TOOL FACTORY LAUNCHES MASSIVE LINE OF BEST-SELLING SOFTWARE INTO EDUCATION

East Dorset, VT, June 18, 2001 - The Tool Factory, Inc. 2001 catalog of educational software has just come off the presses. With its long-awaited publication, Tool Factory launches 109 tools, applications, and curriculum titles into K-12 education.

A Vermont-based company, Tool Factory, Inc. is distributing a line of innovative software products geared for learning, including best-selling multimedia tools from the United Kingdom and Scandinavia, a highly popular spelling program from Australia, and other hits from around the globe. Tool Factory's estimable partners include Granada Learning, Toshiba of America, GPC Learning Lab, Hoopers Multimedia, 4Mation, Sherston, Alega, The Productive Play Company, SCRAN, Launchpad Multimedia, Storm Educational Software, Palo/Haklar Multimedia, WorldSat International, Virtual Image, and Primal Pictures.

Each product presented in the 2001 catalog was carefully selected from a wide field of exceptional software, resulting in the cream-of-the-crop collection of titles in the Tool Factory line. American teachers and students played a crucial role in previewing the products, ensuring that each one will serve to reinforce the curriculum, and reinvigorate the classrooms of schools across the United States. When necessary, products have been adapted to conform to American conventions.

Many Tool Factory titles are already showing signs of stardom. For example, the award-winning Science Explorer series is receiving rave reviews from students and teachers alike. In these two titles, stunning 3D graphics and fascinating scientific information lead students through virtual museum galleries and laboratories full of interactive experiments and activities. The All About series also promises to be a favorite, especially in the special education market. The lively, colorful activities lead students through explorations of numbers, weather and seasons, materials, and themselves.

Tool Factory Workshop, dubbed "the most student-friendly office suite ever built," fills a long-neglected niche in elementary education. The suite earned the top-selling spot in UK elementary schools within 5 months of its launch. The Word Processor, Painter, Spreadsheet, and Database applications all use a consistent interface, and can be easily configured for any age level and ability. Tool Factory Workshop truly provides students and teachers with the tools they need to build a myriad of projects, compile and chart data, and complete creative projects in all the content areas.

Junior MultiMedia Lab and MultiMedia Lab empower kids to build stunning multimedia projects and presentations. Both programs work with drag-and-drop simplicity, and will have students creating animated stories and professional-quality presentations in no time. The MultiMedia Lab family has sold over 55,000 units in Scandinavia, and its American version is sure to be as impressive a hit in the United States. Yet another application featured in the Tool Factory catalog is the Oral Language Suite, an innovative program that allows teachers to monitor and evaluate students' foreign language skills as they converse and record dialog about fascinating photographs.

Top-selling titles such as Matti Mole's Summer Holiday, The Teacher's Cupboard, Number Train, and Number Plane have been received with the same level of enthusiasm in American schools that they have enjoyed throughout the United Kingdom. With these popular products, young learners journey into virtual worlds where reading and math come to life with the help of many animated characters.

As if this weren't enough, the Tool Factory catalog also announces a digital camera training workshop. Tool Factory has partnered with Toshiba to offer teachers a fun way to integrate technology into the curriculum. Tool Factory trainers show teachers how to use the digital camera, download images onto their computer, and then put Tool Factory multimedia software to work as they build presentations, book reports, magazines, and much more. The training is free for the price of the digital camera and software.

All the products presented in the 2001 catalog are featured on http://www.toolfactory.com where lesson plans and project ideas are posted regularly to help users take full advantage of Tool Factory's extensive line of software.

To showcase the catalog launch, Tool Factory will be exhibiting in booth #162 at the National Educational Computing Conference in Chicago, June 25th-27th.

About Tool Factory, Inc.

Tool Factory conducted an exhaustive search for unique educational software in various markets around the globe. Their flagship product line consists of 17 educational software tools that were handpicked by teachers for their innovative contribution to computer-based learning. Publishing alliances have been forged with Granada Learning, GPC Labs, and LaunchPad Multimedia. In addition, Tool Factory is distributing educational software for 13 other well-established publishers from English-speaking markets. Tool Factory's premier catalog is jam-packed with best-selling software, featuring over 100 CD-ROM products, plus Toshiba digital cameras, and training workshops. http://www.toolfactory.com

Tool Factory Media Contact:

Kendra Ericson, kendra@toolfactory.com, (802) 375-6549 x-201

Tool Factory, Inc., 3336 Sunderland Hill Rd., Sunderland, VT 05250, USA