the world to take advantage of
the iPAQ hardware platform and enable Linux applications developers to keep
pace with Microsoft," said Gregory Haerr, CEO of Century Software.  The iPAQ
hardware allows the operating system and windowing environment to be reloaded
into flash memory using a serial cable download.  The full environment,
including touch-screen operability and Internet browsing, will be shown during
Linux Expo next week by MontaVista Software in booth #208, and in Applied Data
Systems' booth #1214.

The environment includes the well-known Microwindows graphical windowing
system for embedded Linux, along with the the recently introduced ViewML
Internet browser, and the Fast Light Tool Kit (FLTK) applications framework. 
A stroke-based character-recognition technology, based on Scribble, provides
the basis for handwriting recognition.    The Microwindows graphical windowing
system was chosen because of it's extremely compact size, and it's support of
the ViewML browser.  "Our selection of Microwindows as the graphics system and
ViewML for the browser allows our environment to run in 1/3 the RAM as
non-embedded Linux solutions, leaving 8 Megabytes free space for use by other
applications," said Jason Kingan, Director of R&D for Century Software, and
Chief Architect for The ViewML Project.

The ViewML Internet Browser is a small memory footprint, high-quality web
browser targeting the needs of the rapidly growing embedded Linux market. 
Requiring only 800k ROM and 2Mb RAM, ViewML was introduced in July by Century
Software and MontaVista Software as the first open source, royalty free
browser targeted for embedded Linux systems.  The Microwindows Project,
created in June 1999, is the leading open source graphical windowing
environment designed for small embedded systems.  Both projects were created
by Century Software CEO Gregory Haerr.  


-- more --
Availability
The open source and binary distribution for the iPAQ will be available just
after the Linux Expo show, on August 21, 2000, from
embedded.centurysoftware.com.   The ViewML Project's source code, as well as
screen shots and frequently asked questions are available now from
www.viewml.com.  Microwindows is available from www.microwindows.org.  Hard
Hat Linux is available from www.mvista.com.  The ViewML and Microwindows
projects plan on releasing regular enhancements as well as accepting
contributions from the embedded systems community.  MontaVista's embedded
systems CDK (Cross Development Kit) is available from www.mvista.com and
supplies the necessary toolchains necessary to compile the distribution.

###

About Century Software Embedded Technologies
Century Software Embedded Technologies, a newly created division of Century
Software, Inc., is a leading developer of core technologies for the worldwide
embedded Linux applications market.  These technologies include: graphical
windowing system development and runtime environments; customized Internet
browsers and HTML viewers; embedded multimedia technologies, including MP3
audio and MPEG video players and recorders; and PDA runtime and development
suites.  These core technologies are  designed specifically to allow chip
manufacturers, hardware board vendors, and their customers to build embedded
applications on x86, PowerPC, StrongARM, MIPS and other microprocessor
architectures running on either the Microwindows or X Window System.  Based in
Salt Lake City, Century Software was founded in 1985 and is privately held. 
Century Software's CEO, Gregory Haerr, is the founder and chief maintainer of
the Microwindows Project, founder of the ViewML Project, and Chief Strategist
for User Interface Technologies for MontaVista Software, Inc.


Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. ViewML is a registered
trademark of Century Software Inc.  Hard Hat is a trademark of MontaVista
Software Inc. All other names mentioned are trademarks, registered trademarks
or service marks of their respective companies.