DELL COMPUTER CORP
8-K, 1998-04-28
ELECTRONIC COMPUTERS
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<PAGE>   1
================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549

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

                                    FORM 8-K
                                 CURRENT REPORT

                        PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
                     OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

        DATE OF REPORT (DATE OF EARLIEST EVENT REPORTED): APRIL 22, 1998

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

                           DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)



          DELAWARE                     0-17017                 74-2487834
      (State or other          (Commission File Number)      (I.R.S. Employer
jurisdiction of incorporation)                            Identification Number)

       ONE DELL WAY
    ROUND ROCK, TEXAS                                            78682-2244
  (Address of principal                                          (Zip code)
    executive offices)

      Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  (512) 338-4400

                                 NOT APPLICABLE
         (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

================================================================================
<PAGE>   2
ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS.

         On April 27, 1998, Dell Computer Corporation, a Delaware corporation
(the "Company"), completed the issuance and sale of $200 million of 10-year
6.55% Senior Notes and $300 million of 30-year 7.10% Senior Debentures.  Each
series of debt securities carries a rating of Baa1/BBB.  The net proceeds from
the offering (approximately $494.6 million, after the payment of offering
expenses) will be used for general corporate purposes, including capital
expenditures.

         The debt securities were issued under an Indenture, dated as of April
27, 1998, between the Company and Chase Bank of Texas, National Association, as
Trustee, a copy of which is filed herewith as Exhibit 99.2.  The terms of the
debt securities are set forth in the Officers' Certificates filed herewith as
Exhibits 99.3 and 99.4.

         Morgan Stanley Dean Witter and Goldman, Sachs & Co. acted as
underwriters in the public offering, pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement, a
copy of which is filed herewith as Exhibit 99.1.

ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.

(c)      EXHIBITS.

         99.1    --       Underwriting Agreement, dated April 22, 1998, among
                          Dell Computer Corporation, Morgan Stanley & Co.
                          Incorporated and Goldman, Sachs & Co.

         99.2    --       Indenture, dated as of April 27, 1998, between Dell
                          Computer Corporation and Chase Bank of Texas,
                          National Association

         99.3    --       Officers' Certificate pursuant to Section 301 of the
                          Indenture establishing the terms of the 6.55% Senior
                          Notes Due 2008 of Dell Computer Corporation

         99.4    --       Officers' Certificate pursuant to Section 301 of the
                          Indenture establishing the terms of the 7.10% Senior
                          Debentures Due 2028 of Dell Computer Corporation

         99.5    --       Form of 6.55% Senior Notes Due 2008 of Dell Computer
                          Corporation

         99.6    --       Form of 7.10% Senior Debentures Due 2028 of Dell
                          Computer Corporation
<PAGE>   3
                                   SIGNATURES


         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.


                                      DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION



                                      By: /s/  Alex C. Smith                
                                         -----------------------------------
                                      Name:    Alex C. Smith
                                      Title:   Vice President, Treasurer


Date:    April 27, 1998
<PAGE>   4
                                 EXHIBIT INDEX

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
   EXHIBIT
    NUMBER                                           EXHIBIT TITLE
 ---------                                           -------------
       <S>        <C>
       99.1   -   Underwriting Agreement, dated April 22, 1998, among Dell Computer Corporation,
                  Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated and Goldman, Sachs & Co.

       99.2   -   Indenture, dated as of April 27, 1998, between Dell Computer Corporation and
                  Chase Bank of Texas, National Association

       99.3   -   Officers' Certificate pursuant to Section 301 of the Indenture establishing the
                  terms of the 6.55% Senior Notes Due 2008 of Dell Computer Corporation

       99.4   -   Officers' Certificate pursuant to Section 301 of the Indenture establishing the
                  terms of the 7.10% Senior Debentures Due 2028 of Dell Computer Corporation

       99.5   -   Form of 6.55% Senior Notes Due 2008 of Dell Computer Corporation

       99.6   -   Form of 7.10% Senior Debentures Due 2028 of Dell Computer Corporation
</TABLE>

<PAGE>   1
                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1



                            DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION

                             UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT




                                                                  April 22, 1998



                  Dell Computer Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), proposes to issue and sell to the several Underwriters named in
Schedule I hereto (the "Underwriters") $200,000,000 principal amount of its
6.55% Senior Notes Due 2008 (the "Senior Notes") and $300,000,000 of its 7.10%
Senior Debentures Due 2028 (the "Senior Debentures" and, together with the
Senior Notes, the "Offered Securities") to be issued pursuant to the provisions
of an Indenture to be dated as of April 27, 1998 (the "Indenture") between the
Company and Chase Bank of Texas, National Association, as Trustee (the
"Trustee").

                  The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission") a registration statement, including a prospectus,
relating to the Offered Securities and shall promptly hereafter file with or
transmit for filing to the Commission a prospectus supplement (the "Prospectus
Supplement") specifically relating to the Offered Securities pursuant to Rule
424 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). The
term "Registration Statement" means the registration statement, including the
exhibits thereto, as amended to the date of this Agreement. The term "Basic
Prospectus" means the prospectus included in the Registration Statement. The
term "Prospectus" means the Basic Prospectus together with the Prospectus
Supplement. The term "Preliminary Prospectus" means the preliminary prospectus
supplement specifically relating to the Offered Securities (which has been filed
with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act), together
with the Basic Prospectus. As used herein, the terms "Basic Prospectus,"
"Prospectus" and "Preliminary Prospectus" shall include in each case the
documents, if any, incorporated by reference therein. The terms "supplement,"
"amendment" and "amend" as used herein shall include all documents deemed to be
incorporated by reference in the Prospectus that are filed subsequent to the
date of the Basic Prospectus by the Company with the Commission pursuant to the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act").


<PAGE>   2



                  1.  REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES.  The Company represents
and warrants to and agrees with each of the Underwriters that:
                                                                             
                  (a) The Registration Statement has become effective; no stop
order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect,
and, to the best of the Company's knowledge, no proceedings for such purpose are
pending before or threatened by the Commission.

                  (b) (i) Each document filed by the Company on or prior to the
Closing Date pursuant to the Exchange Act and incorporated by reference in the
Prospectus complied or will comply when so filed in all material respects with
the requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of
the Commission thereunder, (ii) the Registration Statement, when it became
effective, complied, and on the Closing Date will comply, in all material
respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules
and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (iii) the Registration Statement,
when it became effective, did not contain, and on the Closing Date will not
contain, any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein
not misleading, (iv) the Preliminary Prospectus, at the time it was filed with
the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, complied in all
material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable
rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (v) the Prospectus, as of
the date hereof and on the Closing Date, will comply in all material respects
with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder and (vi) the Prospectus, as of the date
hereof and on the Closing Date, will not contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading; provided, however, that the representations and warranties set forth
in this Section 1(b) do not apply (A) to statements or omissions in the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus based upon information relating to
either Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter
through Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated (the "Manager") expressly for use
therein or (B) to that part of the Registration Statement that constitutes the
Statement of Eligibility (Form T-1) under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as
amended (the "Trust Indenture Act"), of the Trustee.

                  (c) The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly
existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of
Delaware and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing as a
foreign corporation in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or
its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the
extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have
a material adverse effect on the Company and its Subsidiaries (as defined
below), taken as a whole. The Company and its Subsidiaries, taken together, have
the corporate or partnership power and 


                                       -2-

<PAGE>   3


authority to own or lease the property and conduct the business of the Company
and the Subsidiaries as described in the Prospectus. As used herein, the term
"Subsidiary" shall mean any corporation, partnership, association or other
business entity that is consolidated with the Company for accounting purposes in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

                  (d) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by the Company.

                  (e) The Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust
Indenture Act and on the Closing Date will be duly authorized, executed and
delivered by the Company and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery
by the Trustee, will be a valid and binding agreement of the Company,
enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as such
enforcement is subject to any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization
or similar law relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and general
principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in
a proceeding in equity or at law).

                  (f) The Offered Securities have been duly authorized and, when
executed and authenticated in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture
and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters in accordance with the terms
of this Agreement, will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture and will
constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the
Company in accordance with their respective terms, except as such enforcement is
subject to any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar law
relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and general principles of
equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding
in equity or at law).

                  (g) The execution and delivery by the Company of, and the
performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement, the
Indenture and the Offered Securities will not contravene any provision of
applicable law or the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Company or
any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries that is material to the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a
whole, or any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or
court having jurisdiction over the Company or any Subsidiary, and no consent,
approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental
body or agency is required for the performance by the Company of its obligations
under this Agreement, the Indenture and the Offered Securities, except such as
may be required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states in
connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Securities.

                  (h) There has not occurred any material adverse change, or any
development known to the Company that it expects to involve a prospective
material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the
earnings, business or operations of the Company and 


                                       -3-

<PAGE>   4

its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Prospectus
(exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of
this Agreement).


                  (i) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the 
offering and sale of the Offered Securities and the application of the proceeds
thereof as described in the Prospectus, will not be an "investment company" as
such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

                  (j) The Company and its Subsidiaries own or possess, or can
acquire on reasonable terms, all material patents, patent rights, licenses,
inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented
and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or
procedures), trademarks, service marks and trade names currently employed by
them in connection with the business now operated by them, and neither the
Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice of infringement of
or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any of the foregoing
which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision,
ruling or finding, would result in any material adverse change in the condition,
financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the
Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

                  2.  TERMS OF PUBLIC OFFERING. Subject to the terms and
conditions set forth in this Agreement, the Company hereby agrees to sell to the
several Underwriters, and each Underwriter, upon the basis of the
representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the conditions
hereinafter stated, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the
Company the respective principal amounts of Senior Notes and Senior Debentures
set forth in Schedule I hereto opposite its name at 99.195% of the principal
amount of the Senior Notes and 98.887% of the principal amount of the Senior
Debentures--the purchase price--plus, in each case, accrued interest from April
15, 1998 to the date of payment and delivery.


                  The Company is advised by the Manager that the Underwriters
propose to make a public offering of their respective portions of the Offered
Securities as soon after this Agreement has been entered into as in the
Manager's judgment is advisable. The Company is further advised by the Manager
that the Senior Notes are to be offered to the public initially at 99.845% of
their principal amount and that the Senior Debentures are to be offered to the
public initially at 99.762% of their principal amount--the public offering
price--plus, in each case, accrued interest from April 15, 1998 and to certain
dealers selected by the Manager at a price that represents a concession not in
excess of .400% of the principal amount of the Senior Notes and .500% of the
principal amount of the Senior Debentures under their public offering price and
that any Underwriter may allow, and such dealers may reallow, a concession to
certain other dealers not in excess of .250% of the principal amount of the
Senior Notes and .250% of the principal amount of the Senior Debentures.

                                      -4-

<PAGE>   5

                  3. PAYMENT AND DELIVERY. Payment for the Offered Securities
shall be made by wire transfer of immediately available (same day) funds payable
to the order of the Company at the office of Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated,
1585 Broadway, New York, New York, at 10:00 A.M., local time, on April 27, 1998,
or at such other time on the same or such other date, not later than May 4,
1998, as shall be designated in writing by the Manager. The time and date of
such payment are referred to herein as the Closing Date.

                  Payment for the Offered Securities shall be made against
delivery to the Manager for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters
of the Offered Securities registered in such names and in such denominations as
the Manager shall request in writing not less than two full business days prior
to the date of delivery, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the
transfer of the Offered Securities to the Underwriters duly paid.

                  4. CONDITIONS TO THE UNDERWRITERS' OBLIGATIONS. The several
obligations of the Underwriters are subject to the following conditions:

                  (a) Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement
         and prior to the Closing Date:

                           (i) there shall not have occurred any downgrading,
                  nor shall any notice have been given of any intended or
                  potential downgrading or of any review for a possible change
                  that does not indicate the direction of the possible change,
                  in the rating accorded any of the Company's securities by any
                  "nationally recognized statistical rating organization," as
                  such term is defined for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the
                  Securities Act; and

                           (ii) there shall not have occurred any change, or any
                  development known to the Company that it expects to involve a
                  prospective change, in the condition, financial or otherwise,
                  or in the earnings, business or operations of the Company and
                  its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the
                  Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto
                  subsequent to the date of this Agreement) that, in the
                  judgment of the Manager, is material and adverse and that
                  makes it, in the judgment of the Manager, impracticable to
                  market the Offered Securities on the terms and in the manner
                  contemplated in the Prospectus.

                  (b) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date a
         certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by an executive officer
         of the Company, to the effect set forth in clause (a)(i) above and to
         the effect that the representations and warranties of the 


                                       -5-

<PAGE>   6
         Company contained in this Agreement are true and correct as of the
         Closing Date and that the Company has complied with all of the
         agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be
         performed or satisfied hereunder on or before the Closing Date.

                  The officer signing and delivering such certificate may rely
         upon the best of his or her knowledge as to proceedings threatened.

                  (c) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date
         an opinion of the General Corporate Counsel of the Company, dated the
         Closing Date, to the effect that:

                           (i) the Company has been duly incorporated, is
                  validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the
                  laws of the State of Delaware, has the corporate power and
                  authority to own or lease its property and to conduct its
                  business as described in the Prospectus and is duly qualified
                  to transact business and is in good standing as a foreign
                  corporation in the State of Texas;

                           (ii) this Agreement has been duly authorized,
                  executed and delivered by the Company;

                           (iii) the Indenture has been duly authorized,
                  executed and delivered by the Company;

                           (iv) the execution and delivery by the Company of,
                  and the performance by the Company of its obligations under,
                  this Agreement, the Indenture and the Offered Securities will
                  not contravene any provision of applicable law or the
                  certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Company or, to
                  the best of such counsel's knowledge, any agreement or other
                  instrument binding upon the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
                  that is material to the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as
                  a whole, or, to the best of such counsel's knowledge, any
                  judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or
                  court having jurisdiction over the Company or any Subsidiary,
                  and no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or
                  qualification with, any governmental body or agency is
                  required for the performance by the Company of its obligations
                  under this Agreement, the Indenture or the Offered Securities,
                  except such as may be required by the securities or Blue Sky
                  laws of the various states in connection with the offer and
                  sale of the Offered Securities;

                           (v) the statements (A) in the Prospectus under the
                  captions "Description of Debt Securities" and "Description of
                  Offered Securities" and (B) in the Registration Statement
                  under Item 15, in each case insofar as such statements



                                      -6-
<PAGE>   7

                  constitute summaries of the legal matters or documents
                  referred to therein, fairly present the information called for
                  with respect to such legal matters and documents and fairly
                  summarize the matters referred to therein;

                           (vi) after due inquiry, such counsel does not know of
                  any legal or governmental proceedings pending or threatened to
                  which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to
                  which any of the properties of the Company or any of its
                  subsidiaries is subject that are required to be described in
                  the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and are not so
                  described or of any statutes, regulations, contracts or other
                  documents that are required to be described in the
                  Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed or
                  incorporated by reference as exhibits to the Registration
                  Statement that are not described, filed or incorporated as
                  required;

                           (vii) the Company is not an "investment company" as
                  such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
                  amended; and

                           (viii) (A) each document filed by the Company
                  pursuant to the Exchange Act on or prior to the Closing Date
                  and incorporated by reference into the Prospectus (except for
                  financial statements and schedules and other financial data
                  included therein as to which such counsel need not express any
                  opinion) complied when so filed as to form in all material
                  respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and the
                  applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder,
                  and (B) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (except
                  for financial statements and schedules and other financial
                  data included therein as to which such counsel need not
                  express any opinion) comply as to form in all material
                  respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the
                  applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

         The opinion of the Company's counsel described in this paragraph (c)
shall be rendered to the Underwriters at the request of the Company and shall so
state therein.

         Such counsel shall also deliver to the Underwriters a written statement
to the effect that (1) no fact has come to such counsel's attention that has
caused such counsel to believe that (except for financial statements and
schedules and other financial data included therein as to which such counsel
need not make such statement and except for that part of the Registration
Statement that constitutes the Form T-1 heretofore referred to) the Registration
Statement, when it became effective, contained, or as of the date of such
written statement contains, any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted
or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading and (2) no fact has come to 



                                      -7-
<PAGE>   8

such counsel's attention that has caused such counsel to believe that (except
for financial statements and schedules and other financial data included therein
as to which such counsel need not make such statement) the Prospectus, as of the
date of such written statement, contains any untrue statement of a material fact
or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading.

                  (d)      The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing 
Date an opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., counsel for the Company, dated the
Closing Date, to the effect that:

                           (i)   the Indenture has been duly qualified under the
Trust Indenture Act and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by
the Trustee, constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Company,
enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as such
enforcement is subject to any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization
or other law relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and general
principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in
a proceeding in equity or at law);

                           (ii)  the Offered Securities have been duly 
authorized and, when executed and authenticated in accordance with the
provisions of the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be entitled to the benefits of
the Indenture and will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company,
enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms,
except as such enforcement is subject to any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization or other law relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally
and general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is
considered in a proceeding in equity or at law);

                           (iii) the statements in the Prospectus under the
captions "Description of Debt Securities" and "Description of Offered
Securities," insofar as such statements constitute summaries of the legal
matters or documents referred to therein, fairly present the information called
for with respect to such legal matters or documents and fairly summarize the
matters referred to therein; and

                           (iv)  the Registration Statement and the Prospectus 
(except for financial statements and schedules and other financial data included
therein, as to which such counsel need not express any opinion) comply as to
form in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and
the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.


         With respect to the matters specified in subparagraphs (i) and (ii) of
this paragraph (d), such counsel shall be entitled to rely on the opinion of the
Company's counsel referred to in paragraph (c) above.



                                   -8-

<PAGE>   9




         The opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. described in this paragraph (d)
shall be rendered to the Underwriters at the request of the Company and shall so
state therein.

         Such counsel shall also deliver to the Underwriters a written statement
to the effect that (1) no fact has come to such counsel's attention that has
caused such counsel to believe that (except for financial statements and
schedules and other financial data included therein as to which such counsel
need not make such statement and except for that part of the Registration
Statement that constitutes the Form T-1 heretofore referred to) the Registration
Statement, when it became effective, contained, or as of the date of such
written statement contains, any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted
or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading and (2) no fact has come to such
counsel's attention that has caused such counsel to believe that (except for
financial statements and schedules and other financial data included therein as
to which such counsel need not make such statement) the Prospectus, as of the
date of such written statement, contained any untrue statement of a material
fact or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading. Such counsel may state that such statements are based upon their
participation in the preparation of the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and review and discussion
of the contents thereof (including the documents incorporated therein by
reference), but are without independent check or verification, except as
specified.

                  (e) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date
         an opinion of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional
         Corporation, special counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Closing
         Date, covering the matters referred to in subparagraphs (ii) and (iii)
         of paragraph (c) above and subparagraphs (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) of
         paragraph (d) above. Such counsel shall also deliver to the
         Underwriters a written statement covering the matters described in the
         last paragraph of paragraph (d) above and may state that such
         statements are based upon their participation in the preparation of the
         Registration Statement and Prospectus and any amendments or supplements
         thereto (but not including documents incorporated therein by reference)
         and review and discussion of the contents thereof (including documents
         incorporated therein by reference), but are without independent check
         or verification, except as specified.
                  
                  (f) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date a
         letter, dated the Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to
         the Underwriters, from Price Waterhouse LLP, the Company's independent
         accountants, containing statements and information of the type
         ordinarily included in accountants' "comfort letters" to underwriters
         with respect to the financial statements and certain financial
         information contained in or incorporated by reference into the
         Prospectus.

                                      -9-
<PAGE>   10

                  5.  COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY. In further consideration of the
agreements of the Underwriters herein contained, the Company covenants with each
Underwriter as follows:

                  (a) To furnish to each Underwriter a conformed copy of the
         Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and to furnish to
         the Manager in New York City, without charge, prior to 3:00 p.m. local
         time on the business day following the date of this Agreement and
         during the period mentioned in paragraph (c) below, as many copies
         of the Prospectus, any documents incorporated by reference therein and
         any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement
         as the Manager may reasonably request.

                  (b) Before amending or supplementing the Registration
         Statement or the Prospectus with respect to the Offered Securities, to
         furnish to the Manager a copy of each such proposed amendment or
         supplement and not to file any such proposed amendment or supplement to
         which the Manager reasonably objects.

                  (c) If, during such period after the first date of the public
         offering of the Offered Securities as in the opinion of counsel for the
         Underwriters the Prospectus is required by law to be delivered in
         connection with sales of Offered Securities by an Underwriter or
         dealer, but in any event no later than 270 days after the date of this
         Agreement, any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of
         which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to
         make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the
         Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if, in the
         opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or
         supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to
         prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to
         the Underwriters and to the dealers (whose names and addresses the
         Manager will furnish to the Company) to which Offered Securities may
         have been sold by the Manager on behalf of the Underwriters and to any
         other dealers upon request, either amendments or supplements to the
         Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or
         supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the
         Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the
         Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable
         law.

                  (d) To endeavor to qualify the Offered Securities for offer
         and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as
         the Manager shall reasonably request and to maintain such qualification
         for as long as the Manager shall reasonably request.


