X L R 8 P R E S S R E L E A S E

XLR8's Parent Company Interex
Acquired by Tripp Lite

Atlanta, GA - Today, XLR8, the award-winning leader in Macintosh
performance and peripherals, formally announced the purchase of its parent
company, Interex. Tripp Lite, a world leader in the manufacture of power
protection equipment, officially purchased the assets of Interex on April
14, 2000. Headquartered in Chicago, Tripp Lite plans to continue to operate
the Atlanta-based XLR8 as a separate division, allowing it the flexibility
to respond to the evolving needs of the Macintosh community.

Jack Kolk, General Manager of XLR8, commented on the purchase. "We have
been working with Tripp Lite over the last few months as the acquisition
was formalized. They are committed to expanding XLR8 and have already
funded ongoing R&D, prototypes, builds and continued operational growth.
This has allowed projects such as the Carrier 2.0 upgrade and the imminent
release of InterView 2.0 to progress rapidly. XLR8's Macintosh focused
product line nicely compliments Tripp Lite's existing PC based USB product
line."

XLR8 has garnered many awards from premiere Macintosh publications in its
various areas of expertise. Macworld magazine recently honored XLR8 for its
patent-pending Carrier ZIF Upgrade Adapter this past January with the
prestigious Eddy Award for the best Accelerator Product for 1999. Other
recent awards include MacHome Journal's Best Product of the Year for 1999
and MacToday's Editor's Choice Award for XLR8's InterView USB Video Capture
Device; and Photoshop User's "Hot Pick '99 and Macworld NY 199 " Best of
Show" for XLR8's MACh Carrier G3 Upgrade.

"With the financial strength of Tripp Lite, XLR8 is now positioned to
achieve an even greater presence in the Mac market," said Keelin Wyman,
Tripp Lite Executive Vice President.

Tripp Lite, founded in 1922, has built a reputation as the leader in power
protection solutions, including UPS systems, AC and dataline surge
suppressors, line conditioners, cable and connectivity products and network
management accessories. Tripp Lite will continue to market the Interex
brand and will move all Interex operations that were based in Wichita to
their Chicago facility.

For more information about XLR8, a complete information resource is
available at www.xlr8.com. Additional information about Tripp Lite and
Interex can be found on their websites: www.tripplite.com and
www.interex.com.

About XLR8

XLR8 products are available through computer superstores, mass merchants,
wholesale clubs, computer electronic superstores, wholesale distributors,
resellers and catalogs worldwide. XLR8 resellers and distributors include:
Comp USA, Dartek, Club Mac, Bottom Line Distributors, Cyberian Outpost,
Fry's Electronics, Ingram Micro, MacGurus, MacMall, MacSelect,
MacWarehouse, the MacZone, MicroCenter, Pinacor and OtherWorld Computing.

XLR8 brand products swept editorial reviews and awards in 1999 and continue
to do so in 2000. They continue to lead the Mac industry with superior
engineering, compatibility and performance. Product offerings include: the
MACh Speed G3/G3z/G4z, the MACh Carrier G3/G4, CarrierZIF, InterView, USB
Performance Package, Point&Scroll Mouse, DualPort USB, and IceView Hub with
USB Loadmeter. XLR8 maintains a full information resource center at
www.xlr8.com. All products are backed by the XLR8's Performance Trade-Up
Program, toll-free tech support at 800-513-9744

XLR8, One Meca Way, Norcross, GA 30093, 770-564-5682, 770-564-5675 fax