Facts from the N.Y. Times


Compaq to Buy Digital for $9.6 Billion in Biggest Computer Industry
Acquisition Ever

          Compaq Computer Corp. has agreed to acquire Digital Equipment
Corp. for $9.6 billion in cash and stock, in the biggest acquisition in the
history of the computer industry, the
          companies said Monday.

          Compaq, the largest supplier of personal computers in the world,
will issue about 150 million shares of common stock and pay $4.8 billion in
cash for Digital, a maker of computers
          and network systems.

          Under a definitive merger agreement, Digital shareholders will
receive $30 cash and about 0.945 share of Compaq common stock in exchange
for each share of Digital common
          stock. Terms of the agreement call for Digital to become a wholly
owned subsidiary of Compaq.

          Compaq said the deal should increase its earnings within a year,
Reuters reported. ``We are committed to ... investing in Digital's
strategic assets, particularly its worldwide service
          organization, as well as its 64-bit leadership with Alpha
microprocessors, OpenVMS, Digital UNIX and Windows NT enterprise systems,
open storage and software products,''
          Eckhard Pfeiffer, president and chief executive officer of
Compaq, said in a statement.

          Based in Houston, Compaq ranks fifth in the overall computer
industry with sales of $24.6 billion last year. Maynard, Mass.,-based
Digital had $13.1 billion in revenues last year.


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Charles Finley, Open-Ended Systems Corp
310-957-2200