JOINT RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Macworld and MacTech Team Up on Awards

SAN FRANCISCO, CA and WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA -- SEPTEMBER 17, 1997 -- Joining
together to recognize the industry's finest, Macworld Magazine and MacTech
Magazine have agreed to jointly present a new set of awards for Macintosh
developer tools. Macworld Magazine, which now incorporates MacUser
Magazine, will also give out about 30 awards for best products in a variety
of Mac product and technology categories. The event will take place at the
annual Editors Choice Awards (Eddies) ceremony in January at the Macworld
Expo.

Macworld and MacTech will present four awards for best Macintosh
development tools. Winners will be chosen by MacTech editors and
contributors based upon such factors as innovation, design, versatility,
contributions within the industry's current standards, and impact upon the
developer community. Submissions for these awards should be sent via email
with product name and description, contact information, including URL to
awards@mactech.com by November 1, 1997.

Macworld Magazine will also give out about 30 awards for best products in a
variety of Mac product and technology categories. Shipping products
reviewed by Macworld and MacUser by November 1, 1997, are automatically
eligible for the Eddies; there is no need to submit products separately
from the magazines' standard reviews process. In addition to the product
awards in specific categories, Macworld will also give out several World
Class Awards for overarching products and technologies, such as product of
the year and best new technology.

"MacTech Magazine has been a catalyst for airing Macintosh developers'
issues, and Macworld is proud to partner with MacTech's team to recognize
the tools that make Macintosh product innovation possible," says Colin
Crawford, president and CEO of Mac Publications, L.L.C., which publishes
Macworld Magazine.

"Both Macworld and MacUser have each had excellent awards programs for the
community. Today, we have the best of both worlds with them being
combined," says Neil Ticktin, publisher of MacTech Magazine. "We're honored
to partner with Macworld, and to give developer tools the visibility they
deserve."

Corporate Backgrounds:

Mac Publications, L.L.C., is a joint venture of International Data Group
and Ziff-Davis, uniting the two computer publishing leaders in the Apple
Macintosh computing platform market. The new operation strengthens its
Mac-oriented brands, offering a pair of publications: Macworld
incorporating MacUser (http://www.macworld.com) as a single monthly title
and MacWeek (http://www.macweek.com) as the weekly publication for this
market. Mac Publications L.L.C. is based in San Francisco.

Xplain Corporation publishes MacTech Magazine (http://www.mactech.com), the
MacTech CD-ROM series, THINK Reference, operates DevDepot
http://www.devdepot.com, and provides custom publishing and trade show
services. Founded in 1984, the company has its offices in Westlake Village,
California. MacTech Magazine was formerly called MacTutor and began
publishing in November, 1984. For more information on Xplain Corporation or
any of its products/services, call the main offices at 805-494-9797, fax at
805-494-9798, send an e-mail to info@xplain.com, or send snail mail to PO
Box 5200, Westlake Village, CA 91359-5200, USA.

Headquartered in Boston, IDG informs more people worldwide about
information than any other company in the world. With annual revenues of
$1.7 billion, IDG is the global provider of IT media, research,
conferences, and expositions, publishing more than 285 computer
publications and 500 book titles in 80 countries, producing more than 90
technology-related events, and operating more than 140 Web sites worldwide.

Ziff-Davis, a Softbank company, is the leading provider of special-interest
content about computers and the Internet. The quality and quantity of this
content attracts the largest and most powerful audience of early adopters
and opinion leaders in both the business and consumer markets. Ziff-Davis
enables advertisers to reach this audience effectively and efficiently
through an integrated system on online, television, and print media.

Contacts:

Sharon Sanderson
Mac Publications, LLC
415-978-3258
ssanderson@macworld.com

Susan Whitney
MacTech Magazine
805-494-9797 x105
marketing@mactech.com