FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- Contact: John Jainschigg 718-545-2900 GEnie: EXPLORER CIS:76704,1616 Ron Kovacs 908-968-2024 GEnie: Z-NET CIS:75300,1642 Bob Brodie 408-745-2052 GEnie: BOB-BRODIE CIS:70007,3240 April 24, 1992 - Atari Explorer Announces New Online Magazine! Sunnyvale, CA.- Atari Corporation and Rovac Industries are proud to announce a brand new online magazine for the Atari Community: Atari Explorer Online. Atari Explorer Magazine, the Official Atari Journal, is now extending its coverage of all things Atari to the online scene, as well. The first issue of the Explorer Online is set for May 1, 1992, and the magazine will appear biweekly, thereafter. "Explorer Online will team up some of the finest journalists in the Atari Community!" said John Jainschigg, Publisher. "We're excited to be able to offer such a quality product to our many customers. The goal of Explorer Online will be to serve the needs of all Atari users: Portfolio, Lynx, ST/TT, and 8 bit. All of Explorer's regular contributors will be represented in Explorer Online: from music experts like Craig Anderton, to Portfolio Wizards like BJ Gleason. And we are actively soliciting contributions, both to the online magazine, and to our regular, bimonthly print edition. We want to make Explorer Online a solid resource for the whole Atari community." Atari has teamed up with Ron Kovacs, publisher of the Z*Net Newswire and Z*Net Online Magazines, to produce Atari Explorer Online. "When we decided that we wanted to do an online magazine, it just didn't make sense to completely re-invent the wheel," stated Bob Brodie, Atari's Director of Communications. "In the online Atari community, Z*Net has set the standard for quality and accurate reporting, and it only made sense to invite them to participate in this new venture. Ron Kovacs and John Nagy are among the finest, most dedicated journalists on the Atari scene today. The entire Z*Net staff will be part of the new team at Atari Explorer Online. We're very excited that they have chosen to join us in making Explorer Online the best it can be." The start of Atari Explorer Online also signals the end of the Z*Net Online magazine for the Atari ST Community. Current plans call for Kovacs' firm, Rovac Industries, to continue to publish their popular Z*Net PC, and Z*Magazine publications. "While there is a certain sense of loss with Z*Net discontinuing, we're very excited that Atari has invited us to be a part of this exciting new venture" said Ron Kovacs, Editor-in-Chief of Atari Explorer Online. "Atari Explorer is one of the finest magazines on the market, and it's very flattering to our efforts that Atari has chosen us to help them with their online magazine." "When Explorer Publisher John Jainschigg came to me with an idea for a new online magazine, there was no question that we were going to need some outside help. And it was an easy choice to decide where that help should come from. Week in, week out, Z*Net has provided the latest news to the Atari Community for years. Indeed, Z*Net has experienced growth over the years. They have the experience in launching new online publications, like the original ST-Report, ST*ZMagazine, and Z*Net PC. Additionally Z*Net's Atari News Service has appeared in print publications world-wide including: STart Magazine, ST-World Magazine, ST-Informer, ST-Journal, ST-Express, AtariUser, Current Notes, and Germany's PD Journal now Atari Journal. It really just made sense from every side that we considered to ask them to be involved," stated Brodie." AEO will be distributed worldwide on major information services and networks. Atari Explorer Online will carry up-to-the-minute reports on hot topics in the Atari market: from trade shows to new product announcements. Explorer Online will give you the facts you need to make the most of your Atari investment. Utilities and Atari PD releases, new product demos, product and dealer databases, and other interactive offerings will round out the publication, making Atari Explorer Online the best in online journalism today!! END # # # #