Difference between revisions of "Creative Labs"

 
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[[File:Creative-Labs.jpg|thumb]]
 
[[File:Creative-Labs.jpg|thumb]]
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Created a number of audio related hardware products such as the Sound Blaster line of sound cards.
 
Created a number of audio related hardware products such as the Sound Blaster line of sound cards.
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Creative Technology, Ltd. (Nasdaq: CREAF) is a global leader in PC entertainment products. It was founded in Singapore in July 1, 1981, with the vision that multimedia would revolutionize the way people interact with their PCs. Best noted for its award-winning Sound Blaster line of audio cards, the Sound Blaster Live!™, the first audio card that delivers EAX™, is the most powerful Sound Blaster ever produced by Creative. This revolutionary new PCI audio solution provides a completely new way to experience games, music and entertainment on the desktop.
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Over time, Creative has built upon the popularity and demand of its PC audio success to include graphics, DVD, computer telephony integration (CTI), communications, and videoconferencing. In doing so, Creative has partnered some of the industry's top technology companies and developers worldwide. Today, Creative expands the power of the personal computer with Personal Digital Entertainment Internet (PDE) solutions, comprising desktop products, Internet applicances and Internet applications and services.
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Leveraging in-house technology, partnerships and value-added investments, Creative markets its solutions to consumers and system integrators, with worldwide distribution through traditional marketing channels, OEMs and the Internet. Creative's mission is to expand upon its leadership role in PDE, utilizing innovative technology, broadband and leading-edge designs for technically progressive consumers and entertainment enthusiasts.
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Creative was listed on the US Nasdaq stock exchange in the summer of 1992, making Creative the first true-blue Singapore company to list on NASDAQ. In June 1994, Creative Technology gained a listing on the main board of the Stock Exchange of Singapore.
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The worldwide corporate headquarters is located in Singapore, right in the heart of the Asia-Pacific region. Since that time, Creative has earned global leadership status for its innovations in interactive audio, graphics, PC-DVD, video and communications technology and as an industry pioneer in the creation of multimedia standards.
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=History=
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===1997===
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Creative acquires Ensoniq Corp., a key innovator in the design and development of PCI audio microchip technology who has gained strong brand recognition with its line of electronic musical instruments.
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Creative completes tender offer and merger of Cambridge Soundworks, Inc., making Cambridge SoundWorks a wholly-owned sudsidiary of Creative. Cambridge SoundWorks is a leading speaker manufacturer and retailer renowned for its high-performance home speaker systems and critically acclaimed multimedia speakers - namely, MicroWorks™, SoundWorks® and PC Works™.
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At Comdex Fall 1997 in Las Vegas, Creative demonstrates its new EAX™ solutions that will drive the audio industry to the 21st century. Other announcements include:
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1) EMU10K1 technology, the cornerstone of Creative's new EAX™ system. The EMU10K1 audio processor, with 1000+MIPS and 2 million transistors, is the most powerful processor chip ever designed by the joint E-mu/Creative Technology Center. Besides producing real-time effects like echo, flanger, auto-wah, distortion, pitch-shifting, the EMU10K1 is capable of recreating concert-like music productions that make a user feel like being in the middle of an orchestra.
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2) E-mu Environmental Modeling™ (E²M) and Creative Multi-Speaker Surround™ (CMSS) technologies that allow the user or developer to shape a sound's properties including its reflections; and to accurately position them in space to produce amazingly realistic audio experience.
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3) Sound Blaster AWE64D, an advanced PCI audio card designed specifically for the OEM market.
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4) 3D Blaster Voodoo2 will be the fastest new 3D accelerator solution using the Voodoo 2 Graphics chip from 3Dfx Interactive and is designed for PC gamers who have a passion for exceptional performance, rapid response times and dazzling graphics when playing today's hottest PC games.
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Introduces Graphics Blaster Exxtreme, a high performance graphics accelerator card based on Permedia®2 processor from 3Dlabs that delivers superior 2D/3D quality and upgradeable to future technology such as hardware DVD playback.
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Creative announces the official opening of its African subsidiary, Creative Labs (Pty) Ltd to take charge of the sales, marketing and customer support services in the continent's growing IT market.
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Introduces PC-DVD Encore™ Dxr2, a complete desktop DVD solution that delivers 7 futuristic entertainment gears including Creative's state-of-the-art Dxr2 picture enhancer technology, 2x DVD player for TV and PC, 20x CD-ROM speed, full compatibility to current CD-ROM, MPEG1 and MPEG2 formats.
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Announces Creative Inspire, the first of its kind Internet application that brings internet entertainment broadcasting to Internet users by providing an "Open Stage" for music, game and entertainment enthusiasts where they will have everything they need to listen, watch and experience multimedia Internet entertainment.
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Announces the patented SoundFont Technology in Sound Blaster AWE64 will be widely supported by top game developers. The proliferation of SoundFont usage will provide users an easy format to change instrument sounds on the PC as easy as changing character fonts in a word processor.
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Announces the new AcerPower Business Multimedia desktop systems will include Sound Blaster AWE64.
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Offers a value version of its AWE64 audio line - the Sound Blaster AWE64 Value at a spectacular offer of US$99.99 with the aim to upgrade its worldwide Sound Blaster users.
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Creative's New Audio Solutions For Its Customers Worldwide
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1) EMU-8008 audio controller chip for the OEM motherboard customers, which is an advanced PCI audio solution providing full 100% Sound Blaster 16 compatibility.
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2) ViBRA® 16X audio processor that provides 16-bit audio with 100% Sound Blaster compatibility, Creative WaveSynth, 3D Stereo Enhancement Technology and full duplex capabilities
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3) Support for the Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) K5 Processor for the Sound Blaster AWE64 line
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4) The industry standard Sound Blaster 32 is shipped with NEC's PowerPlayer Gamer PC.