                                      -10-

<PAGE>   11

                  (e) To make generally available to the Company's security
         holders and to the Manager as soon as practicable an earning statement
         or statements that will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the
         Securities Act and Rule 158 under the Securities Act.

                  (f) During the period beginning on the date of this Agreement
         and continuing to and including the Closing Date, not to offer, sell,
         contract to sell or otherwise dispose of any debt securities of the
         Company or warrants to purchase debt securities of the Company
         substantially similar to the Offered Securities (other than (i) the
         Offered Securities and (ii) commercial paper issued in the ordinary
         course of business), without the prior written consent of the Manager.

                  (g) To pay all expenses incident to the performance of its
         obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the fees, disbursements
         and expenses of the Company's counsel and the Company's accountants in
         connection with the registration and delivery of the Offered Securities
         under the Securities Act and all other fees or expenses in connection
         with the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement, the
         Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and amendments and supplements
         to any of the foregoing, including all printing costs associated
         therewith, and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the
         Underwriters and dealers; (ii) all costs and expenses related to the
         transfer and delivery of the Offered Securities to the Underwriters,
         including any transfer or other taxes payable thereon; (iii) the
         reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in
         connection with qualification of the Offered Securities for offer and
         sale under state securities or Blue Sky laws as provided in Section
         5(d) hereof; (iv) the cost of printing certificates representing the
         Offered Securities; and (v) the costs and charges of any transfer
         agent, registrar or depositary.

                  6. INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION. (a) The Company agrees to
indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter and each person, if any, who
controls either Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the
Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act from and against any and all
losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any
legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by either Underwriter or any such
controlling person in connection with defending or investigating any such action
or claim) caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof,
the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented if the
Company shall have furnished any amendments or supplements thereto), or caused
by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to
be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading,
except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities are caused by any
such untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission based
upon information relating to either Underwriter furnished to the Company in
writing by such Underwriter through the Manager expressly for use therein.


                                      -11-
<PAGE>   12

                  (b) Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to
indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who signed
the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company
within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of
the Exchange Act to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company
to such Underwriter, but only with reference to information relating to such
Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the
Manager expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary
Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto.

                  (c) In case any proceeding (including any governmental
investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which
indemnity may be sought pursuant to either paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section
6, such person (the "indemnified party") shall promptly notify the person
against whom such indemnity may be sought (the "indemnifying party") in writing
and the indemnifying party, upon request of the indemnified party, shall retain
counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the
indemnified party and any others the indemnifying party may designate in such
proceeding and shall pay the fees and disbursements of such counsel reasonably
incurred related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any indemnified
party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses
of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the
indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the
retention of such counsel or (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding
(including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the
indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would
be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It
is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in respect of the legal
expenses of any indemnified party in connection with any proceeding or related
proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of
more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all such
indemnified parties and that all such fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as
they are incurred. Such firm shall be designated in writing by the Manager, in
the case of parties indemnified pursuant to paragraph (a) above, and by the
Company, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to paragraph (b) above. The
indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding
effected without its prior written consent, but if settled with such consent or
if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to
indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason
of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at
any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to
reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated
by the second and third sentences of this paragraph, the indemnifying party
agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected
without its prior written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more
than 30 days after 


                                      -12-
<PAGE>   13

receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such
indemnifying party shall have neither (A) reimbursed the indemnified party in
accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement nor (B)
notified the indemnified party in writing that it is disputing some or all of
the indemnified party's claim for indemnification. No indemnifying party shall,
without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any
settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any
indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been
sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an
unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims
that are the subject matter of such proceeding.

                  (d) To the extent the indemnification provided for in
paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section 6 is unavailable to an indemnified party or
insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred
to therein, then each indemnifying party under such paragraph, in lieu of
indemnifying such indemnified party thereunder, shall contribute to the amount
paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims,
damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the
relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters
on the other hand from the offering of the Offered Securities or (ii) if the
allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in
such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits
referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on
the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the
statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or
liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The
relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters
on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities
shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds
from the offering of such Offered Securities (before deducting expenses)
received by the Company and the total underwriting discounts and commissions
received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the
cover of the Prospectus Supplement, bear to the aggregate public offering price
of the Offered Securities. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and
the Underwriters on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among
other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact
or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to
information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties'
relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or
prevent such statement or omission. The Underwriters' respective obligations to
contribute pursuant to this Section 6 are several in proportion to the
respective principal amounts of Offered Securities they have purchased
hereunder, and not joint.

                  (e) The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not
be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 6 were determined
by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for
such purpose) or by any other method of 



                                      -13-
<PAGE>   14

allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred
to in paragraph (d) of this Section 6. The amount paid or payable by an
indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities
referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph shall be deemed to include,
subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses
reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating
or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this
Section 6, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess
of the amount by which the total price at which the Offered Securities
underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public
exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been
required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission
or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within
the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to
contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent
misrepresentation. The remedies provided for in this Section 6 are not exclusive
and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to
any indemnified party at law or in equity.

                  (f) The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in
this Section 6 and the representations, warranties and other statements of the
Company contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and
effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any
investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any person controlling
any Underwriter or the Company, its officers or directors or any person
controlling the Company and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the
Offered Securities.

                  7.  TERMINATION. This Agreement shall be subject to
termination by notice given by the Manager to the Company, if (a) after the
execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date (i)
trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on or by, as
the case may be, any of the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock
Exchange, the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., the Chicago
Board of Options Exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange or the Chicago Board
of Trade, (ii) trading of any securities of the Company shall have been
suspended on The Nasdaq National Market, (iii) a general moratorium on
commercial banking activities in New York shall have been declared by either
Federal or New York State authorities or (iv) there shall have occurred any
outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any
calamity or crisis that, in the judgment of the Manager, is material and
adverse and (b) in the case of any of the events specified in clauses (a)(i)
through (iv), such event, singly or together with any other such event, makes
it, in the judgment of the Manager, impracticable to market the Offered
Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.     

                  8.  DEFAULTING UNDERWRITERS. If, on the Closing Date, either
of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Offered Securities that it
has agreed to purchase hereunder on such 
                                                                              



                                      -14-
<PAGE>   15

date, and the aggregate amount of Offered Securities which such defaulting
Underwriter agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth
of the aggregate amount of the Offered Securities to be purchased on such date,
the other Underwriter shall be obligated to purchase the Offered Securities
which such defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed or refused to purchase on
such date; provided that in no event shall the amount of Offered Securities that
either of the Underwriters has agreed to purchase pursuant to this Agreement be
increased pursuant to this Section 8 by an amount in excess of one-ninth of such
amount of Offered Securities without the written consent of such Underwriter.
If, on the Closing Date, either or both of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse
to purchase Offered Securities and the aggregate amount of Offered Securities
with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the
aggregate amount of Offered Securities to be purchased on such date, and
arrangements satisfactory to the Manager and the Company for the purchase of
such Offered Securities are not made within 36 hours after such default, this
Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting
Underwriter or the Company. In any such case either the Manager or the Company
shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer
than seven days, in order that the required changes, if any, in the Registration
Statement and in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be
effected. Any action taken under this paragraph shall not relieve any defaulting
Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under
this Agreement.

                  If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters, or
either of them, because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Company to
comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or
if for any reason the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations under
this Agreement, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters or such Underwriters
as have so terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves, severally, for
all out-of-pocket expenses (including the fees and disbursements of their
counsel) reasonably incurred by such Underwriters in connection with this
Agreement or the offering contemplated hereunder.

                  9.  COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be signed in two or more
counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the
signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.

                  10. APPLICABLE LAW. This Agreement shall be governed by and
construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York.

                  11. HEADINGS. The headings of the sections of this Agreement
have been inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed a
part of this Agreement.

                  12. SUCCESSORS. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of
and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors, and no
other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.



                                      -15-

<PAGE>   16

                  13. NOTICES. All communications hereunder will be in writing
and effective only on receipt, and if sent to the Underwriters, will be mailed,
delivered or sent by facsimile transmission and confirmed to the Manager at 1585
Broadway, 2nd Floor, New York, New York 10036 (facsimile number, 212-761-0538),
attention: Legal Department; or if sent to the Company, will be mailed,
delivered or sent by facsimile transmission and confirmed to the Company at One
Dell Way, Round Rock, Texas 78682 (facsimile number 512-728-0538), attention:
Treasurer.

                                                   Very truly yours,


                                                   Dell Computer Corporation


                                                   By: /s/ Alex C. Smith
                                                      --------------------------
                                                      Alex C. Smith
                                                      Vice President, Treasurer


Accepted, April 22, 1998

Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Acting severally on behalf of themselves 
   and the several Underwriters named herein.

By Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated


By: /s/ Steven B. Fitzpatrick
   ----------------------------------------



                                      -16-
<PAGE>   17


                                   SCHEDULE I




<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                 PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF         PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF
                                                  SENIOR NOTES TO BE          SENIOR DEBENTURES
                     UNDERWRITER                      PURCHASED                TO BE PURCHASED
                     -----------                 -------------------          ------------------
<S>                                                  <C>                        <C>         
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated..............      $100,000,000               $150,000,000
Goldman, Sachs & Co............................      $100,000,000               $150,000,000
                                                                      
                                                     ------------               ------------
   Total                                             $200,000,000               $300,000,000
                                                     ============               ============
</TABLE>



<PAGE>   1
                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.2




================================================================================





                           DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION

                                      AND

                   CHASE BANK OF TEXAS, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
                                   AS TRUSTEE


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

                                   INDENTURE

                           DATED AS OF APRIL 27, 1998

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

                                DEBT SECURITIES
            AS MAY BE ISSUED FROM TIME TO TIME IN ONE OR MORE SERIES





================================================================================
<PAGE>   2
                           DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION

                 CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THIS INDENTURE RELATING TO
                      SECTIONS 310 THROUGH 318, INCLUSIVE,
                      OF THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
     TRUST INDENTURE                                                                  INDENTURE
       ACT SECTION                                                                     SECTION       
- -------------------------                                                      ----------------------
     <S>                                                                       <C>
     Section 310(a)(1)   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 609
                (a)(2)   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 609
                (a)(3)   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Not Applicable
                (a)(4)   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Not Applicable
                (b)      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 608
                                                                               610
     Section 311(a)      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 613
                (b)      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 613
     Section 312(a)      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 701
                                                                               702(a)
                (b)      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702(b)
                (c)      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702(c)
     Section 313(a)      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 703(a)
                (b)      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 703(a)
                (c)      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 703(a)
                (d)      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 703(b)
     Section 314(a)      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704
                (a)(4)   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1004
                (b)      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Not Applicable
                (c)(1)   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
                (c)(2)   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
                (c)(3)   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Not Applicable
                (d)      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Not Applicable
                (e)      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
     Section 315(a)      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 601, 603(1)
                (b)      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 602
                (c)      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 601
                (d)      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 601
                (e)      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 514
     Section 316(a)      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
                (a)(1)(A). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512
                (a)(1)(B). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 513
                (a)(2)   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Not Applicable
                (b)      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 508
                (c)      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104(e)
</TABLE>


                                     i


<PAGE>   3
<TABLE>
     <S>                                                                       <C>
     Section 317(a)(1)   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503
                (a)(2)   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 504
                (b)      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1003
     Section 318(a)      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
</TABLE>


This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed part of the
Indenture.





                                       ii
<PAGE>   4
                               TABLE OF CONTENTS

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                                                     PAGE
                                                                                                                     ----
<S>              <C>                                                                                                   <C>
                                                       ARTICLE ONE

                                 DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION

Section 101.     Definitions  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Section 102.     Certificates and Opinions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
Section 103.     Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  11
Section 104.     Acts of Holders; Record Dates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  11
Section 105.     Notices, Etc., to Trustee and Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  13
Section 106.     Notice to Holders; Waiver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  13
Section 107.     Conflict with Trust Indenture Act. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  14
Section 108.     Effect of Headings and Table of Contents.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  14
Section 109.     Successors and Assigns.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  14
Section 110.     Separability Clause. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  14
Section 111.     Benefits of Indenture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  14
Section 112.     Governing Law. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  15
Section 113.     Legal Holidays.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  15
Section 114.     No Recourse Against Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  15

                                                       ARTICLE TWO

                                                      SECURITY FORMS

Section 201.     Forms Generally. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  15
Section 202.     Form of Face of Security.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  16
Section 203.     Form of Reverse of Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  20
Section 204.     Form of Legend for Global Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  25
Section 205.     Form of Trustee's Certificate of Authentication  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  25

                                                      ARTICLE THREE

                                                      THE SECURITIES

Section 301.     Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  26
Section 302.     Denominations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  29
Section 303.     Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  29
</TABLE>





                                      -i-
<PAGE>   5
<TABLE>
<S>              <C>                                                                                                   <C>
Section 304.     Temporary Securities.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  31
Section 305.     Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange.   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  31
Section 306.     Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  33
Section 307.     Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  34
Section 308.     Persons Deemed Owners  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  35
Section 309.     Cancellation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  36
Section 310.     Computation of Interest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  36
Section 311.     Wire Transfers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  36
Section 312.     CUSIP Numbers  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  37

                                                       ARTICLE FOUR

                                                SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE

Section 401.     Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  37
Section 402.     Application of Trust Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  38

                                                       ARTICLE FIVE

                                                 REMEDIES OF THE TRUSTEE
                                             AND HOLDERS IN EVENT OF DEFAULT

Section 501.     Events of Default. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  39
Section 502.     Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  41
Section 503.     Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  43
Section 504.     Trustee May File Proofs of Claim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  44
Section 505.     Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  44
Section 506.     Application of Money Collected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  44
Section 507.     Limitation on Suits  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  46
Section 508.     Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest  . . . . . . . . . . . . .  46
Section 509.     Restoration of Rights and Remedies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  46
Section 510.     Rights and Remedies Cumulative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  47
Section 511.     Delay or Omission Not Waiver.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  47
Section 512.     Control by Holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  47
Section 513.     Waiver of Past Defaults  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  48
Section 514.     Undertaking for Costs  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  48
Section 515.     Waiver of Stay or Extension Laws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  49
</TABLE>





                                      -ii-
<PAGE>   6
<TABLE>
<S>              <C>                                                                                                   <C>
                                                       ARTICLE SIX

                                                       THE TRUSTEE

Section 601.     Certain Duties and Responsibilities  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  49
Section 602.     Notice of Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  49
Section 603.     Certain Rights of Trustee  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  50
Section 604.     Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  51
Section 605.     May Hold Securities  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  51
Section 606.     Money Held in Trust  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  51
Section 607.     Compensation and Reimbursement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  51
Section 608.     Disqualification; Conflicting Interests  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  52
Section 609.     Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  52
Section 610.     Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  53
Section 611.     Acceptance of Appointment by Successor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  54
Section 612.     Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  55
Section 613.     Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  56
Section 614.     Appointment of Authenticating Agent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  56
Section 615.     Compliance with Tax Laws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  58

                                                      ARTICLE SEVEN

                                    HOLDERS' LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY

Section 701.     Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  59
Section 702.     Preservation of Information; Communications to Holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  59
Section 703.     Reports by Trustee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  60
Section 704.     Reports by Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  60

                                                      ARTICLE EIGHT

                                   CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE

Section 801.     Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  60
Section 802.     Successor Substituted  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  61
</TABLE>





                                     -iii-
<PAGE>   7
<TABLE>
<S>              <C>                                                                                                   <C>
                                                       ARTICLE NINE

                                                 SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES

Section 901.     Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  61
Section 902.     Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  63
Section 903.     Execution of Supplemental Indentures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  64
Section 904.     Effect of Supplemental Indentures  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  64
Section 905.     Conformity with Trust Indenture Act  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  64
Section 906.     Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  64

                                                       ARTICLE TEN

                                           PARTICULAR COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY

Section 1001.    Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  65
Section 1002.    Maintenance of Office or Agency  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  65
Section 1003.    Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  65
Section 1004.    Statement by Officers as to Default  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  66
Section 1005.    Existence  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  66
Section 1006.    Maintenance of Properties  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  67
Section 1007.    Payment of Taxes and Other Claims  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  67
Section 1008.    Limitations on Liens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  67
Section 1009.    Limitations on Sale and Lease-Back Transactions  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  68
Section 1010.    Waiver of Certain Covenants  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  68

                                                      ARTICLE ELEVEN

                                                 REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES

Section 1101.    Applicability of Article.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  69
Section 1102.    Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  69
Section 1103.    Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  69
Section 1104.    Notice of Redemption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  70
Section 1105.    Deposit of Redemption Price  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  71
Section 1106.    Securities Payable on Redemption Date  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  71
Section 1107.    Securities Redeemed in Part  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  72
</TABLE>





                                      -iv-
<PAGE>   8
<TABLE>
<S>              <C>                                                                                                   <C>
                                                      ARTICLE TWELVE

                                                      SINKING FUNDS

Section 1201.    Applicability of Article . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  72
Section 1202.    Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  72
Section 1203.    Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  73

                                                     ARTICLE THIRTEEN

                                            DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE

Section 1301.    Company's Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  73
Section 1302.    Defeasance and Discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  73
Section 1303.    Covenant Defeasance  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  74
Section 1304.    Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  74
Section 1305.    Deposited Money and U.S. Government Obligations to be Held in Trust; Indemnity for U.S. Government
                 Obligations; Repayment to Company  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  76
Section 1306.    Reinstatement  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  76

                                                     ARTICLE FOURTEEN

                                         REPAYMENT AT OPTION OF SECURITY HOLDERS

Section 1401.    Applicability of Article . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  77
Section 1402.    Repayment of Securities  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  77
Section 1403.    Exercise of Option; Notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  77
Section 1404.    Securities Payable on the Repayment Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  78
</TABLE>





                                      -v-
<PAGE>   9
         INDENTURE, dated as of April 27, 1998, between DELL COMPUTER
CORPORATION, a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the
State of Delaware (herein called the "Company"), having its principal office at
One Dell Way, Round Rock, Texas 78682, and CHASE BANK OF TEXAS, NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION, a national banking association duly organized and existing under
the laws of the United States, as Trustee hereunder (herein called the
"Trustee").

                            RECITALS OF THE COMPANY

         The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this
Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of its senior unsecured
debentures, notes or other evidences of indebtedness (herein called the
"Securities"), unlimited as to principal amount, to bear such rates of
interest, to mature at such time or times, to be issued in one or more series
and to have such other provisions as shall be fixed as hereinafter provided.

         All things necessary to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the
Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done.

         NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH

         For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the
Securities by the Holders thereof, it is mutually agreed, for the equal and
proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Securities or of series thereof, as
follows:


                                  ARTICLE ONE

            DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION

Section 101.     Definitions.

         For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly
provided or unless the context otherwise requires:

                 (1)      the terms defined in this Article have the meanings
         assigned to them in this Article and include the plural as well as the
         singular;

                 (2)      all other terms used herein which are defined in the
         Trust Indenture Act, either directly or by reference therein, have the
         meanings assigned to them therein;

                 (3)      all accounting terms not otherwise defined herein
         have the meanings assigned to them in accordance with generally
         accepted accounting principles in the United States of America, and,
         except as otherwise herein expressly provided, the term "generally
         accepted accounting principles" with respect to any computation
         required or
<PAGE>   10
         permitted hereunder shall mean such accounting principles as are
         generally accepted at the date of such computation; and

                 (4)      the words "herein", "hereof" and "hereunder" and
         other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and
         not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision.

         "Act", when used with respect to any Holder, has the meaning specified
in Section 104.

         "Affiliate" of any specified Person means any other Person directly or
indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common
control with such specified Person.  For the purposes of this definition,
"control" when used with respect to any specified Person means the power to
direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly,
whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise;
and the terms "controlling" and "controlled" have meanings correlative to the
foregoing.

         "Attributable Debt" when used in connection with a Sale and Lease-Back
Transaction involving a Principal Property means, at the time of determination,
the lesser of (a) the fair market value of such property (as determined in good
faith by the Company's Board of Directors), (b) the present value of the total
net amount of rent required to be paid under the lease during the remaining
term thereof (including any renewal term or period for which such lease has
been extended) computed by discounting from the respective due dates to such
date such total net amount of rent at the rate of interest set forth or
implicit in the terms of such lease or, if not practicable to determine such
rate, the rate per annum equal to the weighted average interest rate per annum
borne by the Securities of each series Outstanding pursuant to this Indenture
compounded semi-annually, or (c) if the obligation with respect to the Sale and
Lease-Back Transaction constitutes an obligation that is required to be
classified and accounted for as a capitalized lease for financial reporting
purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, the
amount equal to the capitalized amount of such obligation determined in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and included in the
financial statements of the lessee.  For purposes of the foregoing definition,
rent shall not include amounts required to be paid by the lessee, whether or
not designated as rent or additional rent, on account of or contingent upon
maintenance and repairs, insurance, taxes, assessments, water rates and similar
charges.  In the case of any lease that is terminable by the lessee upon the
payment of a penalty, such net amount shall be the lesser of the net amount
determined assuming termination upon the first date such lease may be
terminated (in which case the net amount shall also include the amount of the
penalty, but no rent shall be considered as required to be paid under such
lease subsequent to the first date upon which it may be so terminated) or the
net amount determined assuming no such termination.

