How many REX and REX PRO PDAs were sold by Franklin Electonics up
until the product was sold to Xircom (which was then acquired by
Intel)?  Approximate years would be 1998 to 2000 or 2001.  One
possible  source for this info would be Franklin Electronics financial
reports.

---

Request for Question Clarification by bobbie7-ga on 18 Sep 2003 21:48 PDT

Hello Iswhatis-ga,


In September 1997, Franklin Electronics began to sell the REX PC
Companion line of products, a computer companion product that
downloads a user's personal information, such as schedules, names,
addresses and phone numbers, from a PC. In September 1999, the Company
sold the REX product line to Xircom, Inc.

Although I didn’t uncover the exact number of REX products that were
sold, I did locate the sales data in dollars for the REX product line
for the fiscal years ending March 31 2000, March 31 1999 and March 31
1998.

The above data would be valuable in calculating the total number of
Rex Products sold until its sale to Xircom in 1999.

If the sales data information for the REX product line interests you,
please let me know through the clarification feature and I will post
my findings as the official answer.

Thanks,
Bobbie7

---

Request for Question Clarification by bobbie7-ga on 18 Sep 2003 22:42 PDT

Iswhatis-ga, 

I failed to mention that the sales data I mentioned previously was
taken from Franklin Electronic Publishing’s Sec filings Annual Report.

In addition I have located February 1999 street prices for the
following REX products. These prices were published at the Franklin
Electronic Publishers Website in February 1999.

REX PRO5-DS
REX-3-DS
REX-3
REX-1  
REX-3-CE 
REX-1-CE 

--Bobbie7

---

Clarification of Question by iswhatis-ga on 19 Sep 2003 22:46 PDT

Hi bobbie7-ga,
That info would indeed be of interest.  Any chance you could throw in
pricing information to help me do at least a rough conversion to
units?  If so, we can consider this answered.
Thanks,
-Roy

---

Clarification of Question by iswhatis-ga on 19 Sep 2003 22:47 PDT

Ah, I just noticed that you DO have pricing info.  That's great --
those together are sufficient.  Do you happen to know if the data is
broken down into the two versions?  That would be ideal.

Hello again Roy,


In response to your clarification, that you would consider your
question answered with the figures and the pricing information that I
located, I am providing the following data to you. Unfortunately this
information is not broken down into the two versions.

The following is taken from FRANKLIN ELECTRONIC PUBLISHERS INC 
FORM 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2000 - Commission File
Number 0-14841
                   

Personal Computer Companion Products
 
“In September 1997, the Company began to sell the REX PC Companion
line of products, a computer companion product that downloads a user's
personal information, such as schedules, names, addresses and phone
numbers, from a PC. In September 1999, the Company sold the REX
product line to Xircom, Inc.”


The following table shows Rex Product sales for the three fiscal
years.

----------------------------------------------------------
                                          March 31,
                                 -------------------------
                                   2000     1999     1998
                                 ------- -------- --------

Product Sales      (millions)
-----------------------------------------------------------
Referente  ...................... $69,202 $ 72,164 $ 79,033
Rolodex Electronics..............  18,348   13,778   11,055
REX................................ 6,143   15,673   10,152
Rocket eBook.....................   1,764      --       --
Other............................     965    2,178      --
------------------------------------------------------------
Total Sales...................... $96,422  $103,793 $100,240
------------------------------------------------------------


“In September 1999 the Company sold its REX product line for $13,250
and the assumption of related liabilities. The Company realized a gain
of $8,072 on the sale. The assets sold consisted primarily of
inventory with a carrying value of approximately $5,000 and the
Company's trademarks, copyrights, contract rights and other assets
used in connection with the REX business.”

Hoover’s: Filings for Franklin Electronic Publishing Inc.
http://www.hoovers.com/free/co/secdoc.xhtml?ipage=1162589&doc=0&attach=on



According to a Franklin Electronic Publishers Press Release, the Rex
Pro was launched in September 1998.

“BURLINGTON, NJ, September 8, 1998 - The world's smallest organizer
now offers data entry! Franklin Electronic Publishers and Starfish
announced today REX™ PRO -- the next generation REX device. The new
Franklin REX PRO PC-Card Organizer offers a significant new feature
for "road warriors" -- the ability to enter and edit data directly on
the device. REX PRO allows mobile professionals to view, enter or edit
appointments, contact information, to do's, and memos on the go, using
the Starfish SuperKey® Light Data Entry System.”

“REX PRO follows the highly successful REX PC Companion -- the world's
smallest and lightest organizer that broke ground as the first product
of its kind to incorporate an organizer on the PCMCIA form factor.”