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Introduces Creative Inspire™, a unique Internet application that presents a completely new way of delivering music, games and entertainment to Internet consumers who want to enjoy immersive multimedia over the Internet. Creative Inspire comes with a user-friendly interface readily integrated with a bundle of popular plug-ins like Real Audio, VDOLive, Shockwave and Onlive! Traveller.
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Ships iNFRA1800, the industry's first remote-control CD-ROM drive with its ever-popular multimedia kits.
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On February 21, Creative unveils its new corporate headquarters facility in Singapore - Creative Resource. Strategically located in the premier hub for business and technology, the facility will house the entire Singapore HQ operations including sales, marketing, R&D, administration & manufacturing.
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===1996===
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Furthers its Internet Strategy with partnerships with Progressive Networks, Total Entertainment Network (TEN), VDOnet Corp.,and Wave Systems Corp. to bring audio, video, 3D graphics and commerce over the Internet, providing enhanced out-of-the-box multimedia experience to PC users.
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Announces the Sound Blaster AWE64 and Sound Blaster AWE64 Gold, both designed to dramatically increase the audio performance of PCs as well as to bring PC audio standard to the next level.
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Videophone Technology Strategy aims to offer robust, easy-to-use, standards-based solutions that gives customers a new way to visually communicate with almost anyone in the world. Creative will leverage on its ShareVision desktop videoconferencing technology to develop and deliver standards-compliant videophone solutions with partners like NetSpeak Corp.
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Creative's Graphics Strategy is a comprehensive set of 2D/3D graphics technologies and will include:
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1) 3D Blaster PCI, a game card designed to provide a totally immersive gaming experience and is bundled with four game titles including QUAKE, the hottest 3D game title from id Software
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2) Graphics Blaster MA334, a 64-bit graphics accelerator that integrates 3Dlabs' PERMEDIA NT chipset for workstation-class performance on PCs
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Partnerships with industry leaders like NetSpeak Corporation, Seer Systems, Inc., Progressive Networks and OnLive! Technologies to offer the Internet applications such as Creative NetSynth™, Creative Webphone™, OnLive Traveler™ and RealAudio™, and all software will be included in Creative's Internet-Ready Sound Blaster audio cards and multimedia kits.
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Introduces Blaster CD-R™ 4210, a complete upgrade kit for adding CD-Recordable capability to PCs. Its high-perfomance hardware, easy-to-use software and simple installation make it an ideal choice for both experienced professionals and home users.
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Announces investment of up to S$186 million in a major R&D programme on multimedia and communications technologies over the next 5 years and is supported by the Research Incentive Scheme for Companies (RISC) of the National Science & Technology Board (NSTB).
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At Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, Creative demonstrates various solutions to showcase its immersive Total PC Entertainment Solution in Sight, Sound and Communications, including the Sound Blaster AWE32 PnP, 3D Blaster, and high-speed communication, high-speed CD-ROM drive products.
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Introduces Graphics Blaster™ series of add-on graphics accelerator cards, set to bring high-performance graphics and high quality enhanced video playback at an affordable price.
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Introduces SoundFont 2.0, a downloadable sample format developed by the Joint E-mu/ Creative Technology Center. The new SoundFont technology will allow developers, musicians and end-users to customize and playback special effects and music on their PCs.
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Announces support for Microsoft's new Direct3D API, providing 3D Blaster with the broadest software support in the industry. DirectX SDK will include Direct 3D drivers for Creative's 3D Blaster product line.
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Creative establishes Canadian headquarters under the banner of Creative Labs, Inc. in Toronto.
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===1995===
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Unveils 3D Blaster PCI, demonstrating its powerful 3D rasterization capabilities that bring workstation-level 3D graphics performance to the Pentium-based PC at consumer pricing.
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Announces its ShareVision line will support the H.324 video conferencing standard for analog phone line, and the new T.120 specifications for data sharing in whiteboards and application sharing.
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Offers Modem Blaster range of high-speed, convenient communications PC products with DSVD capabilities for users who wish to share data or applications, transfer files or play PC games with friends while simultaneously carrying on a conversation.
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Launches the world's first 3D game card, 3D Blaster™, a high performance add-in board to bring the excitement and visual realism of today's most advanced 3D arcade game into the home PC.
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Announces CQM™ - Creative Quadratic Modulation - a new audio technology that delivers richer quality sound than the traditional FM music synthesis, and at a lower cost.
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Creative sets up Creative Labs Sdn Bhd., a subsidiary office located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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Targeted at the SOHO (Small Office Home Office) market, Creative unveils Phone Blaster, an all-in-one PC telephone management system that incorporates voice, modem and fax features.
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Introduces a 3D Audio Developer's Kit which allows game developers to provide advanced spatialization sound capabilities in their new games.
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Announces Video Blaster SE100, a video overlay and capture board that brings powerful video capabilities to the PC and able to interface with a wide range of video devices such as VCRs, camcorders and LD players.
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Releases TVCoder External, an external video output portable unit that offers up to 16.7 million colors and allows users to connect a PC or notebook computer to virtually any video display device, including a television, RGB projector and VCR.
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Creative's worldwide manufacturing plant in Singapore has been awarded ISO 9002 certification for its quality management system by the Singapore Institute of Standards and Industrial Research (SISIR).
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Releases Wave Blaster II, based on E-mu's patented EMU8000 chip. The Wave Blaster II is a general MIDI wave-table synthesis daughterboard with 2MB ROM of samples including 128 instrument and sound effects and 400 percussion sounds; and supports general MIDI, Sound Canvas and MT-32 sound sets.
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===1994===
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Creative and JC Hyun Systems, Inc. announce a joint venture entity in Korea known as Creative Technology Korea Ltd, another subsidiary in Creative's fast-expanding worldwide network.