         "Authenticating Agent" means any Person authorized by the Trustee
pursuant to Section 614 to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate
Securities of one or more series.





                                       2
<PAGE>   11
         "Board of Directors" means either the board of directors of the
Company or any committee of that board duly authorized to act for it in respect
thereof.

         "Board Resolution" means a copy of one or more resolutions certified
by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly
adopted by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the
date of such certification, and delivered to the Trustee.

         "Business Day", when used with respect to any Place of Payment, means
each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on
which banking institutions in that Place of Payment are authorized or obligated
by law or executive order to close, except as may otherwise be provided in the
form of Securities of any particular series pursuant to the provisions of this
Indenture.

         "Commission" means the Securities and Exchange Commission, as from
time to time constituted, created under the Exchange Act, or, if at any time
after the execution of this instrument such Commission is not existing and
performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture Act, then
the body performing such duties at such time.

         "Company" means the Person named as the "Company" in the first
paragraph of this instrument until a successor Person shall have become such
pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter
"Company" shall mean such successor Person.

         "Company Request" or "Company Order" means a written request or order
signed in the name of the Company by its Chairman, its Vice Chairman, its
President or a Vice President, and by its Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer,
its Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, and delivered to the Trustee.

         "Consolidated Net Tangible Assets" means, as of any particular time,
the aggregate amount of assets (less applicable reserves and other properly
deductible items) after deducting therefrom: (a) all current liabilities except
for (1) notes and loans payable, (2) current maturities of long-term debt and
(3) current maturities of obligations under capital leases; and (b) to the
extent included in such aggregate amount of assets, all goodwill, trade names,
trademarks, patents, organization expenses, unamortized debt discount and
expenses (other than capitalized unamortized product development costs, such
as, without limitation, capitalized hardware and software development costs),
all as set forth on the most recent consolidated balance sheet of the Company
and its consolidated subsidiaries and computed in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles.

         "Corporate Trust Office" means the principal office of the Trustee at
which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be conducted,
which office, at the date of execution of this Indenture, is located at 700
Lavaca Street, Suite 500, Austin, Texas 78701.





                                       3
<PAGE>   12
         "Corporation" means a corporation, association, company, joint-stock
company or business trust.

         "Covenant Defeasance" has the meaning specified in Section 1303.

         "Debt" has the meaning specified in Section 1008.

         "Defaulted Interest" has the meaning specified in Section 307.

         "Defeasance" has the meaning specified in Section 1302.

         "Depositary" means, with respect to Securities of any series issuable
in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, a clearing
agency registered under the Exchange Act that is designated to act as
Depositary for such Securities as contemplated by Section 301.

         "Event of Default" has the meaning specified in Section 501.

         "Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

         "Global Security" means a Security that evidences all or part of the
Securities of any series and is authenticated and delivered to, and registered
in the name of, the Depositary for such Securities or a nominee thereof.

         "Holder" means a Person in whose name a Security is registered in the
Security Register.

         "Indenture" means this instrument as originally executed or as it may
from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures
supplemental hereto entered into pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof,
including, for all purposes of this instrument and any such supplemental
indenture, the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are deemed to be a
part of and govern this instrument and any such supplemental indenture,
respectively.  The term "Indenture" shall also include the terms of the
particular series of Securities established as contemplated by Section 301;
provided, however, that if at any time more than one Person is acting as
Trustee under this Indenture due to the appointment of one or more separate
Trustees for any one or more separate series of Securities, "Indenture" shall
mean, with respect to such series of Securities for which any such Person is
Trustee, this instrument as originally executed or as it may from time to time
be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures supplemental hereto
entered into pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof and shall include the
terms of particular series of Securities for which such Person is Trustee
established as contemplated by Section 301, exclusive, however, of any
provisions or terms which relate solely to other series of Securities for which
such Person is not Trustee, regardless of when such terms or provisions were
adopted, and exclusive of any provisions or terms adopted by means of one or
more indentures supplemental hereto executed and delivered after such Person
had become such Trustee, but to which such Person, as such Trustee, was not a
party; provided further that in the





                                       4
<PAGE>   13
event that this indenture is supplemented or amended by one or more indentures
supplemental hereto which are only applicable to certain series of Securities,
the term "Indenture" for a particular series of Securities shall only include
the supplemental indentures applicable thereto.

         "Interest", when used with respect to an Original Issue Discount
Security which by its terms bears interest only after Maturity, means interest
payable after Maturity.

         "Interest Payment Date", when used with respect to any Security, means
the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on such Security.

         "Lien" and "liens", have the respective meanings specified in Section
1008.

         "Maturity", when used with respect to any Security, means the date on
which the principal of such Security or an installment of principal becomes due
and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by
declaration of acceleration, call for redemption, exercise of option for
repayment or otherwise.

         "Nonrecourse Obligation" means indebtedness or other obligations
substantially related to (a) the acquisition of assets not previously owned by
the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or (b) the financing of a project
involving the development or expansion of properties of the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary, as to which the obligee with respect to such
indebtedness or obligation has no recourse to the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary or any assets of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary other than
the assets which were acquired with the proceeds of such transaction or the
project financed with the proceeds of such transaction (and the proceeds
thereof).

         "Notice of Default" means a written notice of the kind specified in
Sections 501(4), 501(5) and (501)(6).

         "Officers' Certificate" means a certificate signed by the Chairman,
any Vice Chairman, the President or a Vice President, and by the Treasurer, an
Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, of the Company,
and delivered to the Trustee.

         "Opinion of Counsel" means a written opinion of counsel, who may be
counsel for the Company (and who may be an employee of the Company), or other
counsel acceptable to the Trustee.

         "Original Issue Discount Security" means any Security which provides
for an amount less than the principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon
a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 502.

         "Outstanding", when used with respect to Securities, means, as of the
date of determination, all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered
under this Indenture, except:





                                       5
<PAGE>   14
         (1)     Securities theretofore canceled by the Trustee or delivered to
the Trustee for cancellation;

         (2)     Securities for whose payment or redemption money in the
necessary amount has been theretofore deposited with the Trustee or any Paying
Agent (other than the Company) in trust or set aside and segregated in trust by
the Company (if the Company shall act as its own Paying Agent) for the Holders
of such Securities; provided that, if such Securities are to be redeemed,
notice of such redemption has been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or
provision therefor satisfactory to the Trustee has been made;

         (3)     Securities as to which Defeasance has been effected pursuant
to Section 1302; and

         (4)     Securities which have been paid pursuant to Section 306 or in
exchange for or in lieu of which other Securities have been authenticated and
delivered pursuant to this Indenture, other than any such Securities in respect
of which there shall have been presented to the Trustee proof satisfactory to
it that such Securities are held by a bona fide purchaser in whose hands such
Securities are valid obligations of the Company; provided, however, that in
determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of the
Outstanding Securities have given any request, demand, authorization,
direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder or are present at a meeting of
Holders for quorum purposes, (a) the principal amount of an Original Issue
Discount Security that shall be deemed to be Outstanding shall be the amount of
the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such
determination upon acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section
502, (b) the principal amount of a Security denominated in one or more foreign
currencies or currency units shall be the U.S. dollar equivalent, determined in
the manner provided as contemplated by Section 301 on the date of original
issuance of such Security, of the principal amount (or, in the case of an
Original Issue Discount Security, the U.S. dollar equivalent on the date of
original issuance of such Security of the amount determined as provided in (a)
above) of such Security, and (c) Securities owned by the Company or any other
obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other
obligor shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding, except that, in
determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such
request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver or upon
any such determination as to the presence of a quorum, only Securities which
the Trustee knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded.  Securities so owned
which have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if the
pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee's right so
to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company
or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of
such other obligor.

         "Paying Agent" means any Person authorized by the Company to pay the
principal of or any premium or interest on any Securities on behalf of the
Company.

         "Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint
venture, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or
political subdivision thereof.





                                       6
<PAGE>   15
         "Permitted Liens" means (a) liens on property, shares of stock,
indebtedness or other assets of any corporation existing at the time such
corporation becomes a Restricted Subsidiary; provided that such liens are not
incurred in anticipation of such corporation becoming a Restricted Subsidiary;
(b)(i) liens on property, shares of stock, indebtedness or other assets
existing at the time of acquisition thereof by the Company or a Restricted
Subsidiary or liens thereon to secure the payment of all or any part of the
purchase price thereof, or (ii) liens on property, shares of stock,
indebtedness or other assets to secure any Debt incurred prior to, at the time
of, or within one year after, the latest of the acquisition thereof, or, in the
case of property, the completion of construction, the completion of
improvements or the commencement of substantial commercial operation of such
property for the purpose of financing all or any part of the purchase price
thereof, such construction or the making of such improvements; (c) liens
securing Debt owing to the Company or to a Restricted Subsidiary; (d) liens
existing on the date of initial issuance of the Securities of such series; (e)
liens on property or other assets of a corporation (which is not a Subsidiary)
existing at the time such corporation is merged into or consolidated with the
Company or a Restricted Subsidiary or at the time of a sale, lease or other
disposition of the properties of a corporation as an entirety or substantially
as an entirety to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary; (f) liens in favor of
the United States of America or any State, territory or possession thereof (or
the District of Columbia), or any department, agency, instrumentality or
political subdivision of the United States of America or any State, territory
or possession thereof (or the District of Columbia), to secure partial,
progress, advance or other payments pursuant to any contract or statute or to
secure any Debt incurred for the purpose of financing all or any part of the
purchase price or the cost of constructing or improving the property subject to
such liens; (g) liens created in connection with a project financed with, and
created to secure, a Nonrecourse Obligation; (h) liens on any property to
secure bonds for the construction, installation or financing of pollution
control or abatement facilities, or other forms of industrial revenue bond
financing, or indebtedness issued or guaranteed by the United States, any state
or any department, agency or instrumentality thereof; and (i) any extension,
renewal or replacement (or successive extensions, renewals or replacements), in
whole or in part, of any lien referred to in the foregoing clauses (a) to (h),
inclusive, without increase of the principal of the Debt secured thereby;
provided, however, that any lien permitted by any of the foregoing clauses (a)
through (h) shall not extend to or cover any property of the Company or such
Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, other than the property specified in
such clauses and improvements thereto.

         "Place of Payment", when used with respect to the Securities of any
series, means the place or places where the principal of and any premium and
interest on the Securities of that series are payable as specified as
contemplated by Section 301.

         "Predecessor Security" of any particular Security means every previous
Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such
particular Security and, for the purposes of this definition, any Security
authenticated and delivered under Section 306 in exchange for or in lieu of a
mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the
same debt as the mutilated destroyed, lost or stolen Security.





                                       7
<PAGE>   16
         "Principal Property" means the land, land improvements, buildings and
fixtures (to the extent they constitute real property interests) (including any
leasehold interest therein) constituting the principal corporate office, any
manufacturing plant or any manufacturing facility (whether owned at the date of
this Indenture or thereafter acquired) and any equipment located thereon which
(a) is owned by the Company or any Subsidiary; (b) is located within any of the
present 50 states of the United States of America (or the District of
Columbia); (c) has not been determined in good faith by the Board of Directors
not to be materially important to the total business conducted by the Company
and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole; and (d) has a net book value on the date
as of which the determination is being made in excess of 1% of Consolidated Net
Tangible Assets of the Company as most recently determined on or prior to such
date (including for purposes of such calculation the land, land improvements,
buildings and such fixtures comprising such office, plant or facility, as the
case may be).

         "Redemption Date", when used with respect to any Security to be
redeemed, means the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this
Indenture.

         "Redemption Price", when used with respect to any Security to be
redeemed, means the price at which it is to be redeemed pursuant to this
Indenture.

         "Regular Record Date" for the interest payable on any Interest Payment
Date on the Securities of any series means the date specified for that purpose
as contemplated by Section 301.

         "Repayment Date", when used with respect to any Security to be repaid
upon exercise of option for repayment by the Holders, means the date fixed for
such repayment by or pursuant to this Indenture.

         "Repayment Price", when used with respect to any Security to be repaid
upon exercise of option for repayment by the Holder, means the price at which
it is to be repaid pursuant to this Indenture.

         "Responsible Officer", when used with respect to the Trustee, means
the chairman or any vice-chairman of the board of directors, the chairman or
any vice-chairman of the executive committee of the board of directors, the
chairman of the trust committee, the president, any vice president, the
secretary, any assistant secretary, the treasurer, any assistant treasurer, the
cashier, any assistant cashier, any trust officer or assistant trust officer,
the controller or any assistant controller or any other officer of the Trustee
customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of the above
designated officers and also means, with respect to a particular corporate
trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of his
knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.

         "Restricted Subsidiary" means any Subsidiary which owns any Principal
Property, provided, however, that the term "Restricted Subsidiary" shall not
include (a) any Subsidiary that is principally engaged in financing
receivables, or that is principally engaged in financing the





                                       8
<PAGE>   17
Company's operations outside the United States of America; or (b) any
Subsidiary less than 80% of the voting stock of which is owned, directly or
indirectly, by the Company or by one or more other Subsidiaries, or by the
Company and one or more other Subsidiaries if the common stock of such
Subsidiary is traded on any national securities exchange or quoted on the
Nasdaq National Market or in the over-the-counter market.  For purposes of this
definition, "voting stock" has the meaning specified in the definition of
"Subsidiary" below.

         "Sale and Lease-Back Transaction" means any arrangement with any
Person providing for the leasing by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of
any Principal Property, which property has been or is to be sold or transferred
by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary to such Person, other than (a) any
such transaction involving a lease for a term of not more than three years, (b)
any such transaction between the Company and a Restricted Subsidiary or between
Restricted Subsidiaries, or (c) any such transaction executed by the time of or
within one year after the latest of the acquisition, the completion of
construction or improvement or the commencement of commercial operation of such
Principal Property.

         "Security" or "Securities" has the meaning stated in the first recital
of this Indenture and more particularly means any Security or Securities
authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.

         "Security Register" and "Security Registrar" have the respective
meanings specified in Section 305.

         "Special Record Date" for the payment of any Defaulted Interest means
a date fixed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 307.

         "Stated Maturity", when used with respect to any Security or any
installment of principal thereof or interest thereon, means the date specified
in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security or
such installment of principal or interest is due and payable.

         "Subsidiary" means (a) any corporation of which at least 66 2/3% of
the outstanding voting stock is at the time owned, directly or indirectly, by
the Company or by one or more other Subsidiaries, or (b) any other Person
(other than a corporation) in which the Company or one or more other
Subsidiaries directly or indirectly has at least 66 2/3% equity ownership and
power to direct the policies, management and affairs thereof.  For the purposes
of this definition, "voting stock" means stock that ordinarily has voting power
for the election of directors, whether at all times or only so long as no
senior class of stock has such voting power by reason of any contingency.

         "Trust Indenture Act" means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as in
force at the date as of which this instrument was executed, except as provided
in Section 905; provided, however, that in the event the Trust Indenture Act of
1939 is amended after such date, "Trust Indenture Act" means, to the extent
required by any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939.





                                       9
<PAGE>   18
         "Trustee" means the Person named as the "Trustee" in the first
paragraph of this instrument until a successor Trustee shall have become such
pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter
"Trustee" shall mean or include each Person who is then a Trustee hereunder,
and if at any time there is more than one such Person, "Trustee" as used with
respect to the Securities of any series shall mean the Trustee with respect to
Securities of that series.

         "U.S. Government Obligations" means securities that are (a) direct
obligations of the United States of America for the payment of which its full
faith and credit is pledged or (b) obligations of a Person controlled or
supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States
of America, the timely payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full
faith and credit obligation by the United States of America, which, in either
case under clauses (a) or (b) are not callable or redeemable at the option of
the issuer thereof, and shall also include a depository receipt issued by a
bank (as defined in Section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933) as custodian
with respect to any such U.S. Government Obligation or a specific payment of
interest on or principal of any such U.S.  Government Obligation held by such
custodian for the account of the holder of a depository receipt, provided that
(except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any
deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depository receipt from
any amount received by the custodian in respect of the U.S. Government
Obligation or the specific payment of principal of or interest on the U.S.
Government Obligation evidenced by such depository receipt.

         "Vice President", when used with respect to the Company, means any
vice president, whether or not designated by a number or a word or words added
before or after the title "vice president".

Section 102.     Certificates and Opinions.

         Upon any application or request by the Company to the Trustee to take
any action under any provision of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to
the Trustee such certificates and opinions as may be required under the Trust
Indenture Act.  Each such certificate or opinion shall be given in the form of
an Officers' Certificate, if to be given by an officer of the Company, or an
Opinion of Counsel, if to be given by counsel, and shall comply with the
requirements of the Trust Indenture Act and any other requirements set forth in
this Indenture.

         Every certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a
condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than those provided
for in Section 1004) shall include:

                 (1)  a statement that each individual signing such certificate
         or opinion has read such covenant or condition and the definitions
         herein related thereto;





                                       10
<PAGE>   19
                 (2)  a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the
         examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions
         contained in such certificate or opinion are based;

                 (3)  a statement that, in the opinion of each such individual,
         he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to
         enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such
         covenant or condition has been complied with; and

                 (4)  a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such
         individual, such condition or covenant has been complied with.

Section 103.     Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee.

         In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or
covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all
such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such
Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one
such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one
or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify
or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.

         Any certificate or opinion of an officer of the Company may be based,
insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or
representations by, counsel, unless such officer knows, or in the exercise of
reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations
with respect to the matters upon which his certificate or opinion is based are
erroneous.  Any such certificate or opinion of counsel may be based, insofar as
it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or
representations by, an officer or officers of the Company stating that the
information with respect to such factual matters is in the possession of the
Company, unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care
should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to
such matters are erroneous.

         Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more
applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other
instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and
form one instrument.

Section 104.     Acts of Holders; Record Dates.

                 (a)      Any request, demand, authorization, direction,
         notice, consent, waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to
         be given or taken by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one
         or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such
         Holders in person or by an agent duly appointed in writing; and,
         except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall
         become effective when such instrument or instruments are delivered to
         the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the
         Company.  Such instrument or instruments (and the action embodied
         therein and





                                       11
<PAGE>   20
         evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the "Act" of
         the Holders signing such instrument or instruments.  Proof of
         execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such
         agent shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and
         (subject to Section 601) conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the
         Company, if made in the manner provided in this Section.

                 (b)      The fact and date of the execution by any Person of
         any such instrument or writing may be proved by the affidavit of a
         witness of such execution or by a certificate of a notary public or
         other officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments of deeds,
         certifying that the individual signing such instrument or writing
         acknowledged to him the execution thereof.  Where such execution is by
         a signer acting in a capacity other than his individual capacity, such
         certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of his
         authority.  The fact and date of the execution of any such instrument
         or writing, or the authority of the Person executing the same, may
         also be proved in any other manner which the Trustee deems sufficient.

                 (c)      The ownership of Securities shall be proved by the
         Security Register.

                 (d)      Any request, demand, authorization, direction,
         notice, consent, waiver or other Act of the Holder of any Security
         shall bind every future Holder of the same Security and the Holder of
         every Security issued upon the registration of transfer thereof or in
         exchange therefor or in lieu thereof in respect of anything done,
         omitted or suffered to be done by the Trustee or the Company in
         reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon
         such Security.

                 (e)      The Company may, in the circumstances permitted by
         the Trust Indenture Act, fix any day as the record date for the
         purpose of determining the Holders of Securities of any series
         entitled to give or take any request, demand, authorization,
         direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, or to vote on any
         action, authorized or permitted to be given or taken by Holders of
         Securities of such series.  If not set by the Company prior to the
         first solicitation of a Holder of Securities of such series made by
         any Person in respect of any such action, or, in the case of any such
         vote, prior to such vote, the record date for any such action or vote
         shall be the 30th day (or, if later, the date of the most recent list
         of Holders required to be provided pursuant to Section 701) prior to
         such first solicitation or vote, as the case may be.  With regard to
         any record date for action to be taken by the Holders of one or more
         series of Securities, only the Holders of Securities of such series on
         such date (or their duly designated proxies) shall be entitled to give
         or take, or vote on, the relevant action.  With regard to any record
         date set pursuant to this paragraph, the Holders of Outstanding
         Securities of the relevant series on such record date (or their duly
         appointed agents), and only such Persons, shall be entitled to give or
         take the relevant action, whether or not such Holders remain Holders
         after such record date.  With regard to any action that may be given
         or taken hereunder only by Holders of a requisite principal amount of
         Outstanding Securities of any series (or their





                                       12
<PAGE>   21
         duly appointed agents) and for which a record date is set pursuant to
         this paragraph, the Company may, at its option, set an expiration date
         after which no such action purported to be given or taken by any
         Holder shall be effective hereunder unless given or taken on or prior
         to such expiration date by Holders of the requisite principal amount
         of Outstanding Securities of such series on such record date (or their
         duly appointed agents).  On or prior to any expiration date set
         pursuant to this paragraph, the Company may, on one or more occasions
         at its option, extend such date to any later date.  Nothing in this
         paragraph shall prevent any Holder (or any duly appointed agent
         thereof) from giving or taking, after any expiration date, any action
         identical to, or, at any time, contrary to or different from, any
         action given or taken, or purported to have been given or taken,
         hereunder by a Holder on or prior to such date, in which event the
         Company may set a record date in respect thereof pursuant to this
         paragraph.  Notwithstanding the foregoing or the Trust Indenture Act,
         the Company shall not set a record date for, and the provisions of
         this paragraph shall not apply with respect to, any action to be given
         or taken by Holders pursuant to Section 501, 502 or 512.

