Press Release
- 2002
ATI First to Release DirectX 9.0 Hardware and Software Total Solution
ATI's newest Radeon family and DirectX 9.0 bring cinematic quality graphics to the PC
Wednesday, November 13, 2002
MARKHAM, Ontario, - ATI Technologies Inc. (TSX:ATY, NASDAQ:ATYT)
today continued its commitment to deliver the most advanced,
high-quality graphics solutions with the release of a new
beta software driver supporting Microsoft® DirectX®
9.0 Release Candidate 0 (RC0) application program interface
(API). ATI's new driver, Catalyst® Beta Release Candidate
0 (BRC0), provides the industry's first support for Microsoft
DirectX 9.0 and enables end-users to take full advantage of
the most current hardware and software features, creating
a richer and more immersive 3D graphics experience.
ATI is the first and only accelerated graphics vendor to
currently provide game developers and hardware enthusiasts
with support for DirectX 9.0 through Radeon® 9700 PRO,
Radeon® 9500 PRO, Radeon® 9700 and Radeon®
9500 graphics chips. With products spanning from high-end
to the performance mainstream, ATI helps end-users extend
the lifespan of their accelerated graphics processors by delivering
next-generation performance and features to users, today.
"Today's beta driver release is further testament to
ATI's continued leadership in the graphics industry,"
said Rick Bergman, Senior Vice President & General Manager,
Desktop Business Unit, ATI Technologies Inc. "ATI and
Microsoft will continue to work closely together to develop
the necessary software resources to help end users enhance
their gaming and visual adventure."
"We're delighted that ATI is releasing a driver that
works with and benefits from our latest version of DirectX.
The combination of DirectX 9.0 and ATI's driver, Catalyst
Beta Release Candidate 0, will provide incredible levels of
gaming and cinematic realism," said Dean Lester, General
Manager Windows Graphics and Gaming Technologies, Microsoft
Corporation.
In the spirit of delivering visual and cinematic realism,
ATI is also releasing four demos - 'Pipedreams,' 'Rendering
with Natural Light,' 'Car,' and 'Bear' are the first publicly
available content to exercise the advanced performance capabilities
of DirectX 9. ATI's Catalyst Beta RC0 driver and the demos
are available for free download today at http://www.ati.com.
ATI's Catalyst Beta RC 0 driver will be submitted to Microsoft
Corp. for Windows' Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) certification
and incorporated into future releases of ATI's Catalyst suite
of unified graphics drivers.
Forward-looking Statements and Uncertainties
Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements." When used in this press release, words such as "plans," "intends," "anticipates," "should," "estimates," "expects," "believes," "indicates," "suggests," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and entail various risks and uncertainties that are outlined in this press release and in the Company's 2001 Annual Report and Annual Information Form. As a result of these risks and uncertainties, the Company's operating results and common share price may be subject to significant volatility, particularly on a quarterly basis. For example, the markets for the Company's products are characterized by changing market conditions, frequent new product introductions, seasonal and variable demand and rapid technology changes. Other factors that could cause the Company's results to vary include, but are not limited to, lack of anticipated growth in the demand for PCs, gaming consoles and consumer electronic devices in which the Company's products are incorporated, reductions in the Company's average selling prices for its products due to competitive pressures and other factors, the introduction of new products by the Company's competitors which render the Company's products non-competitive, delays encountered by the Company in developing new products or enhancements, including integrated graphics and core logic components, in the time frame required by its customers, delays in manufacturing or unfavourable manufacturing yields experienced by the Company's independent foundries, unexpected variances in material costs, including silicon wafer, memory and printed circuit boards, and constraints on the supply of components utilized in the Company's products and in the PC industry generally. These risks and uncertainties could cause or contribute to actual results that are materially different from those anticipated or experienced in the past. Additional information concerning factors that could cause the Company's financial results to fluctuate is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian and U.S. securities regulatory authorities. ATI disclaims any obligation or intention to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Copyright
2002 ATI Technologies Inc. All rights reserved. ATI and ATI
product and product feature names are trademarks and/or registered
trademarks of ATI Technologies Inc. All other company and product
names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective
owners. Features, pricing, availability and specifications are
subject to change without notice.
Contact Information
For media or industry analyst support, visit our Web site
at http://www.ati.com .
Other ATI Contacts:
Patricia Mikula, Public Relations Manager, Desktop and Workstation
Products, at (905) 882-2600, Ext. 8809 or pmikula@ati.com
For Information:
John Sajur, Senior Consultant, BenchMark Porter Novelli at
(416) 422-7173, or jsajur@bmporternovelli.com
For investor relations support, please contact:
Janet Craig, Director, Investor Relations, ATI Technologies
Inc., at (905) 882-2600, Ext. 2631 or jcraig@ati.com
