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Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1999 16:42:50 -0500
From: Norm MacNeil <norm@hcc.ca>
To: general@netwinder.org
Subject: Response to NetWinder/Linux Users Group

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
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[from Mac Brown, CEO, Hardware Canada Computing]

To the NetWinder/Linux Community:

Please allow me to answer some of your questions about HCC and our plans for
the NetWinder.

Hardware Canada Computing (HCC) of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada recently signed a
letter of intent to purchase the NetWinder Division of Corel Computer.

HCC was incorporated in 1987 and has been profitable since conception.  HCC
has sales approaching $60 million a year.  HCC is a privately held company
currently owned 100% by Mac Brown.  25% of HCC shares will be used for the
purchase of NetWinder from Corel Corporation.  Dr. Mike Cowpland wil sit on
the board of directors of HCC and will be involved in the further development
of the NetWinder product line.  Many of the Corel Computer employees who
designed the original NetWinder will be designing the next generations of
NetWinders.

Today HCC has four key areas of business:

1. Hardware and Software Support of Unix and NT Workstations and Servers
2. Professional and Technical Services
3. Value Added Reseller
4. OEM Contract Manufacture

HCC started out as a Sun/Sparc/Unix Service organization and then became a VAR
selling products from Axil (owned by Hyundai, Axil had a line of Sun Sparc
clones), Hewlett Packard, Silicon Graphics, and now Network Appliance File
Servers and Cache Product Lines.  This multi-vendor approach gives HCC an
advantage over other VAR type organizations offering end users the best
solution for their needs.

As the company evolved, HCC also started a successful Professional and
Technical Services Division specializing in end to end project planning on
such things as corporate backup, firewall implementation, etc.  Then, after
Axil stopped manufacturing Sun clones (Korean crisis), HCC began manufacturing
its own brand of Sun/Sparc product under its own label: Horizon.  HCC is
closely tied to the Sun/Sparc community.  In fact, Mac Brown (HCC's founder
and CEO) sits on the board of directors of Sparc International (a not for
profit organzation that owns the right to Sparc and decides the direction of
the Sparc technology.  For more information, please check out
http://www.sparc.com).

Two years ago, HCC began to design and manufacture telecommunications switch
products for Newbridge Networks based on Sparc/Unix technology.  HCC now
specializes in long line private label manufacturing of PC-related products
for other large computer organizations.  Recently, HCC has been rewarded with
a contract to manufacture tens of thousands of Point of Sale machines destined
for one of the world's largest fast food vendors.

HCC plans on making the NetWinder a successful product.  HCC knows how to
design, manufacture, sell, and support computer hardware.  HCC will spend the
required amount of money in R&D and marketing to make the NetWinder a hit in
the Linux community.  HCC will market NetWinder through distributors and VARs
worldwide.  We will focus on the OEM embedded marketplace and will sell
NetWinders through a variety of channels, including direct and via the web.

HCC believes in Linux.  Our expertise in Unix will assist us in the transition
into this marketplace.  HCC plans on moving forward with an IPO to further
support the development of the NetWinder product line.  HCC's goal is to be
"one of the first pure Linux plays on the stock market".  We will consider IPO
when market conditions are right.

HCC plans on keeping the NetWinder name.

Any questions may be directed to our web site at www.hcc.ca or email
netwinderquestions@hcc.ca.

Signed,

  Mac Brown
  CEO
  Hardware Canada Computing
  Email:  mac@hcc.ca
  Web:  http://www.hcc.ca



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