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Enters the Compact Disc Recordable (CD-R) market with the introduction of Digital Edge™ CD-R kit, offering a complete write-once CD authoring and data archival solution.
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Creative acquires Digicom Systems, Inc, a Californian-based company which develops and markets a range of high end, high speed modem products based on the latest DSP and telephony technologies.
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Introduces Vienna SF Studio Editor, a software tool based on E-mu's SoundFont technology to create, edit and download customized sounds and effects onto any Sound Blaster AWE32 audio card.
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The introduction of HansVision marks the achievement of creating a comprehensive Windows-based Chinese Document Processing Suite with 10 powerful software applications for office and home uses.
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Launches ShareVision PC300 and ShareVision PC3000, desktop videoconferencing products for the PC platform which operates as a screen-based telephone, interactive on-line whiteboard, application sharing tool, and high speed data and fax modem over an analog phone line.
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Creative shares debut on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Singapore on June 15, 1994 with its shares trading in Singapore dollar.
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Creative sets up Creative Labs (Ireland) Ltd as Creative's European Operations and Technical Centre (EOTC) in Dublin, Ireland which includes the manufacturing, operations and technical support services.
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Releases a family of single-chip Sound Blaster audio solutions for the OEM marketplace under the labels of Vibra® Pro and Vibra 16.
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Launches Sound Blaster AWE32 that combines the powerful features of award-winning Sound Blaster 16 with the Advanced WavEffects™ wavetable synthesis capabilities of E-mu Systems' EMU8000 technology.
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===1993===
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Creative acquires Westpoint Creative, a leading UK multimedia distributor, to create a new company, Creative Labs (UK) Ltd., which will become Creative's European headquarters.
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Creative and Computamart Pty Ltd announce a joint venture to form a new entity known as Creative Pacific Pty Ltd in Sydney, Australia. Creative and I*O Data Device, Inc. also set up a joint venture company, Creative Media K.K., located in Tokyo, Japan.
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Creative acquires ShareVision® Technology Inc., a company that develops videoconferencing products that allow users to communicate using video, voice and graphics anywhere in the world over a single regular analog telephone line while simultaneously collaborating on Windows applications.
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Creative opens its US-based Technical Support Centre in Stillwater, Oklahoma to offer expanded operational hours and more technical agents to provide technical support to endusers.
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Begins shipping Sound Blaster 16 which includes Creative's speech recognition application, Creative VoiceAssist™ that allows customization of any Windows application with voice commands.
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Creative acquires E-mu Systems®, Inc, a leading developer and manufacturer of innovative audio products based on digital sampling technology for musical instruments and multimedia markets.
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===1992===
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Creative establishes its first Chinese Software Centre in Singapore to provide better customer support and training services for Creative's Chinese software products.
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Wave Blaster™, an add-on daughter board based on E-mu Systems' digital wave synthesis technology that complements Sound Blaster 16 series of audio cards.
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Creative forms new subsidiary in Beijing, China - Beijing Chuang Tong Multimedia Computer Ltd.
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Creative Technology Ltd announces its initial public offering of 4,800,000 Ordinary Shares and the stock is traded on the NASDAQ National Market under the symbol CREAf.
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Premieres the Sound Blaster 16, a CD-quality 16-bit member of the Sound Blaster family offering 16-bit stereo sampling at a competitive market price.
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Launches Video Blaster™ a high quality system for display editing and frame-capture of full-motion video, thus affording a new price point for bringing full-motion video to the PC.
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===1991===
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Launches its first Sound Blaster Multimedia Upgrade Kit comprising Sound Blaster Pro audio card, CD-ROM drive and software to upgrade 386 and above PCs to Multimedia PC Level-1 standard.
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Creative establishes Avidtek Co., Ltd., a subsidiary office located in Taipei, Taiwan.
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Sound Blaster Pro is introduced and soon adopted as the stereo sound standard for the Multimedia PC.
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===1990===
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Sound Blaster becomes the number one selling add-on board for the PC market and tops the "hot list" of Ingram-Micro and Merisel, the two largest US software/hardware distributors.
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===1989===
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Introduces Sound Blaster®, a PC sound card featuring 11-voice FM synthesizer with text-to-speech, digitized voice input/output, MIDI/joystick port and bundled software.
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Launches PJS, an AI-based Chinese operating system, and Views, the complementary word processor and desktop publisher with a built-in library of over 70,000 characters.
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===1988===
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Sim Wong Hoo, Creative Technology's founder, establishes business in USA and founded Creative Labs, Inc. in South San Francisco, California. The company markets its first product, Creative Music System, followed rapidly by the launch of Game Blaster, a full stereo sound board for the PC.
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===1987===
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Introduces Creative Music System (C/MS), a 12-voice stereo music synthesizer card with a variety of music software to support the card: C/MS Composer, C/MS Intelligent Organ and C/MS Multimedia Presenter.
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===1986===
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CUBIC CT, a multilingual, multimedia PC, is introduced into the Singapore market after only 6 months of design and development.
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===1984===
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Introduces CUBIC 99, the talking computer which "talks" in English and Chinese; and Cubic Phone Sitter, an add-on telephone/answering device software/hardware enhancement to Cubic 99.
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===1981===
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Creative Technology is founded in Singapore by Sim Wong Hoo.
  