                 (f)      Without limiting the foregoing, a Holder entitled
         hereunder to give or take any action hereunder with regard to any
         particular Security may do so with regard to all or any part of the
         principal amount of such Security or by one or more duly appointed
         agents each of which may do so pursuant to such appointment with
         regard to all or any different part of such principal amount.

Section 105.     Notices, Etc., to Trustee and Company.

         Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver
or Act of Holders or other document provided or permitted by this Indenture to
be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with,

                 (1)      the Trustee by any Holder or by the Company shall be
         sufficient for every purpose hereunder if made, given, furnished or
         filed in writing to or with the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office,
         Attention: Corporate Trust Administration, or

                 (2)      the Company by the Trustee or by any Holder shall be
         sufficient for every purpose hereunder (unless otherwise herein
         expressly provided) if in writing and mailed, first-class postage
         prepaid, to the Company addressed to the attention of the Treasurer
         at the address of the Company's principal office specified in the
         first paragraph of this instrument or at any other address previously
         furnished in writing to the Trustee by the Company; provided, however,
         that such notice shall not be deemed to be given until received by the
         Company.






                                       13
<PAGE>   22

Section 106.     Notice to Holders; Waiver.

         Where this Indenture provides for notice to Holders of any event, such
notice shall be sufficiently given (unless otherwise herein expressly provided)
if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder affected
by such event, at his address as it appears in the Security Register, not later
than the latest date (if any), and not earlier than the earliest date (if any),
prescribed for the giving of such notice.  In any case where notice to Holders
is given by mail, neither the failure to mail such notice, nor any defect in
any notice so mailed, to any particular Holder shall affect the sufficiency of
such notice with respect to other Holders.  Where this Indenture provides for
notice in any manner, such notice may be waived in writing by the Person
entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and such
waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice.  Waivers of notice by Holders
shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition
precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance upon such waiver.

         In case by reason of the suspension of regular mail service or by
reason of any other cause it shall be impracticable to give such notice by
mail, then such notification as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee
shall constitute a sufficient notification for every purpose hereunder.

Section 107.     Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.

         If any provision hereof limits, qualifies or conflicts with a
provision of the Trust Indenture Act that is required under such Act to be a
part of and govern this Indenture, the latter provision shall control.  If any
provision of this Indenture modifies or excludes any provision of the Trust
Indenture Act that may be so modified or excluded, the latter provision shall
be deemed to apply to this Indenture as so modified or to be excluded, as the
case may be.

Section 108.     Effect of Headings and Table of Contents.

         The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of Contents are
for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

Section 109.     Successors and Assigns.

         All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the Company shall
bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.

Section 110.     Separability Clause.

         In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be
invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of
the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.





                                       14
<PAGE>   23
Section 111.     Benefits of Indenture.

         Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities, express or implied,
shall give to any Person, other than the parties hereto and their successors
hereunder, any Authenticating Agent, Paying Agent, Security Registrar and the
Holders, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under
this Indenture.

Section 112.     Governing Law.

         This Indenture and the Securities shall be governed by and construed
in accordance with the laws of the State of New York (without reference to
principles of conflicts of law).

Section 113.     Legal Holidays.

         In any case where any Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date,
Repayment Date or Stated Maturity of any Security shall not be a Business Day
at any Place of Payment, then (notwithstanding any other provision of this
Indenture or the Securities (other than a provision of the Securities of any
series which specifically states that such provision shall apply in lieu of
this Section)) payment of interest or principal (and premium, if any) need not
be made at such Place of Payment on such date, but may be made on the next
succeeding Business Day at such Place of Payment with the same force and effect
as if made on the Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date, Repayment Date or at
the Stated Maturity, provided that no interest shall accrue for the period from
and after such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date, Repayment Date or Stated
Maturity, as the case may be.

Section 114.     No Recourse Against Others.

         An incorporator or any past, present or future director, officer,
employee or stockholder, as such, of the Company shall not have any liability
for any obligations of the Company under the Securities or this Indenture or
for any claim based on or otherwise in respect of the Securities or the
Indenture.  By accepting a Security, each Holder shall waive and release all
such liability.  The waiver and release shall be part of the consideration for
the issue of the Securities.


                                  ARTICLE TWO

                                 SECURITY FORMS

Section 201.     Forms Generally.

         The Securities of each series shall be in substantially the form set
forth in this Article, or in such other form as shall be established by or
pursuant to a Board Resolution or in one or more indentures supplemental
hereto, in each case with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions
and other variations as are required or permitted by this Indenture, and may
have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification and such legends or
endorsements placed





                                       15
<PAGE>   24
thereon as may be required to comply with the rules of any securities exchange
or as may, consistently herewith, be determined by the officers executing such
Securities, as evidenced by their execution of the Securities.  If the form of
Securities of any series is established by action taken pursuant to a Board
Resolution, a copy of an appropriate record of such action shall be certified
by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the
Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Company Order contemplated by
Section 303 for the authentication and delivery of such Securities.

         The definitive Securities shall be printed, lithographed or engraved
on steel engraved borders or may be produced in any other manner, all as
determined by the officers executing such Securities, as evidenced by their
execution of such Securities.

Section 202.     Form of Face of Security.

 [INSERT ANY LEGEND REQUIRED BY THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE AND THE REGULATIONS
                                 THEREUNDER.]


                           DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION

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

No._____________                                            $_______________

         DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION, a corporation duly organized and existing
under the laws of the State of Delaware (herein called the "Company", which
term includes any successor Person under the Indenture hereinafter referred
to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to _____________, or registered
assigns, the principal sum of _______________ Dollars on _________________ [IF
THE SECURITY IS TO BEAR INTEREST PRIOR TO MATURITY, INSERT--, and to pay
interest thereon from _______________ or from the most recent Interest Payment
Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, semiannually on
______________ and ___________________ in each year, commencing
_______________, at the rate of __% per annum, until the principal hereof is
paid or made available for payment [IF APPLICABLE, INSERT--, and (to the extent
that the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable) at the rate of
__% per annum on any overdue principal and premium and on any overdue
installment of interest]. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly
provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, as provided in such Indenture,
be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor
Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date
for such interest, which shall be the ________ or __________ (whether or not a
Business Day), as the case may be, next preceding such Interest Payment Date.
Any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for will forthwith
cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date and may either be
paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor
Securities) is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for
the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the





                                       16
<PAGE>   25
Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Securities of this series
not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time
in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any
securities exchange on which the Securities of this series may be listed, and
upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, all as more fully
provided in said Indenture.]

         [IF THE SECURITY IS NOT TO BEAR INTEREST PRIOR TO MATURITY, INSERT--
The principal of this Security shall not bear interest except in the case of a
default in payment of principal upon acceleration, upon redemption, upon
repayment or at Stated Maturity and in such case the overdue principal of this
Security shall bear interest at the rate of __ % per annum (to the extent that
the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable), which shall accrue
from the date of such default in payment to the date payment of such principal
has been made or duly provided for.  Interest on any overdue principal shall be
payable on demand.  Any such interest on any overdue principal that is not so
paid on demand shall bear interest at the rate of __% per annum (to the extent
that the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable), which shall
accrue from the date of such demand for payment to the date payment of such
interest has been made or duly provided for, and such interest shall also be
payable on demand.]

         Payment of principal of (and premium, if any) and [IF APPLICABLE,
INSERT--any such] interest on this Security will be made at the office or
agency of the Trustee maintained for that purpose in New York, New York, in
such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment
is legal tender for payment of public and private debts.  In the event the
Global Security representing the Securities becomes exchangeable for definitive
Securities pursuant to the terms of the Indenture, at the option of the Company
payment of interest may be made by check mailed to the address of the Person
entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register.

         [IF APPLICABLE, INSERT--So long as all of the Securities of this
series are represented by Global Securities, the principal of, premium, if any,
and interest, if any, on this Global Security shall be paid in same day funds
to the Depositary, or to such name or entity as is requested by an authorized
representative of the Depositary.  If at any time the Securities of this series
are no longer represented by the Global Securities and are issued in definitive
form ("Certificated Securities"), then the principal of, premium, if any, and
interest, if any, on each Certificated Security at Maturity shall be paid in
same day funds to the Holder upon surrender of such Certificated Security at
the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, or at such other place or places as
may be designated in or pursuant to the Indenture, provided that such
Certificated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, acting as Paying Agent, in
time for the Paying Agent to make such payments in such funds in accordance
with its normal procedures.  Payments of interest with respect to Certificated
Securities other than at Maturity may, at the option of the Company, be made by
check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as it appears on the
Security Register on the relevant Regular or Special Record Date or by wire
transfer in same day funds to such account as may have been appropriately
designated to the Paying Agent by such Person in writing not later than such
relevant Regular or Special Record Date.]





                                       17
<PAGE>   26
         Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Security
set forth on the reverse hereof, which further provisions shall for all
purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.

         Unless the certificate of authentication hereof has been executed by
the Trustee referred to on the reverse hereof by manual signature, this
Security shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid
or obligatory for any purpose.





                                       18
<PAGE>   27
         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly
executed under its corporate seal.

Dated:
                                        DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION



                                        By:                               
                                           -------------------------------




Attest:





                                       19
<PAGE>   28
Section 203.     Form of Reverse of Security.

         This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of securities of the
Company (herein called the "Securities"), issued and to be issued in one or
more series under an Indenture, dated as of                      , 19
(herein called the "Indenture"), between the Company and [Name of Trustee], as
Trustee (herein called the "Trustee", which term includes any successor trustee
under the Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental
thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights,
limitations of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the
Trustee and the Holders of the Securities and of the terms upon which the
Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered.  This Security is
one of the series designated on the face hereof [, limited in aggregate amount
to $__________].

         [IF APPLICABLE, INSERT--The Securities of this series are subject to
redemption upon not less than 30 days' notice by mail, [IF APPLICABLE,
INSERT--(1) on _____________ in any year commencing with the year and ending
with the year _________ through operation of the sinking fund for this series
at a Redemption Price equal to 100% of the principal amount, and  (2)] at any
time [on or after __________, ____ ], as a whole or in part, at the election of
the Company, at the following Redemption Prices (expressed as percentages of
the principal amount): If redeemed [on or before _______________, _________%,
and if redeemed] during the 12 month period beginning __________________ of the
years indicated, and thereafter at a Redemption Price equal to _______ % of the
principal amount, together in the case of any such redemption [IF APPLICABLE,
INSERT--(whether through operation of the sinking fund or otherwise) ] with
accrued interest to the Redemption Date, but interest installments whose Stated
Maturity is on or prior to such Redemption Date will be payable to the Holders
of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, of record at the
close of business on the relevant Record Dates referred to on the face hereof,
all as provided in the Indenture.]


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
    YEAR         REDEMPTION PRICE        YEAR       REDEMPTION PRICE
- ----------       ----------------     ----------    ----------------
<S>              <C>                     <C>        <C>

</TABLE>




         [IF APPLICABLE, INSERT--The Securities of this series are subject to
redemption upon not less than 30 days' notice by mail, (1) on _______________ in
any year commencing with the year ________ and ending with the year
______________ through operation of the sinking fund for this series at the
Redemption Prices for redemption through operation of the sinking fund
(expressed as percentages of the principal amount) set forth in the table
below, and (2) at any time [on or after ________], as a whole or in part, at
the election of the Company, at the Redemption Prices for redemption otherwise
than through operation of the sinking fund (expressed as percentages of the
principal amount) set forth in the table below:  If redeemed during the
12-month period beginning _____________ of the years indicated, and thereafter
at a Redemption Price equal to _____% of the principal amount, together in the
case of any such





                                       20
<PAGE>   29
redemption (whether through operation of the sinking fund or otherwise) with
accrued interest to the Redemption Date, but interest installments whose Stated
Maturity is on or prior to such Redemption Date will be payable to the Holders
of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, of record at the
close of business on the relevant Record Dates referred to on the face hereof,
all as provided in the Indenture.]

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                       REDEMPTION PRICE FOR
                                                 REDEMPTION PRICE FOR REDEMPTION       REDEMPTION OTHERWISE
                                                 THROUGH OPERATION OF THE SINKING     THAN THROUGH OPERATION
     YEAR                SINKING FUND                          FUND                    OF THE SINKING FUND
- --------------- ----------------------------- -------------------------------------- -------------------------
<S>             <C>                           <C>                                    <C>        
</TABLE>





         [Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may not, prior to
___________, redeem any Securities of this series as contemplated by [Clause
(2) of] the preceding paragraph as a part of, or in anticipation of, any
refunding operation by the application, directly or indirectly, of moneys
borrowed having an interest cost to the Company (calculated in accordance with
generally accepted financial practice) of less than _____% per annum. ]

         [The sinking fund for this series provides for the redemption on
________________ in each year beginning with the year ________ and ending with
the year _________ of [not less than $___________ ("mandatory sinking fund")
and not more than] $_________ aggregate principal amount of Securities of this
series. Securities of this series acquired or redeemed by the Company otherwise
than through [mandatory] sinking fund payments may be credited against
subsequent [mandatory] sinking fund payments otherwise required to be made [in
the inverse order in which they become due].]

         [IF THE SECURITY IS TO BE SUBJECT TO REPAYMENT AT THE OPTION OF THE
HOLDER, INSERT--To be repaid at the option of the Holder, the Company must
receive this Security, with the form of "Option to Elect Repayment" hereon duly
completed, at an office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose in
__________________ (or at such other place of which the Company shall from time
to time notify the Holder of this Security) not less than ________________ nor
more than __________ days prior to the Repayment Date.  The exercise of the
repayment option by the Holder shall be irrevocable.]

         [IF THE SECURITY IS SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, INSERT--In the event of
redemption of this Security in part only, a new Security or Securities of this
series and of like tenor for the unredeemed portion hereof will be issued in
the name of the Holder hereof upon the cancellation hereof.]





                                       21
<PAGE>   30
         [IF THE SECURITY IS NOT AN ORIGINAL ISSUE DISCOUNT SECURITY,
INSERT--If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of this series shall
occur and be continuing, the principal of the Securities of this series may be
declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the
Indenture.]

         [IF THE SECURITY IS AN ORIGINAL ISSUE DISCOUNT SECURITY, INSERT--If an
Event of Default with respect to Securities of this series shall occur and be
continuing, an amount of principal of the Securities of this series may be
declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the
Indenture.  Such amount shall be equal to--INSERT FORMULA FOR DETERMINING THE
AMOUNT.  Upon payment (i) of the amount of principal so declared due and
payable and (ii) of interest on any overdue principal and overdue interest (in
each case to the extent that the payment of such interest shall be legally
enforceable), all of the Company's obligations in respect of the payment of the
principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of this series shall
terminate.]

         The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided,
the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the
Company and the rights of the Holders of the Securities of each series to be
affected under the Indenture at any time by the Company and the Trustee with
the consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities
at the time Outstanding of each series to be affected.  The Indenture also
contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in
principal amount of the Securities of each series at the time Outstanding, on
behalf of the Holders of Securities of such series, to waive compliance by the
Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and certain defaults under the
Indenture and their consequences.  Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of
this Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all
future Holders of this Security and of any Security issued upon the
registration of transfer hereof or in exchange hereof or in lieu hereof,
whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Security.

         [IF APPLICABLE, INSERT--Each of the defeasance and covenant defeasance
provisions of Article Thirteen of the Indenture shall apply to this Security.]

         No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Security
or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which
is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of and any premium and
interest on this Security at the times, place and rate, and in the coin or
currency, herein prescribed.

         As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations
therein set forth, the transfer of this Security is registrable in the Security
Register, upon surrender of this Security for registration of transfer at the
office or agency of the Company in any place where the principal of and any
premium and interest on this Security are payable, duly endorsed by, or
accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the
Company and the Security Registrar, duly executed by the Holder hereof or his
attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one





                                       22
<PAGE>   31
or more new Securities of this series and of like tenor, of authorized
denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to
the designated transferee or transferees.

         The Securities of this series are issuable only in registered form
without coupons in denominations of $__________ and any integral multiple
thereof.  As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations
therein set forth, Securities of this series are exchangeable for a like
aggregate principal amount of Securities of this series and of like tenor of a
different authorized denomination, as requested by the Holder surrendering the
same.

         No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer
or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover
any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.

         Prior to due presentment of this Security for registration of
transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee
may treat the Person in whose name this Security is registered as the owner
hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Security be overdue, and neither
the Company, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the
contrary.

         This Security shall for all purposes be governed by and construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of New York (without reference to
principles of conflicts of law).

         The terms used in this Security which are defined in the Indenture
shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.





                                       23
<PAGE>   32
                      [Form of Option to Elect Repayment.]

                           OPTION TO ELECT REPAYMENT

         The undersigned hereby irrevocably requests and instructs the Company
to repay the within Security (or portion thereof specified below) pursuant to
its terms at a price equal to the principal amount thereof, together with
interest to the Repayment Date, to the undersigned, at
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
(Printed or Typewritten Name and Address of the Undersigned)

         For this Security to be repaid, the Company must receive this
Security, with this "Option to Elect Repayment" form duly completed, at an
office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose in __________, or
at such other place of which the Company shall from time to time notify the
Holder, no less than _______ days nor more than ________ days prior to
[_________, or _______________] [the_____________ or______________ (commencing
on _________)].

         If less than the entire principal amount of the within Security is to
be repaid, specify the portion thereof (which shall be $___________, or an
integral multiple of $_____________) which the Holder elects to have repaid:
$_____________.


Dated:


- -------------------------
Note:    The signature must correspond with the name as written upon the face
of the Security in every particular without alteration or enlargement





                                       24
<PAGE>   33
Section 204.     Form of Legend for Global Securities.

         Any Global Security authenticated and delivered hereunder may bear any
legend required to comply with the requirements of any Depositary.

Section 205.     Form of Trustee's Certificate of Authentication.

         The Trustee's certificates of authentication on all Securities
authenticated by the Trustee shall be in substantially the following form:

         This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein
referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

                               Dated:

                               [NAME OF TRUSTEE]
                               As Trustee



                               By:                                           
                                  -------------------------------------------
                                              Authorized Officer






                                       25
<PAGE>   34
                                 ARTICLE THREE

                                 THE SECURITIES

Section 301.     Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series.

         The aggregate principal amount of Securities which may be issued,
executed, authenticated, delivered and Outstanding under this Indenture is
unlimited.

