Be Incorporated and Echo Corporation Break Through Audio Performance Barrier

RELEASED May 27, 1999

For more information contact:

Be, Inc.
Sylvie Pelaprat sylvie@be.com
+1 (650) 462-4113

CHEN PR
Shelly Eckenroth or Mary Leddy
+1 (650) 357-8749

In Europe:
Jean Calmon, jcalmon@beeurope.com
+33-1-55-91-7731

Be Incorporated and Echo Corporation Break Through Audio Performance Barrier
Multi-channel Audio Hardware Support Added to Be Operating System Improves PC Audio Performance by 800 Percent over Competing Platforms

MENLO PARK, Calif., May 26, 1999 - Be Incorporated, developer of the digital media Be Operating System (BeOS®) for desktop computers and Internet appliances, today announced that it has expanded its audio driver capabilities through a development partnership with audio technology leader Echo Corporation.

Digital media producers using Echo's popular Layla, Darla, and Gina multi-channel audio peripherals and BeOS will experience unprecedented levels of performance with their multi-tracking audio software. Each product offers multiple 20-bit analog input and output; Layla and Gina give users additional flexibility with digital input and output. Echo will bring 24-bit, 96k audio capabilities to their products in Q3 1999.

"We are pleased to be teaming up with Echo Corporation to further expand our strength in the audio arena and solidify our position as the audio professional's choice," said Jim Rippie, audio evangelist at Be Incorporated. "As our software portfolio grows, users of Echo's acclaimed digital audio recording products will experience ground-breaking responsiveness and performance in BeOS audio applications."

Audio editing software written for BeOS allows users to reap the full benefits of audio hardware on modern PCs. BeOS has an intrinsic understanding of fundamental professional audio concepts like synchronization and timecode, allowing an unprecedented degree of hardware and software cooperation. The software combined with BeOS gives users robust, real-time editing capabilities even when users are working on multiple audio tracks with low levels of latency impossible to achieve with other mainstream operating systems.

High latencies cause delays between a user's actions and the audible result, making software feel sluggish and unmusical. Because BeOS offers vastly improved latencies over the competition, it's a perfect match for demanding users. Echo is able to measure latencies of 3 milliseconds, almost too small to be perceived, with their audio drivers and BeOS. Audio drivers for other platforms, like Windows MME, offer performance no better than 550 milliseconds. Even proprietary solutions that work around platform limitations, like Echo's ASIO drivers, are able to deliver latencies no better than 25 milliseconds. BeOS allows Echo to provide a quantum leap in performance.

"BeOS has emerged as the superior media operating system for audio production," said Matt Gonzalez, vice president of software development at Echo Corporation. "With other operating systems, we find ourselves spending an enormous amount of time trying to make the legacy technology do things that it was not designed to handle. The developers at Be Incorporated clearly understand the audio market and designed an operating system that meets the unique needs of audio professionals. The result of Echo and Be Incorporated working together is a win-win for consumers in that they now can get better performance out of our hardware."

# # #

Be and BeOS are registered trademarks of Be Incorporated. Other brand product names are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective holders. All rights reserved.