 
=Products=
 
=Products=
 
===Sound Cards===
 
===Sound Cards===
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 1.0 CT1320]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 1.5 CT1320C]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 2.0 CT1350A]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 2.0 CT1350B]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Pro 1 CT1330]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Pro 1 CT1330A]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Pro 2 CT1600]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Pro 2 CT1680]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Pro 2 CT1690]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Pro (Ver. 2)]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 CT1730]]
 
* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 CT1740]]
 
* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 CT1740]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 CT1790]]
 
* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 CT2740]]
 
* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 CT2740]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 CT2749]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 CT2230]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 CT2230S]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 CT2239S]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 CT2230C]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 CT2239C]]
 
* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 CT2290]]
 
* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 CT2290]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 CT2962]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 IDE CT2830]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 IDE CT2839]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 Basic CT2961]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 PnP CT2940]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 Pro PnP CT2950]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 Pro CT2299]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 Pro CT2291]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 Pro CT2910]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 Pro CT2919]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 PnP CT2980]]
 
* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 Value CT2770]]
 
* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 Value CT2770]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 Value CT2980]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 Value CT2959]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 Value IDE CT2291]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 Value PnP CT4181]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 Value PnP CT2970]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 CT2772]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 MultiCD]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 MCD CT1750]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 MCD CT1759]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 MCD CT2230]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 MCD CT2239]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Easy 16 CT2750]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Easy 16 CT2759]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Vibra 16 CT4100]]
 
* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Vibra 16 CT4170]]
 
* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Vibra 16 CT4170]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Vibra 16 CT2260]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Vibra 16 CT2801]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Vibra 16S CT2800]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Vibra 16S CT2860]]
 
* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Vibra 16S CT2890]]
 
* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Vibra 16S CT2890]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Vibra 16S CT2900]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Vibra 16C CT4150]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Vibra 16C CT4180]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Vibra 16C CT2960]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Vibra 16CL CT4130]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 WavEffects CT4171]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 SCSI-2]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 SCSI-2 CT1770]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 SCSI-2 CT1779]]
 
* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 32 CT3930]]
 
* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 32 CT3930]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 32 CT3620]]
 
* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live SB0410]]
 
* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live SB0410]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live! X-Gamer SB4760X]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live! CT4830]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live! CT4620]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster AWE32 CT2760]]
 
* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster AWE32 CT3600]]
 
* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster AWE32 CT3600]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster AWE32 CT3670]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster AWE32 CT3780]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster AWE32 CT3900]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster AWE32 CT4330]]
 
* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster AWE32 Upgrade CT1920]]
 
* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster AWE32 Upgrade CT1920]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster AWE32 Upgrade CT1922]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster AWE32 PnP CT3980]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster AWE32 IDE CT3990]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster AWE32 IDE CT3999]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster AWE32 Value IDE CT3910]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster AWE32 Value IDE CT3919]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster PCI128 CT4700]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster PCI128 CT4750]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Vibra 128 CT4810]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster AWE64 CT4500]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster AWE64 CT4520]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster AWE64 CT4380]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster AWE64 Value CT4520]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster AWE64 Gold CT4390]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster AWE64 Gold CT4540]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster MCV CT5320]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Pro MCV CT5330]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 PCI CT4740]]
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* [[Creative Labs Game Blaster]]
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* [[Creative Ensoniq AudioPCI 5000]]
  
 
===Video Cards===
 
===Video Cards===
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* [[Creative Labs 3D Blaster 3D6200]]
 
* [[Creative Labs 3D Blaster Voodoo2 12MB CT6670]]
 