         The Securities may be issued from time to time in one or more series
as may be authorized from time to time by the Company's Board of Directors.
There shall be established in or pursuant to a Board Resolution and, subject to
Section 303, set forth, or determined in a manner provided, in an Officers'
Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto,
prior to the issuance of Securities of any series:

                 (a)      the title of the Securities of the series (which
         shall distinguish the Securities of the series from all other
         Securities);

                 (b)      any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the
         Securities of the series that may be authenticated and delivered under
         this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon
         registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other
         Securities of the series pursuant to Section 304, 305, 306, 906, 1107
         or 1404 and except for any Securities which, pursuant to Section 303,
         are deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder);

                 (c)      the Person to whom any interest on a Security of the
         series shall be payable, if other than the Person in whose name that
         Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the
         close of business on the Regular Record Date;

                 (d)      the date or dates on which the principal and premium,
         if any, of the Securities of the series are payable;

                 (e)      the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) at
         which the Securities of the series shall bear interest, if any, or the
         method of determining the rate or rates, the date or dates from which
         such interest shall accrue, the Interest Payment Dates on which any
         such interest shall be payable or the method by which the dates will
         be determined, the Regular Record Date for any interest payable on any
         Interest Payment Date and the basis upon which interest shall be
         calculated if other than that of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day
         months;

                 (f)      the place or places where the principal of and any
         premium and interest on Securities of the series shall be payable, if
         other than the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York;





                                       26
<PAGE>   35
                 (g)      the period or periods within which and the terms and
         conditions upon which the Securities of the series may be redeemed, in
         whole or in part, at the option of the Company or otherwise;

                 (h)      the obligation of the Company, if any, to redeem,
         purchase or repay the Securities of the series pursuant to any sinking
         fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a Holder thereof and
         the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and
         the terms and conditions upon which such Securities of the series
         shall be redeemed, purchased or repaid, in whole or in part, pursuant
         to such obligation, and any provisions for the remarketing of such
         Securities;

                 (i)      the terms, if any, upon which Securities of the
         series may be convertible into or exchanged for other securities of
         the Company and the terms and conditions upon which the conversion or
         exchange shall be effected, including the initial conversion or
         exchange price or rate, the conversion or exchange period and any
         other additional provisions;

                 (j)      if other than denominations of $1,000 and any
         integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which the Securities
         of the series shall be issuable;

                 (k)      the currency, currencies or currency units in which
         payment of principal of and any premium and interest on Securities of
         the series shall be payable, if other than the currency of the United
         States of America;

                 (l)      any index, formula or other method used to determine
         the amount of payments of principal of or any premium or interest on
         the Securities;

                 (m)      if the principal amount payable at the stated
         maturity of the Securities of the series will not be determinable as
         of any one or more dates prior to the stated maturity, the amount that
         will be deemed to be the principal amount as of any date for any
         purpose, including the principal amount thereof which will be due and
         payable upon any maturity other than the stated maturity or which will
         be deemed to be outstanding as of any date (or, in any such case, the
         manner in which the deemed principal amount is to be determined), and,
         if necessary, the manner of determining the equivalent thereof in
         United States currency;

                 (n)      if the principal of or any premium or interest on any
         Securities of the series is to be payable, at the election of the
         Company or the Holders thereof, in one or more currencies or currency
         units other than that or those in which the Securities are stated to
         be payable, the currency, currencies or currency units in which
         payment of the principal of and any premium and interest on Securities
         of such series shall be payable, and the periods within which and the
         terms and conditions upon which such election is to be made;





                                       27
<PAGE>   36
                 (o)      if other than the principal amount thereof, the
         portion of the principal amount of Securities of the series which
         shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the Maturity
         thereof pursuant to Section 502 or provable in bankruptcy;

                 (p)      the applicability of, and any addition to or change
         in, the covenants and definitions then set forth in this Indenture or
         in terms then set forth herein relating to permitted consolidations,
         mergers or sale of assets;

                 (q)      any changes or additions to the provisions provided
         in Article Thirteen of this Indenture dealing with defeasance,
         including the addition of additional covenants that may be subject to
         the Company's covenant defeasance option;

                 (r)      whether any of the Securities of such series shall be
         issuable in permanent global form and, if so, the Depositary or
         Depositaries for such Global Security or Global Securities and the
         terms and conditions, if any, other than those set forth in Section
         305, upon which interests in such Global Security may be exchanged, in
         whole or in part, for the individual Securities represented thereby in
         definitive registered form, and the form of any legend or legends to
         be borne by the Global Security in addition to or in lieu of the
         legend referred to in this Indenture;

                 (s)      the Trustee and any authenticating agents, Paying
         Agents, transfer agents or registrars;

                 (t)      the terms, if any, of any guarantee of the payment of
         principal, premium and interest with respect to Securities of the
         series and any corresponding changes to the provisions of this
         Indenture as then in effect;

                 (u)      the terms, if any, of the transfer, mortgage, pledge
         or assignment as security for the Securities of the series of any
         properties, assets, moneys, proceeds, securities or other collateral,
         including whether certain provisions of the Trust Indenture Act are
         applicable and any corresponding changes to provisions of this
         Indenture as then in effect;

                 (v)      any addition to or change in the Events of Default
         with respect to the Securities of the series and any change in the
         right of the Trustee or the holders to declare the principal, premium
         and interest with respect to the Securities due and payable; and

                 (w)      any other terms of the Securities of such series
         (which terms shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this
         Indenture, except as permitted by Section 901(5)).

         All Securities of any one series shall be substantially identical
except as to denomination and except as may otherwise be provided in or
pursuant to the Board Resolution referred to above and (subject to Section 303)
set forth, or determined in the manner provided in the





                                       28
<PAGE>   37
Officers' Certificate referred to above or in any such indenture supplemental
hereto.  All Securities of any one series need not be issued at the same time
and, unless otherwise provided, a series may be reopened for issuances of
additional Securities of such series.

         If any of the terms of the Securities of any series are established by
action taken pursuant to a Board Resolution, a copy of an appropriate record of
such action shall be certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of
the Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the
Officers' Certificate setting forth the terms of the series.

Section 302.     Denominations.

         The Securities of each series shall be issuable in registered form
without coupons in such denominations as shall be specified as contemplated by
Section 301.  In the absence of any such provisions with respect to the
Securities of any series, the Securities of such series shall be issuable in
denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof.

Section 303.     Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating.

         The Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its
Chairman, any Vice Chairman, its President, one of its Vice Presidents or its
Treasurer, under its corporate seal reproduced thereon attested by its
Secretary or one of its Assistant Secretaries.  The signature of any of these
officers on the Securities may be manual or facsimile.

         Securities bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of individuals
who were at any time the proper officers of the Company shall bind the Company,
notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to hold such
offices prior to the authentication and delivery of such Securities or did not
hold such offices at the date of such Securities.

         At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of
this Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities of any series executed by
the Company to the Trustee for authentication, together with a Company Order
for the authentication and delivery of such Securities, and the Trustee in
accordance with the Company Order (which may provide that Securities that are
the subject thereof will be authenticated and delivered by the Trustee from
time to time upon the telephonic or written order of Persons designated in said
Company Order and that such Persons are authorized to determine such terms and
conditions of said Securities as are specified in the Company Order) shall
authenticate and deliver such Securities.  If the form or terms of the
Securities of the series have been established in or pursuant to one or more
Board Resolutions as permitted by Sections 201 and 301, in authenticating such
Securities, and accepting the additional responsibilities under this Indenture
in relation to such Securities, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and
(subject to Section 601) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion
of Counsel stating:





                                       29
<PAGE>   38
                 (1)      if the form such Securities has been established by
         or pursuant to a Board Resolution as permitted by Section 201, that
         such form has been established in conformity with the provisions of
         this Indenture;

                 (2)      if the terms of such Securities have been established
         by or pursuant to a Board Resolution as permitted by Section 301, that
         such terms have been established in conformity with the provisions of
         this Indenture; and

                 (3)      that such Securities, when authenticated and
         delivered by the Trustee and issued by the Company in the manner and
         subject to any conditions specified in such Opinion of Counsel, will
         constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company
         enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to bankruptcy,
         insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and
         similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting
         creditors' rights and to general equity principles and to such other
         matters as counsel may specify.

         If such form or terms have been so established, the Trustee shall not
be required to authenticate such Securities if the issue of such Securities
pursuant to this Indenture will affect the Trustee's own rights, duties or
immunities under the Securities and this Indenture or otherwise in a manner
which is not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.

         Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 301 and of the preceding
paragraph, if all Securities of a series are not to be originally issued at one
time, it shall not be necessary to deliver the Officers' Certificate otherwise
required pursuant to Section 301 or the Company Order and Opinion of Counsel
otherwise required pursuant to such preceding paragraph at or prior to the time
authentication of each Security of such series if such documents are delivered
at or prior to the authentication upon original issuance of the first Security
of such series to be issued and contemplate issuance of all Securities of such
series.

         Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.

         No Security shall be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or
be valid or obligatory for any purpose unless there appears on such Security a
certificate of authentication substantially in the form provided for herein
executed by the Trustee by manual signature, and such certificate upon any
Security shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such
Security has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder.  Notwithstanding
the foregoing, if any Security shall have been authenticated and delivered
hereunder but never issued and sold by the Company, and the Company shall
deliver such Security to the Trustee for cancellation as provided in Section
309, for all purposes of this Indenture such Security shall be deemed never to
have been authenticated and delivered hereunder and shall never be entitled to
the benefits of this Indenture.





                                       30
<PAGE>   39
Section 304.     Temporary Securities.

         Pending the preparation of definitive Securities of any series, the
Company may execute, and upon Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and
deliver, temporary Securities which are printed, lithographed, typewritten,
mimeographed or otherwise produced, in any authorized denomination,
substantially of the tenor of the definitive Securities in lieu of which they
are issued and with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and
other variations as the officers executing such Securities may determine, as
evidenced by their execution of such Securities.

         If temporary Securities of any series are issued, the Company will
cause definitive Securities of that series to be prepared without unreasonable
delay. After the preparation of definitive Securities of such series, the
temporary Securities of such series shall be exchangeable for definitive
Securities of such series upon surrender of the temporary Securities of such
series at the office or agency of the Company maintained pursuant to Section
1002 in a Place of Payment for that series for the purpose of exchanges of
Securities of such series, without charge to the Holder.  Upon surrender for
cancellation of any one or more temporary Securities of any series the Company
shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange
therefor one or more definitive Securities of the same series, of any
authorized denominations and of a like aggregate principal amount and tenor.
Until so exchanged the temporary Securities of any series shall in all respects
be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities
of such series and tenor.

Section 305.     Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange.

         The Company shall cause to be kept at the Corporate Trust Office a
register (the register maintained in such office and in any office or agency of
the Company in a Place of Payment being herein sometimes collectively referred
to as the "Security Register") in which, subject to such reasonable regulations
as it may prescribe, the Company shall provide for the registration of
Securities and of transfers of Securities.  The Trustee is hereby appointed
"Security Registrar" for the purpose of registering Securities and transfers of
Securities as herein provided.

         Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Security of any
series at the office or agency maintained pursuant to Section 1002 for such
purpose in a Place of Payment for that series, the Company shall execute, and
the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the designated
transferee or transferees, one or more new Securities of the same series, of
any authorized denominations and of a like aggregate principal amount and
tenor.

         At the option of the Holder, Securities of any series may be exchanged
for other Securities of the same series of any authorized denominations and of
a like aggregate principal amount and tenor, upon surrender of the Securities
to be exchanged at such office or agency.  Whenever any Securities are so
surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, and the





                                       31
<PAGE>   40
Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, the Securities which the Holder making
the exchange is entitled to receive.

         All Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of
Securities shall be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same
debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Securities
surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.

         Every Security presented or surrendered for registration of transfer
or for exchange shall (if so required by the Company or the Trustee) be duly
endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form
satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar duly executed by the
Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing.

         No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or
exchange of Securities, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient
to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection
with any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, other than
exchanges pursuant to Section 304, 906, 1107 or 1404 not involving any
transfer.

         In the event of any redemption, the Company shall not be required to
(a) issue, register the transfer of or exchange Securities of any series during
a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of the
mailing of a notice of redemption of Securities of that series selected for
redemption under Section 1103 and ending at the close of business on the day of
such mailing, or (b) to register the transfer of or exchange any Security, or
portion thereof called for redemption, except the unredeemed portion of any
Security being redeemed in part.

         Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, any Global
Security shall be exchangeable pursuant to this Section 305 for Securities
registered in the names of Persons other than the Depositary for such Global
Security or its nominee only when (a) such Depositary notifies the Company and
the Trustee in writing that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary
for such Global Security or if at any time such Depositary ceases to be a
clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and a successor Depositary
is not appointed by the Company within 90 days, (b) the Company in its sole
discretion determines that Securities shall no longer be represented by a
Global Security and executes and delivers to the Trustee a Company Order that
such Global Security shall be so exchangeable, (c) there shall have occurred
and be continuing an Event of Default or an event which, with the giving of
notice or lapse of time, or both, would constitute an Event of Default with
respect to the Securities represented by such Global Security or (d) there
shall exist such other circumstances, if any, as shall be specified for this
purpose as contemplated by Section 301.  Any Global Security that is
exchangeable pursuant to clause (a), (b), (c) or (d) above, shall be
surrendered by the Depositary, or such other depositary as shall be specified
in the Company Order with respect thereto, to the Trustee, as the agent for
such purpose, to be exchanged, in whole or in part, for definitive Securities
without charge, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in exchange for
each portion of such permanent Global Security, an equal aggregate principal
amount of definitive Securities,





                                       32
<PAGE>   41
executed by the Company, of the same series of authorized denominations and of
like tenor as the portion of such Global Security to be exchanged, which shall
be in the form of registered Securities as provided in the Company Order.

         Every Security authenticated and delivered upon registration of
transfer of, or in exchange for or in lieu of, a Global Security other than
pursuant to clauses (a), (b), (c) or (d) in the preceding paragraph, whether
pursuant to this Section, Sections 304, 306, 906, 1107 or 1404 or otherwise,
shall be authenticated and delivered in the form of, and shall be, a Global
Security.

Section 306.     Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.

         If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, the Company
shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange
therefor a new Security of the same series and of like tenor and principal
amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.

         If there shall be delivered to the Company and the Trustee (a)
evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any
Security and (b) such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save
each of them and any agent of either of them harmless, then, in the absence of
notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a
bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall
authenticate and deliver in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen
Security, a new Security of the same series and of like tenor and principal
amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.

         In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has
become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion
may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.

         Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, the Company
may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other
governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other
expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.

         Every new Security of any series issued pursuant to this Section in
lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original
additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed,
lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall
be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately
with any and all other Securities of that series duly issued hereunder.

         The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to
the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the
replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.





                                       33
<PAGE>   42
Section 307.     Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved.

         Except as otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 301 with
respect to any series of Securities, interest on any Security which is payable,
and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall
be paid to the Person in whose name that Security (or one or more Predecessor
Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date
for such interest.

         In the case of Securities represented by a Global Security registered
in the name of or held by a Depositary or its nominee, unless otherwise
specified by Section 301, payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest,
if any, will be made to the Depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, as
the registered owner or Holder of such Global Security.  None of the Company,
the Trustee, any Paying Agent, any Authenticating Agent nor the Security
Registrar for such Securities will have any responsibility or liability for any
aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of a beneficial
ownership interest in a Global Security or for maintaining, supervising or
reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests.

         Any interest on any Security of any series which is payable, but is
not punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date (herein
called "Defaulted Interest") shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder
on the relevant Regular Record Date by virtue of having been such Holder, and
such Defaulted Interest may be paid by the Company, at its election in each
case, as provided in Clause (1) or (2) below:

                 (1)      The Company may elect to make payment of any
         Defaulted Interest to the Persons in whose names the Securities of
         such series (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are
         registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the
         payment of such Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed in the
         following manner.  The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of
         the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each Security
         of such series and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same
         time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money
         equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such
         Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the
         Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment,
         such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the
         Persons entitled to such Defaulted Interest as in this Clause
         provided.  Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a Special Record Date for
         the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall be not more than 15
         days and not less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed
         payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of
         the notice of the proposed payment.  The Trustee shall promptly notify
         the Company of such Special Record Date and, in the name and at the
         expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of
         such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor to be
         mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder of Securities of
         such series at his address as it appears in the Security Register, not
         less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date.  Notice of the
         proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special





                                       34
<PAGE>   43
         Record Date therefor having been so mailed, such Defaulted Interest
         shall be paid to the Persons in whose names the securities of such
         series (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at
         the close of business on such Special Record Date and shall no longer
         be payable pursuant to the following Clause (2).

                 (2)      The Company may make payment of any Defaulted
         Interest on the Securities of any series in any other lawful manner
         not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on
         which such Securities may be listed, and upon such notice as may be
         required by such exchange, if, after notice is given by the Company to
         the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this Clause, such
         manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.

         At the option of the Company, interest on Securities of any series
that bear interest may be paid by mailing a check to the address of the Person
entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register, except
as otherwise provided pursuant to Section 301.

         Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section, each Security
delivered under this Indenture upon registration of transfer of or in exchange
for or in lieu of any other Security shall carry the rights to interest accrued
and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Security.

Section 308.     Persons Deemed Owners.

         Prior to due presentment of a Security for registration of transfer,
the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat
the Person in whose name such Security is registered as the owner of such
Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and any premium
and (except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301(3) and
subject to Section 307) any interest on such Security and for all other
purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Security be overdue, and neither the
Company, the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be
affected by notice to the contrary.

         In the case of a Global Security, so long as the Depositary for such
Global Security, or its nominee, is the registered owner of such Global
Security, such Depositary or such nominee, as the case may be, will be
considered the sole owner or Holder of the Securities represented by such
Global Security for all purposes under this Indenture.  Except as provided in
Section 305, owners of beneficial interests in a Global Security will not be
entitled to have Securities that are represented by such Global Security
registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical
delivery of such Securities in definitive form and will not be considered the
owners or Holders thereof under this Indenture.

         Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to any Global Security,
nothing herein shall (a) prevent the Company, the Trustee, or any agent of the
Company or the Trustee, from giving effect to any written certification, proxy
or other authorization furnished by a Depositary or (b)





                                       35
<PAGE>   44
impair, as between a Depositary and holders of beneficial interests in any
Global Security, the operation of customary practices governing the exercise of
the rights of the Depositary as Holder of such Global Security.

         None of the Company, the Trustee, any Paying Agent or the Security
Registrar will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the
records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership
interests of a Security issued in global form or for maintaining, supervising
or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests.

Section 309.     Cancellation.

         All Securities surrendered for payment, redemption, registration of
transfer or exchange or for credit against any sinking fund payment shall, if
surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be delivered to the Trustee
and shall be promptly canceled by it.  The Company may at any time deliver to
the Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and
delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner
whatsoever, and may deliver to the Trustee (or to any other Person for delivery
to the Trustee) for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated
hereunder which the Company has not issued and sold, and all Securities so
delivered shall be promptly canceled by the Trustee.  No Securities shall be
authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities canceled as provided
in this Section, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture.  All canceled
Securities held by the Trustee shall be disposed of by the Trustee in
accordance with its customary practices, and the Trustee shall from time to
time, or upon request by the Company, deliver to the Company certificates of
destruction with respect thereto.

Section 310.     Computation of Interest.

         Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for
Securities of any series, interest on the Securities of each series shall be
computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.

Section 311.     Wire Transfers.

         Notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary in this Indenture,
the Company may make any payment of moneys required to be deposited with the
Trustee on account of principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, the
Securities (whether pursuant to optional or mandatory redemption payments,
interest payments or otherwise) by wire transfer in immediately available funds
to an account designated by the Trustee on or before the date and time such
moneys are to be paid to the Holders of the Securities in accordance with the
terms hereof.





                                       36
<PAGE>   45
Section 312.     CUSIP Numbers.

         The Company in issuing the Securities may use "CUSIP" numbers (if then
generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use "CUSIP" numbers in notices
of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such notice may
state that no representation is made as to the accuracy of such numbers either
as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and
that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on
the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in
or omission of such numbers.  The Company will promptly notify the Trustee of
any change in the "CUSIP" numbers.


                                  ARTICLE FOUR

                           SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE

Section 401.     Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.

         This Indenture shall upon Company Request cease to be of further
effect (except as to any surviving rights of registration of transfer or
exchange of Securities herein expressly provided for), and the Trustee, at the
expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging
satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when

                 (1)      either

                          (A)     all Securities theretofore authenticated and
         delivered (other than (i) Securities which have been destroyed, lost
         or stolen and which have been replaced or paid as provided in Section
         306 and (ii)  Securities for whose payment money has theretofore been
         deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company and
         thereafter repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust, as
         provided in Section 1003) have been delivered to the Trustee for
         cancellation; or

                          (B)     all such Securities not theretofore delivered
         to the Trustee for cancellation
        
                                  (i)      have become due and payable, or

                                  (ii)     will become due and payable at their
                 Stated Maturity within one year and are not repayable at the
                 option of the Holder prior thereto, or

                                  (iii)    are to be called for redemption
                 within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee
                 for the giving of notice of redemption by





                                       37
<PAGE>   46
                 the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company
                 and are not repayable at the option of the Holder prior
                 thereto,

and the Company, in the case of (i), (ii) or (iii) above, has deposited or
caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the
purpose, lawful money of the United States or U.S. Government Obligations which
through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof in accordance
with their terms will provide lawful money not later than the due dates of
principal (and premium, if any) or interest, or any combination thereof, in an
amount sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on such
Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for
principal and any premium and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case
of Securities which have become due and payable) or to the Stated Maturity or
Redemption Date, as the case may be;

                 (2)      the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other
sums payable hereunder by the Company; and

                 (3)      the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers'
Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions
precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of
this Indenture have been complied with.

         In the event there are Securities of two or more series hereunder, the
Trustee shall be required to execute an instrument acknowledging satisfaction
and discharge of this Indenture only if requested to do so with respect to the
Securities of all series to which it is Trustee and if the other conditions
thereto are met.  In the event there are two or more Trustees hereunder, then
the effectiveness of any such instrument shall be conditioned upon receipt of
such instruments from all Trustees hereunder.

         Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the
obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 607, the obligations of
the Trustee to any Authenticating Agent under Section 614 and, if money shall
have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (B) of Clause (1) of
this Section, the obligations of the Trustee under Section 402 and the last
paragraph of Section 1003 shall survive.

Section 402.     Application of Trust Money.

         Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 1003, all
money and U.S. Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to
Section 401 shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the
provisions of the Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either
directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own
Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Persons entitled thereto as
set forth in the Securities Register, of the principal and any premium and
interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with the Trustee.





                                       38
<PAGE>   47
                                  ARTICLE FIVE

                            REMEDIES OF THE TRUSTEE
                        AND HOLDERS IN EVENT OF DEFAULT

Section 501.     Events of Default.

