AST RESEARCH DONATES $400,000 IN PCs TO HELP STUDENTS GET JOBS

IRVINE, Calif., September 7, 1993--As students start the new school year,
AST Research Inc. announced the donation of 400 powerful computers to a
national educational program, Vital Link, which prepares non-college-bound
high school students for the workplace. This significant donation, valued
at $400,000, comes at a time when many schools have been hit by tightened
budgets.

Vital Link is a four-year-old program that unites the business and
educational communities in developing more highly skilled entry-level
workers. Established in 1989 by the American Business Conference, a group
of 100 CEOs from fast-growing, mid-size companies across the nation, Vital
Link has pilot programs in Orange County, Calif.; Fort Worth, Texas; and
New Jersey.

"With this gift, AST has provided schools and businesses with the true link
that is the cornerstone of the Vital Link program," said KaWeen Jones,
chair of the Vital Link Orange County Steering Committee and vice
chancellor of university advancement at the University of California,
Irvine. "AST has been a leader in Vital Link planning since it began in
Orange County, and this generous gift shows both how far we have come and
the extent of the business community's support for this important
program."

A bill recently introduced to Congress, the School-to-Work Opportunities
Act of 1993 (S 1361, HR 2884), incorporates many of the principles upon
which Vital Link was founded:

* A link between business and education leaders
* A definition of the skills needed in the workplace
* Workplace mentoring
* A certificate or transcript that recognizes mastery of 
  specific job-related skills

In addition, President Clinton's Goals 2000: Educate America Act (HR 1804)
would establish a National Standards Board to oversee the creation of
industry-based standards, assessments and certifications.

"Our philosophy has always been to give back to the community," said Safi
Qureshey, AST president and chief executive officer. "We've maintained a
long-standing commitment to education in Orange County, and now, with our
acquisition of Tandy manufacturing in Fort Worth, we're extending that
same commitment to Fort Worth schools. "

Qureshey is a member of the Vital Link Orange County Steering Committee and
has been active in Vital Link since its inception in 1989 by ABC, of which
he is also a member.

Half of the 400 Intel 386-based systems donated by AST were given to Vital
Link Orange County, with the remaining 200 given Vital Link Fort Worth.

In Orange County where Vital Link is sponsored by the University of
California, Irvine and the Orange County Chamber of Commerce & Industry,
the AST systems will be distributed among the school district's 37 high
schools and continuation schools. The computers will be used to record
employability transcripts and for instructional purposes.

Vital Link's employability transcripts are similar to academic transcripts
used by colleges and universities. The difference is they are used to
quantify a student's employment potential, rather than acceptance into an
institute of higher education.

Students seeking employment can ask prospective employers to access their
employability transcripts to verify and reference information that
includes academic records, extracurricular activities, job experience,
attendance and the ability to work in groups. Also included are samples of
career-specific work performed by the student while in school.

"We all benefit from programs like Vital Link, " said Qureshey. "Businesses
get a better selection of employees and schools have more highly motivated
students who see a direct relationship between what they learn in the
classroom and what they'll need to know to get a job.

Deborah Boyer, Vital Link coordinator at Savanna High School in Anaheim, is
anxious to receive the five AST computers designated for her school. "It
will be wonderful. We've been keeping track of our Vital Link students'
progress manually. Now we can do that on the computer," said Boyer.

Vital Link Orange County plans to eventually install a hot-line number at
the Orange County Department of Education for businesses to receive a
faxed copy of employability transcripts.

The AST computers will also be used to run software that teaches students
how to fill out job applications, write a resume and other work-related
skills. In addition, students can use the computers to acquire competency
in software programs used in the workplace, such as word processing,
desktop publishing, spread sheets and data bases.

In Fort Worth, the Vital Link program is targeted at middle school
students, but emphasizes school-to-work skills at all levels of education.
The school district is soliciting proposals for use of up to six computers
per location. Proposals will be prepared as a collaborative effort by
students, teachers and the community. Distribution of the computers to any
of the district's 104 schools will be based on the merit of those
proposals.

Through its corporate contribution program, AST Research strongly supports
education, particularly grades Kindergarten through 12. Sharing its
financial success with the community, the company has donated more than $2
million in equipment to educational organizations during the last three
years.

Corporate Background

AST Research Inc., ranked 367 on the 1992 Fortune 500 list of America's
largest industrial companies, develops personal computer products with
technologies ranging from hand-held portable computers to superservers.

In July 1993, AST acquired Tandy Corp.'s PC manufacturing business. The
acquisition makes AST the No. 4 U.S. and No. 6 worldwide personal computer
company, according to the calendar year 1992 unit volume shipped data from
International Data Corp. These figures include AST, Tandy and GRiD brands
manufactured by AST.

AST's award-winning product lines include desktop, file server, notebook
and pen-enabled computers, marketed under the Advantage!, Bravo, Premmia,
Manhattan SMP, PowerExec, PenRight!, GRiD and Victor product names.

AST reported record year-end revenues of $1.412 billion for fiscal year
1993, ended July 3, 1993, compared to revenues of $944.1 million for the
prior year.

The company is represented in 100 countries and operates 41 international
subsidiaries and sales offices. AST's corporate headquarters is located at
16215 Alton Parhvay, P.O. Box 57005, Irvine, Calif. 92619-7005. Telephone:
(714) 727-4141, (800) 876-4278. Fax: (714) 727-9355.

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