* [[Creative Labs 3D Blaster Voodoo2 12MB CT6670]]
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* [[Creative Labs 3D Blaster Voodoo Banshee CT6750]]
 
* [[Creative Labs 3D Blaster Voodoo Banshee CT6760]]
 
* [[Creative Labs 3D Blaster Voodoo Banshee CT6760]]
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* [[Creative Labs 3D Blaster Savage4 CT6850]]
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* [[Creative Labs 3D Blaster 4 MX420 PCI]]
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* [[Creative Labs 3D Blaster RIVA TNT2 Ultra CT6870]]
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* [[Creative Labs 3D Blaster PCI CT6240]]
 
* [[Creative Labs Graphics Blaster EXXTREME CT6610]]
 
* [[Creative Labs Graphics Blaster EXXTREME CT6610]]
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* [[Creative Labs Graphics Blaster RIVA TNT CT6710]]
 +
* [[Creative Labs Graphics Blaster MA334 CT6320]]
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* [[Creative Labs Video Blaster CT6042]]
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* [[Creative Labs Video Blaster CT6000]]
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* [[Creative Labs Video Blaster CT6080]]
 
* [[VideoSpigot For Windows CT6030]]
 
* [[VideoSpigot For Windows CT6030]]
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* [[Creative Labs 3D Blaster Annihilator 2]]
  
 
===Peripherals===
 
===Peripherals===
 
* [[Creative Prodikeys]]
 
* [[Creative Prodikeys]]
 
* [[Creative Video Blaster TVCoder]]
 
* [[Creative Video Blaster TVCoder]]
 +
* [[Creative Sound Blaster Value 16/32x MK4126]]
 +
* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster MIDI Kit]]
 +
* [[Creative Labs Speakers CS36]]
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* [[Creative PC-CAM 750]]
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* [[Creative Labs Video Blaster WebCam Go]]
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 +
===CD/DVD Drives===
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* [[Creative CD4020E]]
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* [[Creative PC-DVD Encore 8X]]
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* [[Creative PC-DVD Encore 6X]]
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* [[Creative PC-DVD 6X DVD6630E]]
 +
* [[Creative CR-563-B]]
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* [[Creative CD4834E]]
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* [[Creative iNFRA4800 CD3220E]]
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* [[Creative GCD-R542B]]
 +
* [[Creative CD5230E]]
 +
* [[Creative CD4000M]]
 +
* [[Creative PC-DVD 12X DVD1240E]]
 +
* [[Creative PC-DVD Encore 12X]]
 +
* [[Creative CD820E]]
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* [[Creative CD-RW Blaster 12+10+32 RW1210E]]
  
 
===Music Players===
 
===Music Players===
* [[Creative Labs NOMAD]]
+
* [[Creative NOMAD]]
 +
* [[Creative NOMAD Jukebox Zen]]
  
 
===Modems===
 
===Modems===
 
* [[Creative Labs Modem Blaster V.92 PCI]]
 
* [[Creative Labs Modem Blaster V.92 PCI]]
 +
* [[Creative Labs Modem Blaster Flash 56 II]]
 +
 +
===Other===
 +
* [[Creative Labs Encore Dxr2 CT7120]]
 +
* [[Creative Labs Wave Blaster CT1900]]
 +
* [[Creative Labs Wave Blaster II CT1910]]
 +
* [[Creative Labs Advanced Signal Processor Upgrade for Sound Blaster 16]]
 +
* [[Creative Labs Phone Blaster CT3110]]
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* [[Creative Labs 3DO Blaster CTM6110]]
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* [[Creative Labs CT0780]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Developer Kit]]
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* [[Creative Labs CT1870]]
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* [[Creative Labs CT1810]]
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* [[Creative Labs Sound Blaster Voice Editor]]
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* [[Creative Labs Developer Kit for Sound Blaster Series]]
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=CD/Disk Gallery=
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[[Category:Computing]]
 
 
[[Category:Companies]]
 
[[Category:Companies]]
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[[Category:1981]]

Latest revision as of 17:02, 16 March 2024

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Created a number of audio related hardware products such as the Sound Blaster line of sound cards.

Creative Technology, Ltd. (Nasdaq: CREAF) is a global leader in PC entertainment products. It was founded in Singapore in July 1, 1981, with the vision that multimedia would revolutionize the way people interact with their PCs. Best noted for its award-winning Sound Blaster line of audio cards, the Sound Blaster Live!™, the first audio card that delivers EAX™, is the most powerful Sound Blaster ever produced by Creative. This revolutionary new PCI audio solution provides a completely new way to experience games, music and entertainment on the desktop.

Over time, Creative has built upon the popularity and demand of its PC audio success to include graphics, DVD, computer telephony integration (CTI), communications, and videoconferencing. In doing so, Creative has partnered some of the industry's top technology companies and developers worldwide. Today, Creative expands the power of the personal computer with Personal Digital Entertainment Internet (PDE) solutions, comprising desktop products, Internet applicances and Internet applications and services.