         "Event of Default", wherever used herein with respect to a series of
Securities, means any one of the following events (whatever the reason for such
Event of Default and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be
effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of
any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or
governmental body), except to the extent such event is specifically deleted or
modified as contemplated by Section 301 for the Securities of that series:

                 (1)      failure to pay any interest upon any Security of that
         series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such
         default for a period of 30 days; or

                 (2)      failure to pay the principal of (or any premium on,)
         any Security of that series at its Maturity; or

                 (3)      failure to deposit any sinking fund payment, when and
         as due by the terms of a Security of that series; or

                 (4)      with respect to a series of Securities, failure to
         perform, or the breach of, any other covenant or warranty of the
         Company in this Indenture (other than a covenant or warranty a default
         in whose performance or whose breach is specifically dealt with
         elsewhere in this Section or which has expressly been included in this
         Indenture solely for the benefit of a series of Securities other than
         that series or which has been included in this Indenture but not made
         applicable to the Securities of such series), and continuance of such
         default or breach for a period of 90 days after there has been given a
         written notice specifying such failure or breach and requiring it to
         be remedied and stating that such notice is a "Notice of Default"
         hereunder, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the
         Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of at least
         25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series;
         or

                 (5)      failure by the Company to make any payment by the end
         of any applicable grace period after maturity of indebtedness, which
         term as used herein means obligations (other than Nonrecourse
         Obligations or the Securities of such series) of the Company for
         borrowed money or evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or other
         similar instruments ("Indebtedness") in an amount in excess of
         $50,000,000 or the equivalent thereof in any other currency or
         composite currency and such failure shall have continued for a period
         of 30 days after written notice thereof shall have been given to the
         Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the
         Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of





                                       39
<PAGE>   48
         the Outstanding Securities of that series a written notice specifying
         such failure and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such
         notice is a "Notice of Default" hereunder; or

                 (6)      the acceleration of Indebtedness in an amount in
         excess of $50,000,000 or the equivalent thereof in any other currency
         or composite currency without such Indebtedness having been discharged
         or such acceleration having been cured, waived, rescinded or annulled
         for a period of 30 days after written notice thereof shall have been
         given to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee
         by the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding
         Securities of that series a written notice specifying acceleration and
         requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a "Notice
         of Default" hereunder; or

                 (7)      the entry by a court having jurisdiction in the
         premises of (a) a decree or order for relief in respect of the Company
         in an involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable Federal or
         State bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or
         (b) a decree or order adjudging the Company a bankrupt or insolvent,
         or approving as properly filed a petition seeking reorganization,
         arrangement, adjustment or composition of or in respect of the Company
         under any applicable Federal or State law, or appointing a custodian,
         receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or other similar
         official of the Company or of any substantial part of its properties,
         or ordering the winding up or liquidation of its affairs, and the
         continuance of any such decree or order for relief or any such other
         decree or order unstayed and in effect for a period of 90 consecutive
         days; or

                 (8)      the commencement by the Company of a voluntary case
         or proceeding under any applicable Federal or State bankruptcy,
         insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or of any other case
         or proceeding to be adjudicated a bankrupt or insolvent, or the
         consent by the Company to the entry of a decree or order for relief in
         respect of the Company in an involuntary case or proceeding under any
         applicable Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or
         other similar law or to the commencement of any bankruptcy or
         insolvency case or proceeding against the Company, or the filing by
         the Company of a petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization
         or relief under any applicable Federal or State law, or the consent by
         the Company to the filing of such petition or to the appointment of or
         taking possession by a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee,
         trustee, sequestrator or other similar official of the Company or of
         any substantial part of its properties, or the making by the Company
         of an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the admission by the
         Company in writing its inability to pay its debts generally as they
         become due, or the taking of corporate action by the Company in
         furtherance of any such action; or

                 (9)      any other Event of Default established as
         contemplated by Section 301 with respect to Securities of that series;
         provided that if any such failure or acceleration referred to in
         clauses (5) or (6) above shall cease or be cured, waived, rescinded or





                                       40
<PAGE>   49
         annulled, then the Event of Default hereunder by reason thereof shall
         be deemed not to have occurred.

         Upon receipt by the Trustee of any Notice of Default pursuant to this
Section 501 with respect to Securities of any series, a record date shall
automatically and without any other action by any Person be set for the purpose
of determining the Holders of Outstanding Securities of such series entitled to
join in such Notice of Default, which record date shall be the close of
business on the day the Trustee receives such Notice of Default.  Promptly
after the establishment of a record date pursuant to the provisions of this
Section 501, the Trustee shall notify the Company and the Holders of
Outstanding Securities of such series of the establishment of such record date.
The Holders of Outstanding Securities of such series on such record date (or
their duly appointed agents), and only such Persons, shall be entitled to join
in such Notice of Default, whether or not such Holders remain Holders after
such record date; provided that, unless such Notice of Default shall have
become effective by virtue of Holders of the requisite principal amount of
Outstanding Securities of such series on such record date (or their duly
appointed agents) having joined therein on or prior to the 90th day after such
record date, such Notice of Default shall automatically and without any action
by any Person be canceled and of no further effect.  Nothing in this paragraph
shall prevent a Holder (or a duly appointed agent thereof) from giving, before
or after the expiration of such 90-day period, a Notice of Default contrary to
or different from, or, after the expiration of such period, identical to, a
Notice of Default that has been canceled pursuant to the proviso to the
preceding sentence, in which event a new record date in respect thereof shall
be set pursuant to this paragraph.

Section 502.     Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.

         If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series at the
time Outstanding occurs and is continuing, then in every such case either the
Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding
Securities of that series may declare the principal amount (or, if the
Securities of that series are Original Issue Discount Securities, such portion
of the principal amount of such Securities as may be specified in the terms of
that series) of all of the Securities of that series to be due and payable
immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given
by Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal amount (or specified
amount) shall become immediately due and payable.

         At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to
Securities of any series has been made, but before a judgment or decree for
payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee, as hereinafter in
this Article provided, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the
Outstanding Securities of that series, by written notice to the Company and the
Trustee, may rescind and annul such acceleration and its consequences if:

                 (1)      the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee a
                          sum sufficient to pay





                                       41
<PAGE>   50
                          (A)     all overdue interest on all Securities of
                                  that series,

                          (B)     the principal of (and premium, if any, on)
                                  any Securities of that series which have
                                  become due otherwise than by such declaration
                                  of acceleration and any interest thereon at
                                  the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such
                                  Securities, to the extent that payment of
                                  such interest is lawful,

                          (C)     to the extent that payment of such interest
                                  is lawful, interest upon overdue interest at
                                  the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such
                                  Securities, and

                          (D)     all sums paid or advanced by the Trustee
                                  hereunder and the reasonable compensation,
                                  expenses, disbursements and advances of the
                                  Trustee, its agents and counsel;

                 and

                 (2)      all Events of Default with respect to Securities of
         that series, other than the non-payment of the principal of Securities
         of that series which have become due solely by such declaration of
         acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 513.

         No such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any
right consequent thereon.

         Upon receipt by the Trustee of any declaration of acceleration, or any
rescission and annulment of any such declaration, pursuant to this Section 502
with respect to Securities of any series, a record date shall automatically and
without any other action by any Person be set for the purpose of determining
the Holders of Outstanding Securities of such series entitled to join in such
declaration, or rescission or annulment, as the case may be, which record date
shall be the close of business on the day the Trustee receives such
declaration, or rescission and annulment, as the case may be.  Promptly after
the establishment of a record date pursuant to the provisions of this Section
502, the Trustee shall notify the Company and the Holders of Outstanding
Securities of such series of the establishment of such record date.  The
Holders of Outstanding Securities of such series on such record date (or their
duly appointed agents), and only such Persons, shall be entitled to join in
such declaration, or rescission and annulment, as the case may be, whether or
not such Holders remain Holders after such record date; provided that, unless
such declaration, or rescission and annulment, as the case may be, shall have
become effective by virtue of Holders of the requisite principal amount of
Outstanding Securities of such series on such record date (or their duly
appointed agents) having joined therein on or prior to the 90th day after such
record date, such declaration or rescission and annulment, as the case may be,
shall automatically and without any action by any Person be canceled and of no
further effect. Nothing in this paragraph shall prevent a Holder (or a duly
appointed agent thereof) from giving, before or





                                       42
<PAGE>   51
after the expiration of such 90-day period, a declaration of acceleration, or a
rescission and annulment of any such declaration, contrary to or different
from, or, after the expiration of such period, identical to, a declaration, or
rescission and annulment, as the case may be, that has been canceled pursuant
to the proviso to the preceding sentence, in which event a new record date in
respect thereof shall be set pursuant to this paragraph.

Section 503.     Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by
Trustee.

         The Company covenants that if

                 (1)      default is made in the payment of any interest on any
         Security when such interest becomes due and payable and such default
         continues for a period of 30 days, or

                 (2)      default is made in the payment of the principal of
         (or premium, if any, on) any Security at the Maturity thereof, or

                 (3)      default is made in the payment of any sinking or
         purchase fund or analogous obligation when the same becomes due by the
         terms of the Securities of any series, and any such default continues
         for any period of grace provided with respect to the Securities of
         such series,

the Company will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to it, for the benefit of the
Holder of any such Security (or the Holders of any such series in the case of
clause (3) above), the whole amount then due and payable on any such Security
(or on the Securities of any such series in the case of clause (3) above) for
principal and any premium and interest and, to the extent that payment of such
interest shall be legally enforceable, interest on any overdue principal and
premium and on any overdue interest, at the rate or rates prescribed therefor
by the terms of any such Security (or of Securities of any such series in the
case of clause (3) above); and, in addition thereto, such further amount as
shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including
the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the
Trustee, its agents and counsel.

         If the Company fails to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand,
the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute
a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, and may
prosecute such proceedings to judgment or final decree, and may enforce the
same against the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities of such
series and collect the money adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner
provided by law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon
such Securities, wherever situated.

         If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series occurs
and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and
enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series
by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most
effectual to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific
enforcement





                                       43
<PAGE>   52
of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any
power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.

Section 504.     Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.

         In case of any judicial proceeding relative to the Company (or any
other obligor upon the Securities), its property or its creditors, the Trustee
shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or
otherwise, to take any and all actions authorized under the Trust Indenture Act
in order to have claims of the Holders and the Trustee allowed in any such
proceeding.  In particular, the Trustee shall be authorized to collect and
receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims
and to distribute the same; and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee,
liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial
proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the
Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such
payments to the Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the
making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any
amount due it for reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances
of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee
under Section 607.

         No provision of this Indenture shall be deemed to authorize the
Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder
any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting
the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof or to authorize the Trustee
to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.

Section 505.     Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities.

         All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Securities
may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of
the Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto,
and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own
name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after
provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses,
disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the
ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such
judgment has been recovered.

Section 506.     Application of Money Collected

         Any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article shall be
applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and,
in case of the distribution of such money on account of principal or any
premium or interest, upon presentation of the Securities and the notation
thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if
fully paid:

         FIRST:  To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee under Section
                 607;





                                       44
<PAGE>   53
         SECOND: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid for
                 principal of and any premium and interest on the Securities in
                 respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has
                 been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any
                 kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such
                 Securities for principal and any premium and interest,
                 respectively; and

         THIRD:  The balance, if any, to the Company or any other Person or
                 Persons entitled thereto.

         In any case where Securities are outstanding which are denominated in
more than one currency, or in a composite currency and at least one other
currency, and the Trustee is directed to make ratable payments under this
Section to Holders of Securities, the Trustee shall calculate the amount of
such payments as follows: (i) as of the day the Trustee collects an amount
under this Article, the Trustee shall, as to each Holder of a Security to whom
an amount is due and payable under this Section which is denominated in a
foreign currency or a composite currency, determine that amount of U.S. Dollars
that would be obtained for the amount owing such Holder, using the rate of
exchange at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Trustee
could purchase in The City of New York U.S. Dollars with such amount owing,
(ii) calculate the sum of all U.S. Dollar amounts determined under (i) and add
thereto any amounts due and payable in U.S. Dollars; and (iii) using the
individual amounts determined in (i) or any individual amounts due and payable
in U.S.  Dollars, as the case may be, as a numerator and the sum calculated in
(ii) as a denominator, calculate as to each Holder of a Security to whom an
amount is owed under this Section the fraction of the amount collected under
this Article payable to such Holder.  Any expenses incurred by the Trustee in
actually converting amounts owing Holders of Securities denominated in a
currency or composite currency other than that in which any amount is collected
under this Article shall be likewise (in accordance with this paragraph) borne
ratably by all Holders of Securities to whom amounts are payable under this
Section.

         To the fullest extent allowed under applicable law, if for the purpose
of obtaining judgment against the Company in any court it is necessary to
convert the sum due in respect of the principal of, or any premium or interest
on the Securities of any series (the "Required Currency") into a currency in
which judgment will be rendered (the "Judgment Currency"), the rate of exchange
used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures
the Trustee could purchase in The City of New York the Required Currency with
the Judgment Currency on the New York Business Day preceding that on which
final judgment is given.  The Company shall not be liable for any shortfall nor
shall it benefit from any windfall in payments to Holders of Securities under
this Section caused by a change in exchange rates between the time the amount
of a judgment against it is calculated as above and the time the Trustee
converts the Judgment Currency into the Required Currency to make payments
under this Section to Holders of Securities, but payment of such judgment shall
discharge all amounts owed by the Company on the claim or claims underlying
such judgment.





                                       45
<PAGE>   54
Section 507.     Limitation on Suits.

         No Holder of any Security of any series shall have any right to
institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this
Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other
remedy hereunder, unless:

                 (1)      such Holder has previously given written notice to
         the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the
         Securities of that series;

                 (2)      the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount
         of the Outstanding Securities of that series shall have made written
         request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such
         Event of Default in its own name as Trustee hereunder;

                 (3)      such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee
         reasonable indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be
         incurred in compliance with such request;

                 (4)      the Trustee for 60 days after receipt of such notice,
         request and offer of indemnity has failed to institute any such
         proceeding; and

                 (5)      no direction inconsistent with such written request
         has been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders
         of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of
         that series;

it being understood and intended that no one or more of such Holders shall have
any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision
of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other of
such Holders, or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any
other of such Holders or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in
the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all of such
Holders.

Section 508.     Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium
                 and Interest.

         Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, the Holder of
any Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to
receive payment of the principal of, premium, if any, and (except as specified
as contemplated by Section 301(3) and subject to Section 307) any interest on
such Security on the Stated Maturity or Maturities expressed in such Security
(or, in the case of redemption, on the Redemption Date) and to institute suit
for the enforcement of any such payment, and such rights shall not be impaired
without the consent of such Holder.

Section 509.     Restoration of Rights and Remedies.

         If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce
any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been
discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or





                                       46
<PAGE>   55
has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in
every such case, subject to any determination in such proceeding, the Company,
the Trustee and the Holders shall be restored severally and respectively to
their former positions hereunder and thereafter all rights and remedies of the
Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no such proceeding had been
instituted.

Section 510.     Rights and Remedies Cumulative.

         Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or
payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities in the last
paragraph of Section 306, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved
to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right
or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be
cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or
now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise.  The assertion or
employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent
the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or
remedy.

Section 511.     Delay or Omission Not Waiver.

         No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Securities
to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair
any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or
an acquiescence therein.  Every right and remedy given by this Article or by
law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as
often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case
may be.

Section 512.     Control by Holders.

         The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding
Securities of any series shall have the right to direct the time, method and
place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or
exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee, with respect to the
Securities of such series, provided that

                 (1)      such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule
         of law or with this Indenture,

                 (2)      the Trustee shall not determine (it being understood
         that the Trustee shall have no obligation to make such determination)
         that the action so directed would be unjustly prejudicial to Holders
         of Securities of that series, or any other series, not taking part in
         such direction, and

                 (3)      the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper
         by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction.





                                       47
<PAGE>   56
         Upon receipt by the Trustee of any Notice of Default pursuant to this
Section 512 with respect to Securities of any series, a record date shall
automatically and without any other action by any Person be set for the purpose
of determining the Holders of Outstanding Securities of such series entitled to
join in such Notice of Default, which record date shall be the close of
business on the day the Trustee receives such Notice of Default.  Promptly
after the establishment of a record date pursuant to the provisions of this
Section 512, the Trustee shall notify the Company and the Holders of
Outstanding Securities of such series of the establishment of such record date.
The Holders of Outstanding Securities of such series on such record date (or
their duly appointed agents), and only such Persons, shall be entitled to join
in such Notice of Default, whether or not such Holders remain Holders after
such record date; provided that, unless such Notice of Default shall have
become effective by virtue of Holders of the requisite principal amount of
Outstanding Securities of such series on such record date (or their duly
appointed agents) having joined therein on or prior to the 90th day after such
record date, such Notice of Default shall automatically and without any action
by any Person be canceled and of no further effect.  Nothing in this paragraph
shall prevent a Holder (or a duly appointed agent thereof) from giving, before
or after the expiration of such 90-day period, a Notice of Default contrary to
or different from, or, after the expiration of such period, identical to, a
Notice of Default that has been canceled pursuant to the proviso to the
preceding sentence, in which event a new record date in respect thereof shall
be set pursuant to this paragraph.

Section 513.     Waiver of Past Defaults.

         The Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the
Outstanding Securities of any series may on behalf of the Holders of all the
Securities of such series waive any past default hereunder with respect to such
series and its consequences, except a default

                 (1)      in the payment of the principal of or any premium or
         interest on any Security of such series, or

                 (2)      in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which
         under Article Nine cannot be modified or amended without the consent
         of the Holder of each Outstanding Security of such series affected.

         Upon any such waiver, such default shall cease to exist, and any Event
of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every
purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or
other default or impair any right consequent thereon.

Section 514.     Undertaking for Costs.

         In any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this
Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or
omitted by it as Trustee, a court may require any party litigant in such suit
to file an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and may assess costs
against any such party litigant, in the manner and to the extent provided in
the Trust





                                       48
<PAGE>   57
Indenture Act; provided that neither this Section nor the Trust Indenture Act
shall be deemed to authorize any court to require such an undertaking and that
the provisions of this Section 514 shall not apply to any suit instituted by
the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holder, or group of Holders, holding
in the aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of the Outstanding
Securities of that series or to any suit instituted by any Holder in each case
for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, or
interest on, any Security on or after the due date for such payment.

Section 515.     Waiver of Stay or Extension Laws.

         The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that
it will not at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever
claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay or extension law wherever
enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants
or the performance of this Indenture; and the Company (to the extent that it
may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any
such law and covenants that it will not hinder, delay or impede the execution
of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the
execution of every such power as though no such law had been enacted.


                                  ARTICLE SIX

                                  THE TRUSTEE

Section 601.     Certain Duties and Responsibilities.

         The duties and responsibilities of the Trustee shall be as provided by
the Trust Indenture Act.  Notwithstanding the foregoing (but subject to Section
107), no provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or
risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the
performance of any of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise of any of its
rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that
repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is
not reasonably assured to it.  Whether or not therein expressly so provided,
every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the
liability of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the
provisions of this Section.

Section 602.     Notice of Defaults.

         If a default occurs hereunder with respect to Securities of any
series, the Trustee shall give the Holders of Securities of such series notice
of such default known to the Trustee as and to the extent provided by the Trust
Indenture Act and in the manner provided in Section 106; provided, however,
that in the case of any default of the character specified in Sections 501(4),
501(5) and 501(6) with respect to Securities of such series, no such notice to
Holders shall be given until at least 30 days after the occurrence thereof.
For the purpose of this Section, the term





                                       49
<PAGE>   58
"default" means any event which is, or after notice or lapse of time or both
would become, an Event of Default with respect to Securities of such series.

Section 603.     Certain Rights of Trustee.

         Subject to the provisions of Section 601:

                 (1)      in the absence of bad faith on the part of the
         Trustee, the Trustee may rely and shall be protected in acting or
         refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement,
         instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent,
         order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other
         paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed
         or presented by the proper party or parties;

                 (2)      any request or direction of the Company mentioned
         herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or Company
         Order and any resolution of the Board of Directors may be sufficiently
         evidenced by a Board Resolution;

                 (3)      whenever in the administration of this Indenture the
         Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established
         prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the
         Trustee (unless other evidence be herein specifically prescribed) may,
         in the absence of bad faith on its part, rely upon an Officers'
         Certificate;

                 (4)      the Trustee may consult with counsel and the written
         advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and
         complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken,
         suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance
         thereon;

                 (5)      the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise
         any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the
         request or direction of any of the Holders pursuant to this Indenture
         (including, without limitation, under Section 512), unless such
         Holders shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable security or
         indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be
         incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction;

                 (6)      the Trustee shall not be bound to make any
         investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution,
         certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request,
         direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of
         indebtedness or other paper or document, unless requested in writing
         to do so by the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of
         Outstanding Securities of a series affected by such matter; and

                 (7)      the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers
         hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or
         through agents or attorneys.





                                       50
<PAGE>   59
Section 604.     Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities.

         The recitals contained herein and in the Securities, except the
Trustee's certificates of authentication, shall be taken as the statements of
the Company, and the Trustee or any Authenticating Agent assumes no
responsibility for their correctness.  The Trustee makes no representations as
to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Securities, if any,
of any series, except that the Trustee represents that it is duly authorized to
execute and deliver this Indenture, authenticate the Securities and perform its
obligations hereunder, and that the statements made by it or to be made by it
in a Statement of Eligibility and Qualification on Form T-1 supplied to the
Company are true and accurate.  The Trustee or any Authenticating Agent shall
not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of Securities or
the proceeds thereof.

Section 605.     May Hold Securities.

         The Trustee, any Authenticating Agent, any Paying Agent, any Security
Registrar or any other agent of the Company, in its individual or any other
capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and, subject to
Sections 608 and 613, may otherwise deal with the Company with the same rights
it would have if it were not Trustee, Authenticating Agent, Paying Agent,
Security Registrar or such other agent.