“The Estimated Street Price for REX PRO is $229.95. REX PC Companion
(REX-3) prices will now start at $99.”


Source: Franklin Electronics Publishers Inc.

http://web.archive.org/web/19990222010532/www.franklin.com/news/arch98/sep08.html



----------------------------------------------------------


FRANKLIN ELECTRONIC PUBLISHERS INC 
10-K filed on 07/12/1999

“In 1997, the Company began shipments of its first personal computer
companion product, the REX/R/ PC Companion, a credit card-sized device
that downloads information from a personal computer ("PC").

(..)

In the 1999 fiscal year, the Company expanded the REX line through
improved software functionality with the REX PRO PC companion product,
which allows the user to enter data directly on the device, rather
than through the PC and provides for synchronization directly to
popular software packages.”


----------------------------------------------------------



By using the Wayback machine to access archived copies of the Franklin
Electronic Publishers website I was able to obtain pricing information
for the Rex Product line.


REX PRO5-DS
Price - $239.95 http://web.archive.org/web/19990210180848/www.franklin.com/rex/rexpro5ds/rexpro5ds.asp


REX-3-DS
Place Order - $139.95
http://web.archive.org/web/19990302062527/www.franklin.com/rex/rex3ds/rex3ds.asp


REX-3
Price - $109.95 http://web.archive.org/web/19990209085731/www.franklin.com/rex/rex3/rex3.asp


REX-1  
Price - $99.95
http://web.archive.org/web/19990204013917/www.franklin.com/rex/rex1/rex1.asp


REX-3-CE 
Price - $89.95
http://web.archive.org/web/19990209160158/www.franklin.com/rex/rex3ce/rex3ce.asp


REX-1-CE  
Price - $69.95
http://web.archive.org/web/19981203163939/www.franklin.com/rex/rex1ce/rex1ce.asp


----------------------------------------------------------


1997 Franklin Electronic Publishers Press Release:

“Estimated street prices are: REX-1 $129.95, REX-3 $149.95, and
REX-3-DS (bundled with REX Docking Station) $179.95. The REX Docking
Station is also offered separately with an estimated street price of
$39.95.” http://web.archive.org/web/19991001233711/www.franklin.com/news/arch97/1997/rexsuccess.html


----------------------------------------------------------


Additional information that may interest you:


You may view all filings for Franklin Electronic Publishers Inc here:
http://www.hoovers.com/free/co/sec.xhtml?COID=13514&Page=3&Sort=D&ID=13514&SiteDisplay=F


----------------------------------------------------------


Search Criteria:

Franklin Electronic Publishers
Hoover’s
REX product line 
REX Pro
REX PC Companion
REX sales statistics
Number of REX products sold


I hope the above information helps you in your research. If anything
is unclear or if a link does not function, please let me know and I’ll
be glad to offer further assistance.


Best Regards,
Bobbie7-ga

---

Request for Answer Clarification by iswhatis-ga on 29 Sep 2003 23:26 PDT

Hi bobbie7 -
One thing is unclear.  The table of REX product sales says (millions)
at the top, but the numbers, e.g. "6,143", interpreted as millions,
would mean that they earned 6 BILLION dollars, which of course isn't
right.  Do you know where the discrepancy lies?
-Roy

---

Clarification of Answer by bobbie7-ga on 29 Sep 2003 23:52 PDT

Dear Roy,

I found the discrepancy. It should say thousands not millions in the
table I provided for you. The following excerpt from the 10-k filing
illustrates this.

FRANKLIN ELECTRONIC PUBLISHERS INC 
10-K405 filed on 06/28/2000

Year Ended March 31, 2000 Compared with Year ended March 31, 1999
 
“During the year ended March 31, 2000 the Company sold its REX product
line, which accounted for sales of $6.1 million and $15.7 million in
the years ended March 31, 2000 and 1999 respectively.”
http://www.hoovers.com/free/co/secdoc.xhtml?ipage=1162589&doc=0&attach=on

Here is the corrected table:

---------------------------------------------------------- 
                                          March 31, 
                                 ------------------------- 
                                   2000     1999     1998 
                                 ------- -------- -------- 
 
Product Sales      (thousands) 
----------------------------------------------------------- 
Referente  ...................... $69,202 $ 72,164 $ 79,033 
Rolodex Electronics..............  18,348   13,778   11,055 
REX................................ 6,143   15,673   10,152 
Rocket eBook.....................   1,764      --       -- 
Other............................     965    2,178      -- 
------------------------------------------------------------ 
Total Sales...................... $96,422  $103,793 $100,240 
------------------------------------------------------------ 

I hope this clears things up.

Sincerely,

Bobbie7