Platforms That Address the Total Cost of PC Ownership. Today's IT managers recognize that there is more to owning a PC than just the one-time cost of buying the hardware. In fact, over three-fourths of the costs come from the other activities required to support, administer and maintain a PC. Moving to reliable and manage-able operating systems like Windows NT and Windows 95 is one way businesses are addressing this, and the Pentium Pro processor offers great performance for these environments. In addition, Pentium Pro processor-based platforms take advantage of the latest management tools and features: Universal Serial Bus (USB) connectors to simplify the process of adding new peripherals, hardware monitors to regulate conditions in the PC, software instrumentation to allow access to system information from remote or local sites, and "hooks" that tie these capabilities to tools that span the entire network infrastructure. By buying the best capabilities available today -- performance, audio, graphics, management, USB -- businesses can satisfy the ever-increasing demands of end-users without the high costs incurred while touching the box later.

Value for the Mainstream User. Pentium Pro processor-based systems are available in a wide range of configurations and price points to satisfy all types of business users. With next generation systems, featuring next generation components like PCIsets and motherboards adding to the mix, PC vendors continue to offer the best in price/performance -- adding more performance for only a few hundred dollars more than the fastest Pentium processor systems.