Section 606.     Money Held in Trust.

         Subject to the provisions of Section 1305(c) and the last paragraph of
Section 1003, all moneys received by the Trustee shall, until used or applied
as herein provided, be held in trust for the purposes for which they were
received, but need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent
required by law.  The Trustee shall be under no liability for investment of or
interest on any money received by it hereunder except as otherwise agreed with
the Company.  Except for amounts deposited pursuant to Article Thirteen, so
long as no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, all interest
allowed on any such moneys shall be paid from time to time to the Company upon
a Company Order.

Section 607.     Compensation and Reimbursement.

         The Company agrees

                 (1)      to pay to the Trustee from time to time reasonable
         compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder (which
         compensation shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to
         the compensation of a trustee of an express trust);

                 (2)      except as otherwise expressly provided herein, to
         reimburse the Trustee upon its request for all reasonable expenses,
         disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Trustee in
         accordance with any provision of this Indenture (including the





                                       51
<PAGE>   60
         reasonable compensation and the expenses and disbursements of its
         agents and counsel), except to the extent any such expense,
         disbursement or advance may be attributable to its negligence or bad
         faith; and

                 (3)      to indemnify the Trustee for, and to hold it harmless
         against, any loss, liability or expense, arising out of or in
         connection with the acceptance or administration of the trust or
         trusts hereunder or the performance of its duties hereunder, including
         the costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim or
         liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its
         powers or duties hereunder, except to the extent any such loss,
         liability or expense may be attributable to its negligence, willful
         misconduct or bad faith.

         As security for the performance of the obligations of the Company
under this Section the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities upon
all property and funds held or collected by the Trustee as such, except funds
held in trust for payment of principal of (and premium, if any) or interest, if
any, on particular Securities.

         "Trustee", for purposes of this Section 607, includes any predecessor
Trustee, provided that the negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of any
Trustee shall not affect the rights under this Section 607 of any other
Trustee.

Section 608.     Disqualification; Conflicting Interests.

         If the Trustee has or shall acquire a conflicting interest within the
meaning of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee shall either eliminate such
interest or resign, to the extent and in the manner provided by, and subject to
the provisions of, the Trust Indenture Act and this Indenture, and the Company
shall take prompt action to have a successor Trustee appointed in the manner
provided herein.  For purposes of Section 301(b)(1) of the Trust Indenture Act,
no Trustee hereunder will be deemed to have a conflicting interest solely by
reason of being Trustee in respect of more than one series of Securities.

Section 609.     Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility.

         There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder with respect to the
Securities of each series, which shall be a Person that is eligible pursuant to
the Trust Indenture Act to act as such, has a combined capital and surplus of
at least $50,000,000, and be subject to supervision or examination by Federal
or State authority.  If such Person publishes reports of condition at least
annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of said supervising or
examining authority, then, for the purposes of this Section, the combined
capital and surplus of such Person shall be deemed to be its combined capital
and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published.
If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the
provisions of this Section, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with
the effect hereinafter specified in this Article.  No obligor upon the
Securities of a particular series or Person directly or





                                       52
<PAGE>   61
indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with such obligor
shall serve as Trustee upon the Securities of such series.

Section 610.     Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.

                 (a)      No resignation or removal of the Trustee and no
         appointment of a successor Trustee pursuant to this Article shall
         become effective until the acceptance of appointment by the successor
         Trustee in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 611.

                 (b)      The Trustee may resign at any time with respect to
         the Securities of one or more series by giving written notice thereof
         to the Company.  If the instrument of acceptance by a successor
         Trustee required by Section 611 shall not have been delivered to the
         Trustee within 30 days after the giving of such notice of resignation,
         the resigning Trustee may petition any court of competent jurisdiction
         for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the
         Securities of such series.

                 (c)      The Trustee may be removed at any time with respect
         to the Securities of any series by Act of the Holders of a majority in
         principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series,
         delivered to the Trustee and to the Company.

                 (d)      If at any time:

                          (A)     the Trustee shall fail to comply with Section
                 608 after written request therefor by the Company or by any
                 Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at
                 least six months, or

                          (B)     the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under
                 Section 609 and shall fail to resign after written request
                 therefor by the Company or by any such Holder, or

                          (C)     the Trustee shall become incapable of acting
                 or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent or a receiver of
                 the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed or any
                 public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or
                 of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation,
                 conservation or liquidation,

then, in any such case, (i) the Company by a Board Resolution may remove the
Trustee with respect to all Securities, or (ii) subject to Section 514, any
Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months
may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court
of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee with respect to all
Securities and the appointment of a successor Trustee or Trustees.





                                       53
<PAGE>   62
                 (e)      If the Trustee shall resign, be removed or become
         incapable of acting, or if a vacancy shall occur in the office of
         Trustee for any cause, with respect to the Securities of one or more
         series, the Company, by a Board Resolution, shall promptly appoint a
         successor Trustee or Trustees with respect to the Securities of that
         or those series (it being understood that any such successor Trustee
         may be appointed with respect to the Securities of one or more or all
         of such series and that at any time there shall be only one Trustee
         with respect to the Securities of any particular series) and shall
         comply with the applicable requirements of Section 611.  If, within
         six months after such resignation, removal or incapability, or the
         occurrence of such vacancy, a successor Trustee with respect to the
         Securities of any series shall be appointed by Act of the Holders of a
         majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such
         series delivered to the Company and the retiring Trustee, the
         successor Trustee so appointed shall, forthwith upon its acceptance of
         such appointment in accordance with the applicable requirements of
         Section 611, become the successor Trustee with respect to the
         Securities of such series and to that extent supersede the successor
         Trustee appointed by the Company.  If no successor Trustee with
         respect to the Securities of any series shall have been so appointed
         by the Company or the Holders and accepted appointment in the manner
         required by Section 611, any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of
         a Security of such series for at least six months may, on behalf of
         himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of
         competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with
         respect to the Securities of such series.

                 (f)      The Company shall give notice of each resignation and
         each removal of the Trustee with respect to Securities of any series
         and each appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to Securities
         of any series to all Holders of Securities of such series in the
         manner provided in Section 106.  Each notice shall include the name of
         the successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series
         and the address of its Corporate Trust Office.

Section 611.     Acceptance of Appointment by Successor.

                 (a)      In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor
         Trustee with respect to all Securities, every such successor Trustee
         so appointed shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and
         to the retiring Trustee an instrument accepting such appointment, and
         thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall
         become effective and such successor Trustee, without any further act,
         deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers,
         trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee; but, on the request of the
         Company or the successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon
         payment of its charges, execute and deliver an instrument transferring
         to such successor Trustee all the rights, powers and trusts of the
         retiring Trustee and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such
         successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee
         hereunder.





                                       54
<PAGE>   63
                 (b)      In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor
         Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more (but not all)
         series, the Company, the retiring Trustee and each successor Trustee
         with respect to the Securities of one or more series shall execute and
         deliver an indenture supplemental hereto wherein each successor
         Trustee shall accept such appointment and which (i) shall contain such
         provisions as shall be necessary or desirable to transfer and confirm
         to, and to vest in, each successor Trustee all the rights, powers,
         trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the
         Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such
         successor Trustee relates, (ii) if the retiring Trustee is not
         retiring with respect to all Securities, shall contain such provisions
         as shall be deemed necessary or desirable to confirm that all the
         rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect
         to the Securities of that or those series as to which the retiring
         Trustee is not retiring shall continue to be vested in the retiring
         Trustee, and (iii) shall add to or change any of the provisions of
         this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the
         administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, it
         being understood that nothing herein or in such supplemental indenture
         shall constitute such Trustees co-trustees of the same trust and that
         each such Trustee shall be trustee of a trust or trusts hereunder
         separate and apart from any trust or trusts hereunder administered by
         any other such Trustee; and upon the execution and delivery of such
         supplemental indenture the resignation or removal of the retiring
         Trustee shall become effective to the extent provided therein and each
         such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance,
         shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of
         the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those
         series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates;
         but, on request of the Company or any successor Trustee, such retiring
         Trustee shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor
         Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder
         with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the
         appointment of such successor Trustee relates.

                 (c)      Upon request of any such successor Trustee, the
         Company shall execute any and all instruments for more fully and
         certainly vesting in and confirming to such successor Trustee all such
         rights, powers and trusts referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) of this
         Section, as the case may be.

                 (d)      No successor Trustee shall accept its appointment
         unless at the time of such acceptance such successor Trustee shall be
         qualified and eligible under this Article.

Section 612.     Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business.

         Any corporation into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or
with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any
merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or
any corporation succeeding to all or substantially all the corporate trust
business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder,
provided such corporation shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this
Article, without the





                                       55
<PAGE>   64
execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the
parties hereto.  In case any Securities shall have been authenticated, but not
delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor by merger, conversion
or consolidation to such authenticating Trustee may adopt such authentication
and deliver the Securities so authenticated with the same effect as if such
successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Securities. In the event any
Securities shall not have been authenticated by such predecessor Trustee, any
such successor Trustee may authenticate and deliver such Securities, in either
its own name or that of its predecessor Trustee, with the full force and effect
which this Indenture provides for the certificate of authentication of the
Trustee.

Section 613.     Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.

         The Trustee shall comply with Section 311(a) of the Trust Indenture
Act, excluding any creditor relationship listed in Section 311(b) of the Trust
Indenture Act.  A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to
Section 311(a) of the Trust Indenture Act to the extent indicated therein.

Section 614.     Appointment of Authenticating Agent.

         The Trustee may appoint an Authenticating Agent or Agents with respect
to one or more series of Securities which shall be authorized to act on behalf
of the Trustee to authenticate Securities of such series issued upon original
issue and upon exchange, registration of transfer or partial redemption thereof
or pursuant to Section 306, and Securities so authenticated shall be entitled
to the benefits of this Indenture and shall be valid and obligatory for all
purposes as if authenticated by the Trustee hereunder.  Wherever reference is
made in this Indenture to the authentication and delivery of Securities by the
Trustee or the Trustee's certificate of authentication, such reference shall be
deemed to include authentication and delivery on behalf of the Trustee by an
Authenticating Agent and a certificate of authentication executed on behalf of
the Trustee by an Authenticating Agent.  Each Authenticating Agent shall be
acceptable to the Company and shall at all times be a corporation organized and
doing business under the laws of the United States of America, any State
thereof or the District of Columbia, authorized under such laws to act as
Authenticating Agent, having a combined capital and surplus of not less than
$50,000,000 and subject to supervision or examination by Federal or State
authority.  If such Authenticating Agent publishes reports of condition at
least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of said supervising or
examining authority, then, for the purposes of this Section, the combined
capital and surplus of such Authenticating Agent shall be deemed to be its
combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of
condition so published.  If at any time an Authenticating Agent shall cease to
be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, such
Authenticating Agent shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect
specified in this Section.

         Any corporation into which an Authenticating Agent may be merged or
converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting
from any merger, conversion or





                                       56
<PAGE>   65
consolidation to which such Authenticating Agent shall be a party, or any
corporation succeeding to the corporate agency or corporate trust business of
an Authenticating Agent, shall continue to be an Authenticating Agent, provided
such corporation shall be otherwise eligible under this Section, without the
execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of the Trustee
or the Authenticating Agent.

         An Authenticating Agent may resign at any time by giving written
notice thereof to the Trustee and the Company.  The Trustee may at any time
terminate the agency of an Authenticating Agent by giving written notice
thereof to such Authenticating Agent and to the Company. Upon receiving such a
notice of resignation or upon such a termination, or in case at any time such
Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the
provisions of this Section, the Trustee may appoint a successor Authenticating
Agent which shall be acceptable to the Company and shall mail written notice of
such appointment by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to all Holders of
Securities of the series with respect to which such Authenticating Agent will
serve, as their names and addresses appear in the Security Register. Any
successor Authenticating Agent upon acceptance of its appointment hereunder
shall become vested with all the rights, powers and duties of its predecessor
hereunder, with like effect as if originally named as an Authenticating Agent.
No successor Authenticating Agent shall be appointed unless eligible under the
provisions of this Section.

         The Trustee agrees to pay to each Authenticating Agent from time to
time reasonable compensation for its services under this Section, and the
Trustee shall be entitled to be reimbursed for such payments, subject to the
provisions of Section 607.

         If an appointment with respect to one or more series is made pursuant
to this Section, the Securities of such series may have endorsed thereon, in
addition to the Trustee's certificate of authentication, an alternative
certificate of authentication in the following form:





                                       57
<PAGE>   66
         This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein
referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

                                        Dated:

                                        [NAME OF TRUSTEE],
                                        As Trustee


                                        By:                                  
                                           ----------------------------------
                                                As Authenticating Agent


                                        By:                                  
                                           ----------------------------------
                                                Authorized Officer



Section 615.     Compliance with Tax Laws.

         The Trustee hereby agrees to comply with all U.S. Federal income tax
information reporting and withholding requirements applicable to it with
respect to payments of premium (if any) and interest on the Securities of any
series, whether acting as Trustee, Security Registrar, Paying Agent or
otherwise with respect to the Securities of any series.





                                       58
<PAGE>   67
                                 ARTICLE SEVEN

               HOLDERS' LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY

Section 701.     Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders.

         The Company will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee

                 (1)      semi-annually, not later than 15 days after the
         Regular Record Date for each series of Securities, a list, in such
         form as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses
         of the Holders of Securities as of such Regular Record Date (unless
         the Trustee has such information), or if there is no Regular Record
         Date for interest for such series of Securities, semi-annually, upon
         such dates as are set forth in the Board Resolution or indenture
         supplemental hereto authorizing such series, and

                 (2)      at such other times as the Trustee may request in
         writing, within 30 days after the receipt by the Company of any such
         request, a list of similar form and content as of a date not more than
         15 days prior to the time such list is furnished,

provided, however, that so long as the Trustee is the Security Registrar, no
such list shall be required to be furnished.

Section 702.     Preservation of Information; Communications to Holders.

                 (a)      The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as
         is reasonably practicable, the names and addresses of Holders of
         Securities (i) contained in the most recent list furnished to the
         Trustee for each series as provided in Section 701 and (ii) received
         by the Trustee for each series in the capacity as Security Registrar
         if the Trustee is acting in such capacity.  The Trustee may destroy
         any list furnished to it as provided in Section 701 upon receipt of a
         new list so furnished.

                 (b)      The rights of Holders to communicate with other
         Holders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or under the
         Securities, and the corresponding rights and privileges of the
         Trustee, shall be as provided by the Trust Indenture Act.

                 (c)      Every Holder of Securities, by receiving and holding
         the same, agrees with the Company and the Trustee that neither the
         Company nor the Trustee nor any agent of either of them shall be held
         accountable by reason of any disclosure of information as to the names
         and addresses of Holders made pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act.





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<PAGE>   68
Section 703.     Reports by Trustee.

                 (a)      The Trustee shall transmit to Holders of Securities,
         as their names and addresses appear in the Security Register, such
         reports, if any, concerning the Trustee and its actions under this
         Indenture as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act at
         the times and in the manner provided pursuant thereto.  Any such
         reports required pursuant to Section 313(a) of the Trust Indenture Act
         shall be transmitted on or about June 14, 1999, and on or about each
         June 14 thereafter and shall be dated as of April 15 of that year.

                 (b)      A copy of such report shall, at the time of such
         transmission to Holders, be filed by the Trustee with each stock
         exchange upon which any Securities are listed, with the Commission and
         with the Company.  The Company will notify the Trustee when any
         Securities are listed on any stock exchange.

Section 704.     Reports by Company.

         The Company shall file with the Trustee and the Commission, and
transmit to Holders, such information, documents and other reports, if any, and
such summaries thereof, as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act
at the times and in the manner provided pursuant to such Act; provided that any
such information, documents or reports required to be filed with the Commission
pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act shall be filed with the
Trustee within 15 days after the same is so required to be filed with the
Commission.


                                 ARTICLE EIGHT

              CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE

Section 801.     Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms.

         The Company shall not consolidate with or merge with or into any
Person, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of its assets, or
permit any Person to consolidate with or merge into the Company, unless the
following conditions have been satisfied:

                 (a)      either (1) the Company shall be the continuing Person
         in the case of a merger or (2) the resulting, surviving or transferee
         Person, if other than the Company (the "Successor Company"), shall be
         a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the United
         States, any State or the District of Columbia and shall expressly
         assume all the obligations of the Company under the Securities and the
         Indenture.

                 (b)      immediately after giving effect to the transaction
         (and treating any indebtedness that becomes an obligation of the
         Successor Company or any Subsidiary of





                                       60
<PAGE>   69
         the Company as a result of the transaction as having been incurred by
         the Successor Company or the Subsidiary at the time of the
         transaction), no default, Event of Default or event that, after notice
         or lapse of time, would become an Event of Default under this
         Indenture would occur or be continuing; and

                 (c)      the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an
         Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that the
         consolidation, merger, transfer or lease complies with this Indenture.

Section 802.     Successor Substituted.

         Upon any consolidation by the Company with, or merger by the Company
into, any other Person or any conveyance, transfer or lease of the properties
and assets of the Company as an entirety or substantially as an entirety as
described in the preceding paragraph, the Successor Company resulting from such
consolidation or into which the Company is merged or the transferee or lessee
to which such conveyance, transfer or lease is made, will succeed to, and be
substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under
this Indenture, and thereafter, except in the case of a lease, the predecessor
(if still in existence) will be released from its obligations and covenants
under this Indenture and all Outstanding Securities.


                                  ARTICLE NINE

                            SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES

Section 901.     Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders.

         Without the consent of any Holders, the Company, when authorized by a
Board Resolution, and the Trustee, at any time and from time to time, may enter
into one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in form satisfactory to the
Trustee, for any of the following purposes:

                 (a)      to evidence the succession of another Person to the
         Company pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture relating to
         consolidations, mergers and sales of assets and the assumption by the
         successor of the covenants, agreements and obligations of the Company
         herein and in the Securities;

                 (b)      to surrender any right or power conferred upon the
         Company by this Indenture, to add to the covenants of the Company such
         further covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions for the
         protection of the Holders of all or any series of Securities as the
         Board of Directors of the Company shall consider to be for the
         protection of the Holders of the Securities, and to make the
         occurrence, or the occurrence and continuance of a default in any of
         the additional covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions a





                                       61
<PAGE>   70
         default or an Event of Default under this Indenture (provided,
         however, that with respect to any such additional covenant,
         restriction, condition or provision, the supplemental indenture may
         provide for a period of grace after default, which may be shorter or
         longer than that allowed in the case of other defaults, may provide
         for an immediate enforcement upon the default, may limit the remedies
         available to the Trustee upon the default, or may limit the right of
         Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of any or all
         series of Securities to waive the default);

                 (c)      to cure any ambiguity or omission or to correct or
         supplement any provision contained in this Indenture, in any
         supplemental indenture or in any Securities that may be defective or
         inconsistent with any other provision contained therein, to convey,
         transfer, assign, mortgage or pledge any property to or with the
         Trustee, or to make such other provisions in regard to matters or
         questions arising under this Indenture, in each case as shall not
         adversely affect the interests of any Holders of Securities of any
         series in any material respect;

                 (d)      to modify or amend this Indenture in such a manner as
         to permit the qualification of this Indenture or any supplemental
         indenture under the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect;

                 (e)      to add guarantees with respect to any or all of the
         Securities or to secure any or all of the Securities;

                 (f)      to make any change that does not adversely affect the
         rights of any Holder;

                 (g)      to add to, change or eliminate any of the provisions
         of this Indenture with respect to one or more series of Securities, so
         long as any such addition, change or elimination not otherwise
         permitted hereunder shall (1) neither apply to any Security of any
         series created prior to the execution of the supplemental indenture
         and entitled to the benefit of the provision nor modify the rights of
         the Holders of any Security with respect to the provision, or (2)
         become effective only when there is no such Security outstanding;

                 (h)      to evidence and provide for the acceptance of
         appointment by a successor or separate Trustee with respect to the
         Securities of one or more series and to add to or change any of the
         provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or
         facilitate the administration of this Indenture by more than one
         Trustee;

                 (i)      to establish the form or terms of Securities of any 
         series; and

                 (j)      to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition
         to or in place of certificated Securities (provided that the
         uncertificated Securities are issued in registered form for purposes
         of Section 163(f) of the Internal Revenue Code or in a manner such
         that the uncertificated Securities are described in Section
         163(f)(2)(B) of such code).





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<PAGE>   71
Section 902.     Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders.

