Available now, the new VIA EPIA M Mini-ITX mainboard delivers digital media applications and PC functionality in a compact, low power consumer electronics form factor

Taipei, Taiwan, 26 November 2002 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator and developer of silicon chip technologies and PC platform solutions, today announced the worldwide availability of the VIA EPIA M-Series Mini-ITX mainboard, the smallest, most highly-integrated, and lowest power platform for the emerging new generation of innovative lifestyle products featuring full PC functionality and consumer electronics design values.

"The challenge for the industry is to capitalize on the popularity of digital media applications and combine x86 computing technology with consumer electronics functionality and aesthetics to serve the living room," said Richard Brown, Director of Marketing at VIA Technologies, Inc. "The VIA EPIA M is the first x86 platform that meets this challenge, delivering optimized digital media application performance in a highly connected, space saving, and quiet form factor that enables the development of exciting new products that merge traditional computing power with the style and functionality appropriate to the living space."

VIA EPIA M-Series Mini-ITX Mainboard: Dream Catalyst

Optimized for digital audio and video applications - the new “killer apps” of the digital home - the VIA EPIA M-Series incorporates the advanced VIA Apollo CLE266 chipset with an integrated hardware MPEG2 decoder for silky smooth DVD playback, six-channel audio for a rich surround sound experience, and USB2.0 and 1394 ports for fast and easy connectivity to all the latest digital media peripheral devices such as digital cameras and digital camcorders. It also comes with a choice of low power x86 processors, the VIA C3 E-Series or fanless VIA Eden ESP, eliminating the need for large, loud and power-hungry coolers, as well as support for up to 1GB high-bandwidth DDR266 SDRAM - all on a highly integrated platform that measures only 17cm x 17cm.

“The EPIA M provides the dream catalyst for taking the PC platform into the living room, empowering system designers and digital media enthusiasts alike to build innovative new systems that will meet the technical, ergonomic and aesthetic requirements of the largely untapped market for lifestyle devices,” said Wenchi Chen, President and CEO of VIA Technologies, Inc. “It contains proven technology that offers enormous flexibility, yet is affordable enough to form the basis of a whole range of connected digital media devices.”

“Usage patterns have shown that watching DVD movies, listening to music and connecting to personal entertainment devices have quickly become very popular computing applications,” said Dr. Jon Peddie, president of Jon Peddie Research, the leading market research firm in multimedia and graphics. “By optimizing the EPIA M platform for these key applications, VIA is aiming to get PC functionality into the living room and win new customers across the consumer electronics space.”

About the VIA EPIA M-Series Mini-ITX Mainboard

The VIA EPIA M-Series Mini-ITX Mainboard is a revolutionary 17cm x 17cm platform optimized for today’s killer digital video and audio applications, and is fully compatible with Microsoft® and Linux-based operating systems. Available with an embedded VIA Eden™ ESP processor core for fanless, ultra-quiet systems, or an embedded VIA C3™ E-Series processor for more demanding digital multimedia applications, the EPIA M-Series is the perfect platform for a whole range of small form factor, low-power digital media devices and home entertainment centers.

Featuring the new VIA Apollo CLE266 chipset with embedded MPEG-2 decoder and a new integrated 2D/3D graphics core, the VIA EPIA M-Series platform provides smooth DVD playback and a rich overall entertainment experience. With the sizable memory bandwidth of DDR266 SDRAM and the high data transfer speeds of ATA/133, the VIA EPIA M-Series ensures the high performance levels required of today’s most popular digital media and productivity applications. The user’s digital media experience is further enhanced by support for 5.1 surround sound, courtesy of the onboard VIA VT1616 6 Channel AC’97 codec.

The latest in high-bandwidth connectivity is supported with IEEE 1394 and USB 2.0 connections provided, as well as S-Video and RCA TV-Out (NTSC & PAL) and 10/100 Ethernet for seamless broadband connectivity. The VIA EPIA M-Series also offers support for the latest LVDS embedded LCD panels, has one PCI slot for expandability options, and is compatible with a full range of Mini-ITX chassis as well as FlexATX and MicroATX enclosures.

Further information on the VIA EPIA M-Series Mini-ITX mainboard may be found at:

http://www.viavpsd.com/product/epia_m_spec.jsp?motherboardId=81.

Maturing Infrastructure for the Mini-ITX Platform

The Mini-ITX infrastructure is falling into place as more attractive, small footprint and low noise Mini-ITX cases and barebones PCs as well as complete systems become available every day. Stylish cases from manufacturers including Casetek, CoolerMaster, G-Alantic, Morex, and Bleu Jour from France would be in place in the living room as well as the office.

At the same time, an increasing number of system developers are bringing the flexibility and features of the VIA EPIA Mini-ITX mainboard to the consumer through a whole new generation of exciting designs, such as digital entertainment devices, barebones PCs and servers. Several creative products by leading developers that are driving system design innovation can be found at the VIA website at:

<http://www.via.com.tw/en/VInternet/ppp.jsp>.



VIA EPIA M-Series Pricing and Availability

The VIA EPIA M-Series Mini-ITX mainboard is available now through VPSD global distribution partners. The target retail price for both the VIA EPIA M9000 and the VIA EPIA ME6000 is below US$200. For further details please visit our website <http://www.viavpsd.com>.



About VIA Platform Solutions Division

VPSD brings to market a wide selection of VIA branded products and platforms for building high-performance PCs, workstations and servers, as well as facilitating the rapid development of an exciting new generation of desktop and mobile Information PCs, Information Servers, and Information Stations in line with VIA's "Total Connectivity" vision. Products offered by VPSD include a complete line of high performance mainboard solutions based on the industry-leading VIA Apollo P4X400, P4X266E, and P4M266 chipsets, and the innovative new VIA EPIA mainboard based on the ultra compact mini-ITX form factor. Detailed product information about the complete VPSD product line is available at the VPSD website at http://www.viavpsd.com <http://www.viavpsd.com/>.

About VIA Technologies, Inc.

VIA Technologies, Inc. is a leading innovator and developer of PC core logic chipsets, microprocessors, and multimedia, communications, optical media and networking chips. VIA delivers value to the PC industry by designing, marketing, and selling high-performance VIA Apollo core logic chipsets for the full range of PC platforms, and cost-effective VIA C3™ processors for Value PCs and Internet Appliances, as well as developing complete solutions for the PC platform through its VPSD Business Unit. Its customers include the world's top OEMs, mainboard manufacturers, and system integrators. VIA is headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, at the center of the Greater China high-tech manufacturing engine, and has branch offices in the US, China and Europe. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE2388), and achieved annual revenues of nearly US$1 billion in 2001. Additional information can be found at the Company’s website at: http://www.via.com.tw.