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For more information, contact: A&R Partners for Be, Incorporated Lisa Auslen, 650/762-2805 lauslen@arpartners.com In Europe: Be Incorporated Marie-Francoise Lelong-Weinberg, +33 (0)1 55 91 77 36 mflelong@beeurope.com Be Incorporated Announces Support for Compaq Computer Internet Appliances Compaq to Offer Internet Appliances Equipped with BeIA as Part of Affinity Partner Program MENLO PARK -- Aug. 16, 2000 -- Be Incorporated (Nasdaq: BEOS) today announced its support for new Internet appliances introduced by Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE: CPQ) in New York on August 15. Compaq will market Internet appliances equipped with BeIA, Be's software platform for Internet appliances, to a variety of industries. The combination of Compaq's award- winning hardware and Be's flexible, high-performance software platform will enable Internet service providers, financial services firms, e-commerce companies and other affinity partners to enhance and extend their customer relationships through dedicated, branded devices. Compaq and Be will make announcements regarding BeIA-equipped versions of Compaq's Internet appliances in conjunction with affinity partners closer to first customer shipment. Announced in February of this year, BeIA is a software platform for Internet appliances featuring a comprehensive Web browser from Opera Software, support of streaming media such as RealNetworks' RealPlayer, personalJava from Sun Microsystems and key plug-ins such as Macromedia Flash. With this robust set of features, BeIA remains a lightweight solution, requiring less than 7 megabytes of persistent storage, compared to competitive offerings that require 16, 32 or even 64 megabytes. BeIA's user interface is completely customizable using HTML, JavaScript, Flash and other standards, enabling licensees to use existing content and off-the-shelf tools to create highly specific and branded experiences for their customers. ``With the introduction of Compaq's elegant new Internet appliances, the company is once again demonstrating its leadership in providing pervasive access to the Internet,'' commented Jean-Louis Gassee, Be's chairman and chief executive officer. ``Combined with BeIA, these appliances will be not only highly functional but also adaptable to the needs of affinity partners around the world. The era of one interface serving the needs of all customers like the Model T, which was available in any color, so long as it was black is coming to an end.'' ``BeIA is the perfect solution for our affinity partner program,'' stated Jim Ganthier, Director and General Manager Interconnected Products Group, Compaq Computer Corporation. ``Its high performance and minimal system requirements make the best use of our hardware, while its unmatched flexibility enables our affinity partners to ship devices tailored to their customers' needs.'' About the BeIA Internet Appliance Platform Be has developed a system foundation and architecture for the emerging Internet appliance segment. At the basis of Internet appliances lies a critical need for exceptional media handling, unfaltering stability, and broad application flexibility. BeOS has won critical acclaim in these areas, and the company has extended this core technology for this emerging class of devices. Building on the strength of BeOS, and teaming with key companies such as Compaq, Be's new application system foundation is intended to offer a complete development and application platform for a wide range of Internet appliances. About Compaq Compaq Computer Corporation, a Fortune Global 100 company, is the largest supplier of computing systems in the world. Compaq designs, develops, manufactures and markets hardware, software, solutions, and services, including industry-leading enterprise computing solutions, fault-tolerant business- critical solutions, and communications products, commercial desktop and portable products, and consumer PCs. About Be Incorporated Founded in 1990, Be Incorporated creates software platforms that enable rich media and Web experiences on personal computers and Internet appliances. Be's headquarters are in Menlo Park, California, and its European office is in Paris, France. It is publicly traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol BEOS. Be can be found on the Web at http://www.be.com. Be Incorporated Forward-Looking Statements The statements contained in this Press Release that are not historical facts are ``forward-looking statements'' including without limitation plans for product development and release, future availability and performance of Internet appliances and third party applications, market penetration and market acceptance of BeIA, and the benefit of such products to customers, appliance manufacturers and developers. Actual events or results may differ materially as a result of risks facing Be Incorporated or actual results differing from the assumptions underlying such statements. Such risks and assumptions include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties related to product development, continued availability of third party devices and applications, our ability to establish and maintain strategic relationships, the competition and market acceptance of BeIA, and our ability to meet customer and developer demands. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by the ``Risk Factors'' and other cautionary statements included in Be Incorporated's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999, and other public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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