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Harman/Kardon Take Control Review
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HARMAN/KARDON INTRODUCES TAKE CONTROL TOUCHSCREEN SYSTEM CONTROLLER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 9, 1998 Harman Kardon Take Control

Developed In Conjunction with Microsoft, Take Control Unifies and Organizes the Control Of Electronic Products

WOODBURY, NY -- Harman Kardon is introducing Take Control to its dealers and the public at the 1998 CEDIA Expo in New Orleans. This unique new product uses touchscreen technology in combination with innovative software to let users simplify the operation of home entertainment systems - systems that combine an increasing number of complex products. Developed in conjunction with Microsoft® Corporation, Take Control is on display during the CEDIA Expo along with the entire range of Harman Kardon products in booth # 323.

"Harman Kardon has long been recognized as a leader in the creation of products that deliver superb sonic quality along with elegant design and ease of use," Tom McLoughlin, Harman Kardon President, explained. "In keeping with our promise to provide the "Power for the Digital Revolution," Take Control expands Harman Kardon's mandate beyond the delivery and reproduction of audio/video signals to their control and operation. After all, unless they are easily controlled and made accessible to the consumer, the most powerful sounds and images are wasted," continued McLoughlin.

"Thanks to the product and systems knowledge of Harman Kardon and the hardware and software expertise of Microsoft, Take Control enables consumers to combine virtually all of their infrared remote controls into one touchscreen device. More important, with Take Control the functions of those remotes are easily combined into unified activity screens that reflect the different ways consumers operate a home entertainment system. Take Control ends the tyranny of confusing remotes by providing a unified system controller that works the way people think. The combination of Harman Kardon and Microsoft has led to the creation of this unique product. Take Control delivers all the capabilities of costly system controllers at a price far below that of competitive products," McLoughlin concluded.

Take Control Combines Advanced Hardware Technologies and Software-Driven Flexibility for Ultimate Power and Performance
Take Control's flexibility is made possible by the use of a backlit, touchscreen LCD - which replaces the buttons found on conventional remotes-in combination with a unique scroll wheel that makes movement between screen menus and button presentations exceptionally easy. The power behind the hardware is Microsoft software that allows commands to be set up directly from the LCD touchscreen. Within minutes it is possible to program Harman Kardon's Take Control with the IR codes for popular home electronic products directly from the unit's comprehensive onboard library of IR remote codes. To accommodate new products, or those not in the library, Take Control has full IR-learning capabilities. However, unlike conventional remotes, Take Control's LCD screen and user-oriented software makes it easy to quickly transfer commands from a product's remote to Take Control.

Once Take Control is programmed to know which devices it will control, the power of the software becomes quite evident. Using simple Setup Wizards, the consumer is guided through a step-by-step process that enables individualized combinations of features and functions for all products being controlled. This reduces "button clutter" so that only user-designated control buttons are visible and nonessential buttons are hidden.

Called "activities," these combinations let a Take Control user operate a home theater system from a single touchscreen menu by presenting audio controls from an A/V receiver, video controls from a TV set or projector, channel selection from a cable box and transport controls from a VCR, DVD or LD player. Where conventional remotes require the user to constantly switch between the button patterns for each controlled device, Take Control greatly simplifies operation by presenting the custom-named "soft key" buttons directly on the touchscreen panel. In combination with the scroll wheel and discrete volume up/down buttons, Take Control provides maximum flexibility with a minimum of buttons.

PC Programming Capability Enhances Take Control's Flexibility
Take Control's power does not end with setup from the built-in, backlit, touchscreen. Using the Microsoft Windows® 95/98 or Windows NT® compatible software supplied with Take Control and a personal computer (x486 or higher), users may enhance the operation of Take Control for even greater flexibility.

When connected to a PC, Take Control's touchscreen buttons may be arranged, reprogrammed or custom named to reflect personal preferences. The software also permits the creation of macro commands so that the long grouping of button presses normally required to perform home entertainment system functions may be executed with the touch of one button. Multiple macros may be created and individually named so that the user may easily select them from Take Control's main menu using the scroll wheel. The "drop and drag" design of the software makes configuration fast and easy, even for the novice user.

In addition to creating macros and activities, the PC may also be used to store a complete copy of the unit's memory. This provides a backup capability previously available only in products costing vastly more than Take Control. The backup may also be used to program multiple Take Control units so that once a set of commands is established, additional Take Control units may quickly be programmed for operation in different locations within the home. Of course, the backup is key to quickly restoring all specialized command patterns in the event that a Take Control unit is lost or damaged.

Simple, Yet Powerful, System Control
Once Take Control has been configured, it is both powerful and simple to use. With the touch-screen serving as a palette to display only those buttons required for a specific activity, just four actual tactile buttons are required. Direct access is always available to volume up/down and mute, as well as to illuminate or dim the backlight. A "home" button is also available to instantly bring Take Control to the home menu for selection of another function. Complementing the four standard buttons is a unique scroll wheel developed by the same design team responsible for Microsoft's award-winning IntelliMouse® pointing devices. It lets users quickly move through the touchscreen selections, or surf through channels on a TV, VCR, satellite receiver or cable box. When the desired selection appears, a simple press activates the control.

Using either preprogrammed or custom configured activities such as "Watch TV," "Listen to a CD" or "Record a Show," only a single click of the scroll wheel is needed to activate the precise combination of buttons or commands needed to complete the desired task. In addition to these pre-programmed activities, any custom macro that has been previously programmed from Take Control's LCD screen or via a PC will be automatically activated, enabling multiple commands to be transmitted in the proper sequence with one tap of the touchscreen. Consumers no longer have to juggle remotes or identify command legends using a multipage manual. Each Take Control function is designed to present a clear display of required buttons.

When room lighting is dim, bright backlighting of the LCD screen is only a button press away. Also available is a built-in clock/timer, and an onboard speaker confirms commands with a programmable beep.

Take Control is carefully designed for long battery life, and onboard memory stores all programmed settings and remote codes so that they are once again available after replacing batteries.

Harman Kardon's Take Control includes the system controller, the CD-ROM software for computer programming, a special serial connection cable and batteries. Take Control will be available in late October from Harman Kardon dealers at a suggested retail price of $349.

About Harman Kardon
Harman Kardon is a part of the Harman Consumer Group (HCG), which includes the worldwide operations of Harman Kardon, JBL, Infinity and Madrigal Audio Laboratories, Inc. Harman International Industries, Incorporated (www.harman.com), is a leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of high-quality, high-fidelity audio products targeted primarily at the consumer, professional and OEM markets. The Company's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol: HAR.

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Harman Kardon is a registered trademark and Take Control is a trademark of Harman Kardon, Inc.

Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT and IntelliMouse are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S.A. and/or other countries.

For more information, color transparencies or electronic photo files, please call 516-682-3705.

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