Microsoft, Simon & Schuster and Barnes & Noble Team Up To Offer 15 "Star Trek" Titles Free for Download For the Microsoft Reader on the Pocket PC

Microsoft, Simon & Schuster and Barnes & Noble Team Up To Offer 15 "Star Trek" Titles Free for Download For the Microsoft Reader on the Pocket PC

Pocket PC Users Invited to Download Bestselling Simon & Schuster Titles From barnesandnoble.com

NEW YORK, May 23, 2000 — Fifteen popular titles based on the "Star Trek" television series are now available free for immediate download on barnesandnoble.com for users of Microsoft® Reader on the Pocket PC (connect-time charges may apply).

Simon & Schuster, Microsoft and bn.com are teaming up to offer the eBooks on a limited-time basis for users of the Pocket PC. The offering represents the first set of eBook titles outside the public domain to be made available for Microsoft Reader on the Pocket PC. According to Dick Brass, vice president of Technology Development at Microsoft, the timeless titles will give book lovers a taste of how reading will increasingly be enjoyed in the 21st century.

"It is only appropriate that a collection of popular and best-selling" Star Trek "titles is leading the way to the future of reading," Brass said. "Although this is just a preview program targeted at Pocket PC users, Trekkers and book lovers alike will completely experience the remarkable convenience of reading a good book on the Pocket PC."

Owners of Pocket PC devices from Hewlett-Packard Co. and Casio Computer Company Ltd. can download the eBooks from http://www.bn.com/pocketpc/ for a limited time only. (Compaq Computer Corp. will also be offering a Pocket PC later this year.)

The "Star Trek" offering is composed of titles based on the original "Star Trek" series, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." Each will be represented by the first five books to be published in the series.

"This offering in partnership with Microsoft reflects Simon & Schuster's strong commitment to advancing the state of the art in publishing," said Jack Romanos, president and COO, Simon & Schuster. " Enabling access to eBooks in a connected world, in which consumers have the power to instantly enjoy reading while on the go, is a key part of our strategy.

"Simon & Schuster has been at the forefront in ePublishing, and we are delighted that our initial offerings for the Pocket PC should come from" Star Trek, "the best-selling series in the history of publishing," Romanos said.

Simon & Schuster helped to catapult the eBook from curiosity to mainstream phenomenon earlier this year with the publication of Stephen King's story, "Riding the Bullet," exclusively in electronic form. The company enhances its position as a premier eBook publisher with the release of the "Star Trek" titles for the Pocket PC.

"The new eBooks are available exclusively on the Pocket PC eBooks section of bn.com, and they reflect bn.com's commitment to being an early provider of eBooks utilizing state-of-the-art technology, in addition to making books, music, software, magazines and related products readily available to consumers everywhere," said Steve Riggio, vice chairman of barnesandnoble.com llc.

"The Pocket PC is a truly remarkable device that offers an unparalleled reading experience for knowledge workers and others, thanks to Microsoft Reader," Riggio said. "We are happy to be offering Pocket PC customers the opportunity to download these terrific eBooks at no cost, simply by visiting our new Pocket PC eBook store at bn.com and providing a unique identifying number. It's fast and easy, and it will provide some great content for Pocket PC owners."

The creation of a new Microsoft Reader section on bn.com represents a milestone in the relationship between bn.com and Microsoft that was announced in January. The two companies are joining to build an eBook superstore using Microsoft Reader software that will provide bn.com's millions of customers with access to thousands of eBook titles for Microsoft Reader. The site will expand and evolve as more titles become available.

The eBooks made available today help meet a growing demand for eBook titles for Microsoft Reader, which consumers saw for the first time with the release of the Pocket PC in April. However, while the new titles will provide hours of enjoyment for Pocket PC owners, they offer a mere hint of what's coming for eBook lovers, according to Brass.

Microsoft Reader currently ships with the Pocket PC and is scheduled to be available at no charge for other platforms in mid-2000.

For the latest Star Trek news and information, visit the official Internet home of Star Trek at http://www.startrek.com/ .

About Simon & Schuster

Simon & Schuster, the publishing operation of Viacom Inc., is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed and multimedia formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Trade Publishing, Pocket Books, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, Simon & Schuster New Media, Simon & Schuster Online, Simon & Schuster U.K. and Simon & Schuster Australia. For more information about Simon & Schuster, visit our Web site at http://www.simonsays.com/ .

About Microsoft

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