Net Blaster to give high-speed sound

The maker of the Sound Blaster, Creative Technology, will turn its attention to the Internet at the PC Expo trade show in New York this week with the announcement of a Plug-and-Play modem that can transmit data at 33.6 kbps.

The modem will come bundled with an extensive software package to make Internet access easier for beginners for an estimated price of $129. Several other companies already offer a 33.6-kpbs modem, but Creative is betting that its dominance of the sound card market will help it capture attention in this high end of the modem market.

Internet Blaster will come with the Microsoft Internet Explorer browser, Netspeak Webphone Internet phone, the SoftQuad HotMetal Light Web authoring software, and fax software from CompuServe's SpryNet will be bundled as well. Create is also offering to host 5MB of space on a Web server if Blaster users want to create their own home pages.

Creative says the Internet Blaster will be available at retail outlets by the end of June.

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