Leveraging in-house technology, partnerships and value-added investments, Creative markets its solutions to consumers and system integrators, with worldwide distribution through traditional marketing channels, OEMs and the Internet. Creative's mission is to expand upon its leadership role in PDE, utilizing innovative technology, broadband and leading-edge designs for technically progressive consumers and entertainment enthusiasts.

Creative was listed on the US Nasdaq stock exchange in the summer of 1992, making Creative the first true-blue Singapore company to list on NASDAQ. In June 1994, Creative Technology gained a listing on the main board of the Stock Exchange of Singapore.

The worldwide corporate headquarters is located in Singapore, right in the heart of the Asia-Pacific region. Since that time, Creative has earned global leadership status for its innovations in interactive audio, graphics, PC-DVD, video and communications technology and as an industry pioneer in the creation of multimedia standards.

History

1997

Creative acquires Ensoniq Corp., a key innovator in the design and development of PCI audio microchip technology who has gained strong brand recognition with its line of electronic musical instruments.

Creative completes tender offer and merger of Cambridge Soundworks, Inc., making Cambridge SoundWorks a wholly-owned sudsidiary of Creative. Cambridge SoundWorks is a leading speaker manufacturer and retailer renowned for its high-performance home speaker systems and critically acclaimed multimedia speakers - namely, MicroWorks™, SoundWorks® and PC Works™.

At Comdex Fall 1997 in Las Vegas, Creative demonstrates its new EAX™ solutions that will drive the audio industry to the 21st century. Other announcements include:

1) EMU10K1 technology, the cornerstone of Creative's new EAX™ system. The EMU10K1 audio processor, with 1000+MIPS and 2 million transistors, is the most powerful processor chip ever designed by the joint E-mu/Creative Technology Center. Besides producing real-time effects like echo, flanger, auto-wah, distortion, pitch-shifting, the EMU10K1 is capable of recreating concert-like music productions that make a user feel like being in the middle of an orchestra.

2) E-mu Environmental Modeling™ (E²M) and Creative Multi-Speaker Surround™ (CMSS) technologies that allow the user or developer to shape a sound's properties including its reflections; and to accurately position them in space to produce amazingly realistic audio experience.

3) Sound Blaster AWE64D, an advanced PCI audio card designed specifically for the OEM market.

4) 3D Blaster Voodoo2 will be the fastest new 3D accelerator solution using the Voodoo 2 Graphics chip from 3Dfx Interactive and is designed for PC gamers who have a passion for exceptional performance, rapid response times and dazzling graphics when playing today's hottest PC games.

Introduces Graphics Blaster Exxtreme, a high performance graphics accelerator card based on Permedia®2 processor from 3Dlabs that delivers superior 2D/3D quality and upgradeable to future technology such as hardware DVD playback.

Creative announces the official opening of its African subsidiary, Creative Labs (Pty) Ltd to take charge of the sales, marketing and customer support services in the continent's growing IT market.

Introduces PC-DVD Encore™ Dxr2, a complete desktop DVD solution that delivers 7 futuristic entertainment gears including Creative's state-of-the-art Dxr2 picture enhancer technology, 2x DVD player for TV and PC, 20x CD-ROM speed, full compatibility to current CD-ROM, MPEG1 and MPEG2 formats.

Announces Creative Inspire, the first of its kind Internet application that brings internet entertainment broadcasting to Internet users by providing an "Open Stage" for music, game and entertainment enthusiasts where they will have everything they need to listen, watch and experience multimedia Internet entertainment.

Announces the patented SoundFont Technology in Sound Blaster AWE64 will be widely supported by top game developers. The proliferation of SoundFont usage will provide users an easy format to change instrument sounds on the PC as easy as changing character fonts in a word processor.

Announces the new AcerPower Business Multimedia desktop systems will include Sound Blaster AWE64.

Offers a value version of its AWE64 audio line - the Sound Blaster AWE64 Value at a spectacular offer of US$99.99 with the aim to upgrade its worldwide Sound Blaster users.

Creative's New Audio Solutions For Its Customers Worldwide

1) EMU-8008 audio controller chip for the OEM motherboard customers, which is an advanced PCI audio solution providing full 100% Sound Blaster 16 compatibility.

2) ViBRA® 16X audio processor that provides 16-bit audio with 100% Sound Blaster compatibility, Creative WaveSynth, 3D Stereo Enhancement Technology and full duplex capabilities

3) Support for the Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) K5 Processor for the Sound Blaster AWE64 line

4) The industry standard Sound Blaster 32 is shipped with NEC's PowerPlayer Gamer PC.

Introduces Creative Inspire™, a unique Internet application that presents a completely new way of delivering music, games and entertainment to Internet consumers who want to enjoy immersive multimedia over the Internet. Creative Inspire comes with a user-friendly interface readily integrated with a bundle of popular plug-ins like Real Audio, VDOLive, Shockwave and Onlive! Traveller.

Ships iNFRA1800, the industry's first remote-control CD-ROM drive with its ever-popular multimedia kits.

On February 21, Creative unveils its new corporate headquarters facility in Singapore - Creative Resource. Strategically located in the premier hub for business and technology, the facility will house the entire Singapore HQ operations including sales, marketing, R&D, administration & manufacturing.

1996

Furthers its Internet Strategy with partnerships with Progressive Networks, Total Entertainment Network (TEN), VDOnet Corp.,and Wave Systems Corp. to bring audio, video, 3D graphics and commerce over the Internet, providing enhanced out-of-the-box multimedia experience to PC users.

Announces the Sound Blaster AWE64 and Sound Blaster AWE64 Gold, both designed to dramatically increase the audio performance of PCs as well as to bring PC audio standard to the next level.

Videophone Technology Strategy aims to offer robust, easy-to-use, standards-based solutions that gives customers a new way to visually communicate with almost anyone in the world. Creative will leverage on its ShareVision desktop videoconferencing technology to develop and deliver standards-compliant videophone solutions with partners like NetSpeak Corp.

Creative's Graphics Strategy is a comprehensive set of 2D/3D graphics technologies and will include:

1) 3D Blaster PCI, a game card designed to provide a totally immersive gaming experience and is bundled with four game titles including QUAKE, the hottest 3D game title from id Software

2) Graphics Blaster MA334, a 64-bit graphics accelerator that integrates 3Dlabs' PERMEDIA NT chipset for workstation-class performance on PCs

Partnerships with industry leaders like NetSpeak Corporation, Seer Systems, Inc., Progressive Networks and OnLive! Technologies to offer the Internet applications such as Creative NetSynth™, Creative Webphone™, OnLive Traveler™ and RealAudio™, and all software will be included in Creative's Internet-Ready Sound Blaster audio cards and multimedia kits.

Introduces Blaster CD-R™ 4210, a complete upgrade kit for adding CD-Recordable capability to PCs. Its high-perfomance hardware, easy-to-use software and simple installation make it an ideal choice for both experienced professionals and home users.

Announces investment of up to S$186 million in a major R&D programme on multimedia and communications technologies over the next 5 years and is supported by the Research Incentive Scheme for Companies (RISC) of the National Science & Technology Board (NSTB).

At Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, Creative demonstrates various solutions to showcase its immersive Total PC Entertainment Solution in Sight, Sound and Communications, including the Sound Blaster AWE32 PnP, 3D Blaster, and high-speed communication, high-speed CD-ROM drive products.

Introduces Graphics Blaster™ series of add-on graphics accelerator cards, set to bring high-performance graphics and high quality enhanced video playback at an affordable price.

Introduces SoundFont 2.0, a downloadable sample format developed by the Joint E-mu/ Creative Technology Center. The new SoundFont technology will allow developers, musicians and end-users to customize and playback special effects and music on their PCs.

Announces support for Microsoft's new Direct3D API, providing 3D Blaster with the broadest software support in the industry. DirectX SDK will include Direct 3D drivers for Creative's 3D Blaster product line.

Creative establishes Canadian headquarters under the banner of Creative Labs, Inc. in Toronto.

1995

Unveils 3D Blaster PCI, demonstrating its powerful 3D rasterization capabilities that bring workstation-level 3D graphics performance to the Pentium-based PC at consumer pricing.

Announces its ShareVision line will support the H.324 video conferencing standard for analog phone line, and the new T.120 specifications for data sharing in whiteboards and application sharing.

Offers Modem Blaster range of high-speed, convenient communications PC products with DSVD capabilities for users who wish to share data or applications, transfer files or play PC games with friends while simultaneously carrying on a conversation.

Launches the world's first 3D game card, 3D Blaster™, a high performance add-in board to bring the excitement and visual realism of today's most advanced 3D arcade game into the home PC.

Announces CQM™ - Creative Quadratic Modulation - a new audio technology that delivers richer quality sound than the traditional FM music synthesis, and at a lower cost.

Creative sets up Creative Labs Sdn Bhd., a subsidiary office located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Targeted at the SOHO (Small Office Home Office) market, Creative unveils Phone Blaster, an all-in-one PC telephone management system that incorporates voice, modem and fax features.

Introduces a 3D Audio Developer's Kit which allows game developers to provide advanced spatialization sound capabilities in their new games.

Announces Video Blaster SE100, a video overlay and capture board that brings powerful video capabilities to the PC and able to interface with a wide range of video devices such as VCRs, camcorders and LD players.

Releases TVCoder External, an external video output portable unit that offers up to 16.7 million colors and allows users to connect a PC or notebook computer to virtually any video display device, including a television, RGB projector and VCR.

Creative's worldwide manufacturing plant in Singapore has been awarded ISO 9002 certification for its quality management system by the Singapore Institute of Standards and Industrial Research (SISIR).

Releases Wave Blaster II, based on E-mu's patented EMU8000 chip. The Wave Blaster II is a general MIDI wave-table synthesis daughterboard with 2MB ROM of samples including 128 instrument and sound effects and 400 percussion sounds; and supports general MIDI, Sound Canvas and MT-32 sound sets.


1994

Creative and JC Hyun Systems, Inc. announce a joint venture entity in Korea known as Creative Technology Korea Ltd, another subsidiary in Creative's fast-expanding worldwide network.

Enters the Compact Disc Recordable (CD-R) market with the introduction of Digital Edge™ CD-R kit, offering a complete write-once CD authoring and data archival solution.

Creative acquires Digicom Systems, Inc, a Californian-based company which develops and markets a range of high end, high speed modem products based on the latest DSP and telephony technologies.

Introduces Vienna SF Studio Editor, a software tool based on E-mu's SoundFont technology to create, edit and download customized sounds and effects onto any Sound Blaster AWE32 audio card.

The introduction of HansVision marks the achievement of creating a comprehensive Windows-based Chinese Document Processing Suite with 10 powerful software applications for office and home uses.

Launches ShareVision PC300 and ShareVision PC3000, desktop videoconferencing products for the PC platform which operates as a screen-based telephone, interactive on-line whiteboard, application sharing tool, and high speed data and fax modem over an analog phone line.

Creative shares debut on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Singapore on June 15, 1994 with its shares trading in Singapore dollar.

Creative sets up Creative Labs (Ireland) Ltd as Creative's European Operations and Technical Centre (EOTC) in Dublin, Ireland which includes the manufacturing, operations and technical support services.

Releases a family of single-chip Sound Blaster audio solutions for the OEM marketplace under the labels of Vibra® Pro and Vibra 16.

Launches Sound Blaster AWE32 that combines the powerful features of award-winning Sound Blaster 16 with the Advanced WavEffects™ wavetable synthesis capabilities of E-mu Systems' EMU8000 technology.

1993

Creative acquires Westpoint Creative, a leading UK multimedia distributor, to create a new company, Creative Labs (UK) Ltd., which will become Creative's European headquarters.

Creative and Computamart Pty Ltd announce a joint venture to form a new entity known as Creative Pacific Pty Ltd in Sydney, Australia. Creative and I*O Data Device, Inc. also set up a joint venture company, Creative Media K.K., located in Tokyo, Japan.

Creative acquires ShareVision® Technology Inc., a company that develops videoconferencing products that allow users to communicate using video, voice and graphics anywhere in the world over a single regular analog telephone line while simultaneously collaborating on Windows applications.

Creative opens its US-based Technical Support Centre in Stillwater, Oklahoma to offer expanded operational hours and more technical agents to provide technical support to endusers.

Begins shipping Sound Blaster 16 which includes Creative's speech recognition application, Creative VoiceAssist™ that allows customization of any Windows application with voice commands.

Creative acquires E-mu Systems®, Inc, a leading developer and manufacturer of innovative audio products based on digital sampling technology for musical instruments and multimedia markets.

1992

Creative establishes its first Chinese Software Centre in Singapore to provide better customer support and training services for Creative's Chinese software products.

Wave Blaster™, an add-on daughter board based on E-mu Systems' digital wave synthesis technology that complements Sound Blaster 16 series of audio cards.

Creative forms new subsidiary in Beijing, China - Beijing Chuang Tong Multimedia Computer Ltd.

Creative Technology Ltd announces its initial public offering of 4,800,000 Ordinary Shares and the stock is traded on the NASDAQ National Market under the symbol CREAf.

Premieres the Sound Blaster 16, a CD-quality 16-bit member of the Sound Blaster family offering 16-bit stereo sampling at a competitive market price.

Launches Video Blaster™ a high quality system for display editing and frame-capture of full-motion video, thus affording a new price point for bringing full-motion video to the PC.

1991

Launches its first Sound Blaster Multimedia Upgrade Kit comprising Sound Blaster Pro audio card, CD-ROM drive and software to upgrade 386 and above PCs to Multimedia PC Level-1 standard.

Creative establishes Avidtek Co., Ltd., a subsidiary office located in Taipei, Taiwan.

Sound Blaster Pro is introduced and soon adopted as the stereo sound standard for the Multimedia PC.

1990

Sound Blaster becomes the number one selling add-on board for the PC market and tops the "hot list" of Ingram-Micro and Merisel, the two largest US software/hardware distributors.

1989

Introduces Sound Blaster®, a PC sound card featuring 11-voice FM synthesizer with text-to-speech, digitized voice input/output, MIDI/joystick port and bundled software.

Launches PJS, an AI-based Chinese operating system, and Views, the complementary word processor and desktop publisher with a built-in library of over 70,000 characters.

1988

Sim Wong Hoo, Creative Technology's founder, establishes business in USA and founded Creative Labs, Inc. in South San Francisco, California. The company markets its first product, Creative Music System, followed rapidly by the launch of Game Blaster, a full stereo sound board for the PC.

1987

Introduces Creative Music System (C/MS), a 12-voice stereo music synthesizer card with a variety of music software to support the card: C/MS Composer, C/MS Intelligent Organ and C/MS Multimedia Presenter.

1986

CUBIC CT, a multilingual, multimedia PC, is introduced into the Singapore market after only 6 months of design and development.

1984

Introduces CUBIC 99, the talking computer which "talks" in English and Chinese; and Cubic Phone Sitter, an add-on telephone/answering device software/hardware enhancement to Cubic 99.

1981

Creative Technology is founded in Singapore by Sim Wong Hoo.

Products

Sound Cards

Video Cards

Peripherals

CD/DVD Drives

Music Players

Modems

Other

CD/Disk Gallery