         With the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in
principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of each series affected by such
supplemental indenture, by Act of said Holders delivered to the Company and the
Trustee, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee
may enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto for the purpose
of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the
provisions of this Indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the
Holders of Securities of such series under this Indenture; provided, however,
that no such supplemental indenture shall without the consent of the Holder of
each Outstanding Security affected thereby,

                 (1)      change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or
         any installment of principal of or interest on, any Security, or
         reduce the principal amount thereof or the rate of interest thereon or
         any premium payable upon the redemption thereof, or reduce the amount
         of the principal of an Original Issue Discount Security that would be
         due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity
         thereof pursuant to Section 502, or change any Place of Payment where,
         or the coin or currency in which, any Security or any premium or
         interest thereon is payable, or impair the right to institute suit for
         the enforcement of any payment on or after the Stated Maturity thereof
         (or, in the case of redemption or repayment, on or after the
         Redemption Date or Repayment Date, as the case may be), or

                 (2)      reduce the percentage in principal amount of the
         Outstanding Securities of any series, the consent of whose Holders is
         required for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of whose
         Holders is required for any waiver (of compliance with certain
         provisions of this Indenture or certain defaults hereunder and their
         consequences) provided for in this Indenture, or

                 (3)      modify any of the provisions of this Section, Section
         513 or Section 1010, except to increase any such percentage or to
         provide that certain other provisions of this Indenture cannot be
         modified or waived without the consent of the Holder of each
         Outstanding Security affected thereby, provided, however, that this
         clause shall not be deemed to require the consent of any Holder with
         respect to changes in the references to "the Trustee" and concomitant
         changes in this Section and Section 1010, or the deletion of this
         proviso, in accordance with the requirements of Sections 611(b) and
         901(8).

         A supplemental indenture which changes or eliminates any covenant or
other provision of this Indenture which has expressly been included solely for
the benefit of one or more particular series of Securities, or which modifies
the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series with respect to such
covenant or other provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights under
this Indenture of the Holders of Securities of any other series.





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<PAGE>   72
         It shall not be necessary for any Act of Holders under this Section to
approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it
shall be sufficient if such Act shall approve the substance thereof.

Section 903.     Execution of Supplemental Indentures.

         In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any
supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby
of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to
receive, and (subject to Section 601) shall be fully protected in relying upon,
an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture
is authorized or permitted by this Indenture.  The Trustee may, but shall not
be obligated to, enter into any such supplemental indenture which affects the
Trustee's own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.

Section 904.     Effect of Supplemental Indentures.

         Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article,
this Indenture shall be modified in accordance therewith, and such supplemental
indenture shall form a part of this Indenture for all purposes; and every
Holder of Securities theretofore or thereafter authenticated and delivered
hereunder shall be bound thereby.

Section 905.     Conformity with Trust Indenture Act.

         Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article shall
conform to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect.

Section 906.     Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures.

         Securities of any series authenticated and delivered after the
execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to this Article may, and shall
if required by the Trustee, bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as
to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture.  If the Company
shall so determine, new Securities of any series so modified as to conform, in
the opinion of the Trustee and the Company, to any such supplemental indenture
may be prepared and executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by
the Trustee in exchange for Outstanding Securities of such series.





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<PAGE>   73
                                  ARTICLE TEN

                      PARTICULAR COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY

Section 1001.    Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest.

         The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of each series of
Securities that it will duly and punctually pay the principal of and any
premium and interest on the Securities of that series in accordance with the
terms of the Securities and this Indenture.

Section 1002.    Maintenance of Office or Agency.

         The Company will maintain in each Place of Payment for any series of
Securities an office or agency where Securities of that series may be presented
or surrendered for payment, where Securities of that series may be surrendered
for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or
upon the Company in respect of the Securities of that series and this Indenture
may be served.  The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of
the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency.  If at
any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency
or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such
presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the
Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the
Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders, notices and
demands.

         The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other
offices or agencies where the Securities of one or more series may be presented
or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind
such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission
shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office
or agency in each Place of Payment for Securities of any series for such
purposes.  The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any
such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such
other office or agency.

Section 1003.    Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust.

         If the Company shall at any time act as its own Paying Agent with
respect to any series of Securities, it will, on or before each due date of the
principal of or any premium or interest on any of the Securities of that
series, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled
thereto a sum sufficient to pay the principal and any premium and interest so
becoming due until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise
disposed of as herein provided and will promptly notify the Trustee of its
action or failure so to act.

         Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents for any
series of Securities, it will, on or prior to each due date of the principal of
or any premium or interest on any Securities of that series, deposit with a
Paying Agent a sum sufficient to pay such amount,





                                       65
<PAGE>   74
such sum to be held as provided by the Trust Indenture Act, and (unless such
Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee of
its action or failure so to act.

         The Company will cause each Paying Agent for any series of Securities
other than the Trustee to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in
which such Paying Agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions
of this Section, that such Paying Agent will (a) comply with the provisions of
the Trust Indenture Act applicable to it as a Paying Agent and (b) during the
continuance of any default by the Company (or any other obligor upon the
Securities of that series) in the making of any payment in respect of the
Securities of that series, upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith
pay to the Trustee all sums held in trust by such Paying Agent for payment in
respect of the Securities of that series.

         The Company may at any time, for the purpose of obtaining the
satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or for any other purpose, pay, or
by Company Order direct any Paying Agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held
in trust by the Company or such Paying Agent, such sums to be held by the
Trustee upon the same trusts as those upon which such sums were held by the
Company or such Paying Agent; and, upon such payment by any Paying Agent to the
Trustee, such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with
respect to such money.

         All monies deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then
held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of or any
premium or interest on any Security of any series and remaining unclaimed for
two years after such principal, premium or interest has become due and payable
shall be paid to the Company on Company Request (including interest income on
such funds, if any), or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from
such trust; and the Holder of such Security shall thereafter, as an unsecured
general creditor, look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all
liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money,
and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease.

Section 1004.    Statement by Officers as to Default.

         The Company will deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end
of each fiscal year of the Company ending after the date hereof, a brief
certificate from the principal executive, financial or accounting officer or
treasurer of the Company as to his or her knowledge of the Company's compliance
(without regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice provided
hereunder) with all conditions and covenants hereof.

Section 1005.    Existence.

         Subject to Article Eight, the Company will do or cause to be done all
things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate
existence, rights (charter and statutory) and franchises; provided, however,
that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such right or franchise
if the Company shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer





                                       66
<PAGE>   75
desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and that the loss
thereof is not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Holders.

Section 1006.    Maintenance of Properties.

         The Company will cause all material properties used or useful in the
conduct of its business or the business of any Subsidiary to be maintained and
kept in good condition, repair and working order and supplied with all
necessary equipment and will cause to be made all necessary repairs, renewals,
replacements, betterments and improvements thereof, all as (and to the extent)
in the judgment of the Company may be necessary or appropriate in connection
with its business; provided, however, that nothing in this Section shall
prevent the Company from discontinuing the operation or maintenance of any of
such properties if such discontinuance is, in the judgment of the Company,
desirable in the conduct of its business or the business of any Subsidiary and
not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Holders.

Section 1007.    Payment of Taxes and Other Claims.

         The Company will pay or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged,
within 30 days after the Company shall have received notice that the same has
become delinquent (1) all material taxes, assessments and governmental charges
levied or imposed upon the Company or any Subsidiary or upon the income,
profits or property of the Company or any Subsidiary, and (2) all lawful claims
for labor, materials and supplies which, if unpaid, might by law become a
material lien upon the property of the Company or any Subsidiary; provided,
however, that the Company shall not be required to pay or discharge or cause to
be paid or discharged any such tax, assessment, charge or claim whose amount,
applicability or validity is being contested in good faith by appropriate
proceedings; provided, further, that the Company shall not be required to pay
or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged any such tax, assessment, charge
or claim unless the failure to pay or discharge such tax, assessment, charge or
claim would, individually or in the aggregate with all such failures, have a
material adverse effect on the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole.

Section 1008.    Limitations on Liens.

         Unless the terms of a particular series of Securities otherwise
provide, so long as any Securities of such series remain Outstanding, the
Company will not, nor will it permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, issue,
incur, create, assume or guarantee any debt for borrowed money (hereinafter
referred to as "Debt"), secured by a mortgage, security interest, pledge, lien,
charge or other encumbrance (mortgages, security interests, pledges, liens,
charges and other encumbrances being hereinafter in this Article Ten referred
to as "lien" or "liens") upon any Principal Property of the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary or upon any shares of stock or indebtedness of any
Restricted Subsidiary (whether such Principal Property, shares of stock or
indebtedness are now existing or owed or hereafter created or acquired) without
in any such case effectively providing concurrently with the issuance,
incurrence, creation, assumption or guaranty





                                       67
<PAGE>   76
of any such Debt that the Securities of such series (together with, if the
Company shall so determine, any other indebtedness of or guarantee by the
Company or such Restricted Subsidiary ranking equally with the Securities of
such series and then existing or thereafter created) shall be secured equally
and ratably with (or, at the Company's option, prior to) such secured Debt
until such time as such Debt is no longer secured by a lien.  The preceding
sentence shall not require the Company to secure any Securities of such series
if the lien consists of either of the following:

                 (a)      Permitted Liens; or

                 (b)      liens securing Debt if, after giving pro forma effect
         to the incurrence, creation, assumption or guaranty of such Debt (and
         the receipt and application of the proceeds thereof) or the securing
         of outstanding Debt, the sum of (without duplication) (i) the
         aggregate principal amount of all such Debt of the Company and its
         Subsidiaries secured by liens (other than Permitted Liens) upon
         Principal Property of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or upon
         any shares of stock or indebtedness of any Restricted Subsidiary or,
         if less, the fair market value of the property subject to such lien,
         as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors and (ii) all
         Attributable Indebtedness in respect of Sale and Lease-Back
         Transactions not otherwise permitted under Section 1009, at the time
         of determination does not exceed the greater of 10% of Consolidated
         Net Tangible Assets or $350,000,000.

Section 1009.    Limitations on Sale and Lease-Back Transactions.

         Unless the terms of a particular series of Securities otherwise
provide, so long as any Securities of such series remain Outstanding, the
Company will not, nor will it permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, enter into
any Sale and Lease-Back Transaction unless (a) the Company or such Restricted
Subsidiary would be entitled to incur Debt secured by a lien on such Principal
Property in an amount at least equal to the Attributable Indebtedness with
respect to such Sale and Lease-Back Transaction without equally and ratably
securing the Securities of such series pursuant to Section 1008 or (b) the
Company, within six months after the effective date of such Sale and Lease-Back
Transaction, applies an amount equal to the Attributable Indebtedness in
respect of such Sale and Lease-Back Transaction to the defeasance or retirement
(other than any mandatory retirement, mandatory prepayment or sinking fund
payment or by way of payment at maturity) of Securities or other Debt of the
Company or a Restricted Subsidiary that matures more than one year after the
creation of such Debt or to the purchase, construction or development of other
comparable property.

Section 1010.    Waiver of Certain Covenants.

         The Company may omit in any particular instance to comply with any
term, provision or condition set forth in Sections 1008 and 1009 with respect
to the Securities of any series if before the time for such compliance the
Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding
Securities of such series shall, by Act of such Holders, either waive such
compliance





                                       68
<PAGE>   77
in such instance or generally waive compliance with such term, provision or
condition, but no such waiver shall extend to or affect such term, provision or
condition except to the extent so expressly waived, and, until such waiver
shall become effective, the obligations of the Company and the duties of the
Trustee in respect of any such term, provision or condition shall remain in
full force and effect.


                                 ARTICLE ELEVEN

                            REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES

Section 1101.    Applicability of Article.

         Securities of any series which are redeemable before their Stated
Maturity shall be redeemable in accordance with their terms and (except as
otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of any
series) in accordance with this Article.

Section 1102.    Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee.

         The election of the Company to redeem any Securities shall be
evidenced by a Board Resolution.  In case of any redemption at the election of
the Company of less than all the Securities of any series of the same tenor,
the Company shall, at least 60 days (45 days in the case of redemption of all
Securities of any series or of any series with the same (i) Stated Maturity,
(ii) period or periods within which, price or prices at which and terms and
conditions upon which such Securities may or shall be redeemed or purchased, in
whole or in part, at the option of the Company or pursuant to any sinking fund
or analogous provision or repayable at the option of the Holder and (iii) rate
or rates at which the Securities bear interest, if any, or formula pursuant to
which such rate or rates accrue (collectively, the "Equivalent Principal
Terms")) prior to the Redemption Date fixed by the Company (unless a shorter
notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), notify the Trustee of such
Redemption Date of the principal amount of Securities of such series to be
redeemed and, if applicable, of the tenor of the Securities to be redeemed.  In
the case of any redemption of Securities prior to the expiration of any
restriction on such redemption provided in the terms of such Securities or
elsewhere in this Indenture, the Company shall furnish the Trustee with an
Officers' Certificate evidencing compliance with such restriction.

Section 1103.    Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed.

         If less than all the Securities with Equivalent Principal Terms of any
series are to be redeemed (unless all of the Securities of such series and of a
specified tenor are to be redeemed), the particular Securities to be redeemed
shall be selected not more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date by the
Trustee, from the Outstanding Securities of such series not previously called
for redemption, by such method as the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate
and which





                                       69
<PAGE>   78
may provide for the selection for redemption of portions (equal to the minimum
authorized denomination for Securities of that series with Equivalent Principal
Terms or any integral multiple thereof) of the principal amount of Securities
of such series with Equivalent Principal Terms of a denomination larger than
the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of that series. Unless
otherwise provided in the terms of a particular series of Securities, the
portions of the principal of Securities so selected for partial redemption
shall be equal to the minimum authorized denomination of the Securities of such
series, or an integral multiple thereof, and the principal amount which remains
outstanding shall not be less than the minimum authorized denomination for
Securities of such series.

         The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the
Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any Securities selected
for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.

         For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise
requires, all provisions relating to the redemption of Securities shall relate,
in the case of any Securities redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the
portion of the principal amount of such Securities which has been or is to be
redeemed.

Section 1104.    Notice of Redemption.

         Notice of redemption shall be given by first-class mail, postage
prepaid, mailed not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption
Date, unless a shorter period is specified in the Securities to be redeemed, to
each Holder of Securities to be redeemed, at his address appearing in the
Security Register.

         Any notice that is mailed to the Holder of any Securities in the
manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given,
whether or not such Holder receives the notice.

         All notices of redemption shall state:

                 (1)      the Redemption Date,

                 (2)      the Redemption Price and the amount of accrued
interest, if any, to be paid,

                 (3)      if less than all the Outstanding Securities of any
series are to be redeemed, the identification (and, in the case of partial
redemption of any Securities, the principal amounts) of the particular
Securities to be redeemed,

                 (4)      in case any Security is to be redeemed in part only,
the notice which relates to such Security shall state that on and after the
Redemption Date, upon surrender of such





                                       70
<PAGE>   79
Security, the Holder of such Security will receive, without charge, a new
Security or Securities of authorized denominations for the principal amount
thereof remaining unredeemed,

                 (5)      that on the Redemption Date the Redemption Price will
become due and payable upon each such Security to be redeemed and, if
applicable, that interest thereon will cease to accrue on and after said date,

                 (6)      the place or places where such Securities are to be
surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price, and

                 (7)      that the redemption is for a sinking fund, if such is
the case.

         Notice of redemption of Securities to be redeemed at the election of
the Company shall be given by the Company or, at the Company's request, by the
Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company and shall be irrevocable.

Section 1105.    Deposit of Redemption Price.

         On or prior to any Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit with the
Trustee or with a Paying Agent (or, if the Company is acting as its own Paying
Agent, segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 1003) an amount of
money sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of, and (except if the Redemption
Date shall be an Interest Payment Date) accrued interest on, all the Securities
which are to be redeemed on that date.

Section 1106.    Securities Payable on Redemption Date.

         Notice of redemption having been given as aforesaid, the Securities so
to be redeemed shall, on the Redemption Date, become due and payable at the
Redemption Price therein specified, and from and after such date (unless the
Company shall default in the payment of the Redemption Price and accrued
interest) such Securities shall cease to bear interest.  Upon surrender of any
such Security for redemption in accordance with said notice, such Security
shall be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price, together with accrued
interest to the Redemption Date; provided, however, that, unless otherwise
specified as contemplated by Section 301, installments of interest whose Stated
Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date will be payable to the Holders
of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as such
at the close of business on the relevant Record Dates according to their terms
and the provisions of Section 307.

         If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid upon
surrender thereof for redemption, the principal and any premium shall, until
paid, bear interest from the Redemption Date at the rate prescribed therefor in
the Security.





                                       71
<PAGE>   80
Section 1107.    Securities Redeemed in Part.

         Any Security which is to be redeemed only in part shall be surrendered
at a Place of Payment therefor (with, if the Company or the Trustee so
requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form
satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder
thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing), and the Company shall
execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder of such
Security without service charge, a new Security or Securities of the same
series and of like tenor, of any authorized denomination as requested by such
Holder, in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for the
unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security so surrendered.


                                 ARTICLE TWELVE

                                 SINKING FUNDS

Section 1201.    Applicability of Article.

         The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to any sinking fund
for the retirement of Securities of a series except as otherwise specified as
contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of such series.

         The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the
terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as a "mandatory sinking
fund payment", and any payment in excess of such minimum amount provided for by
the terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as an "optional
sinking fund payment".  The cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be
subject to reduction as provided in Section 1202.  Each sinking fund payment
shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of any series as provided for
by the terms of Securities of such series.

Section 1202.    Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.

         The Company (a) may deliver Outstanding Securities of a series (other
than any previously called for redemption) and (b) may apply as a credit
Securities of a series which have been redeemed either at the election of the
Company pursuant to the terms of such Securities or through the application of
permitted optional sinking fund payments pursuant to the terms of such
Securities, in each case in satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund
payment with respect to the Securities of such series required to be made
pursuant to the terms of such Securities as provided for by the terms of such
Series; provided that such Securities have not been previously so credited.
Such Securities shall be received and credited for such purpose by the Trustee
at the Redemption Price specified in such Securities for redemption through
operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall
be reduced accordingly.





                                       72
<PAGE>   81
Section 1203.    Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.

         Not less than 60 days prior to each sinking fund payment date for any
series of Securities, the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officers'
Certificate specifying the amount of the next ensuing sinking fund payment for
that series pursuant to the terms of that series, the portion thereof, if any,
which is to be satisfied by payment of cash and the portion thereof, if any,
which is to be satisfied by delivering the crediting Securities of that series
pursuant to Section 1202 and will also deliver to the Trustee any Securities to
be so delivered.  Not less than 30 days before each such sinking fund payment
date the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking
fund payment date in the manner specified in Section 1103 and cause notice of
the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and at the expense of the
Company in the manner provided in Section 1104.  Such notice having been duly
given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in
the manner stated in Sections 1106 and 1107.


                                ARTICLE THIRTEEN

                       DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE

Section 1301.    Company's Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.

         Section 1302 and/or Section 1303 shall apply to the Outstanding
Securities of any series to the extent specified as contemplated by Section 301
for Securities of such series.

Section 1302.    Defeasance and Discharge.

         The Company shall be deemed to have been discharged from its
obligations with respect to the Outstanding Securities of such series as
provided in this Section on and after the date the conditions set forth in
Section 1304, in the case of defeasance, are satisfied (hereinafter called
"Defeasance").  For this purpose, such Defeasance means that the Company shall
be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by
the Outstanding Securities of such series and to have satisfied all of its
other obligations under the Securities of such series and this Indenture
insofar as the Securities of such series are concerned (and the Trustee, at the
expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the
same), subject to the following which shall survive until all the Securities of
such series have in fact been paid in full:  (a) the rights of Holders of
Securities of such series to receive, solely from the trust fund described in
Section 1304 and as more fully set forth in such Section, payments in respect
of the principal of and any premium and interest on such Securities of such
series when payments are due, and (b) the Company's obligations with respect to
the Securities of such series under Sections 304, 305, 306, 1002 and 1003.
Thereafter, the Company's obligations set forth in Sections 607 and 1305 shall
survive.  The rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee
hereunder and the provisions of Article Thirteen shall survive until otherwise
terminated or discharged hereunder.





                                       73
<PAGE>   82
         Subject to compliance with this Article Thirteen, the Company may
defease the Outstanding Securities of any series pursuant to this Section 1302
notwithstanding the prior Defeasance of the Outstanding Securities of such
series pursuant to Section 1303.

Section 1303.    Covenant Defeasance.

         The Company shall be released from its obligations under Sections 1005
through 1009, inclusive, and the occurrence of any event specified in Sections
501(4) (with respect to any of Sections 1005 through 1009 inclusive) and 501(9)
shall be deemed not to be or result in an Event of Default, in each case with
respect to Outstanding Securities of any series as provided in this Section on
and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 1304 are satisfied
(hereinafter called "Covenant Defeasance").  For this purpose, such Covenant
Defeasance means that the Company may omit to comply with and shall have no
liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such
specified Section (to the extent so specified in the case of Section 501(4)),
whether directly or indirectly by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to
any such Section or by reason of any reference in any such Section to any other
provision herein or in any other document, but the remainder of this Indenture
and the Securities of such series shall be unaffected thereby.

Section 1304.    Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.

         The following shall be the conditions to Defeasance pursuant to
Section 1302 or Covenant Defeasance pursuant to Section 1303 of the Outstanding
Securities of any series:

                 (1)      The Company shall irrevocably have deposited or
         caused to be deposited with the Trustee (or another trustee that
         satisfies the requirements contemplated by Section 609 and agrees to
         comply with the provisions of this Article Thirteen applicable to it)
         as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following
         payments, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely
         to, the benefit of the Holders of Outstanding Securities of such
         series, (A) money in an amount, or (B) U.S. Government Obligations
         that through the scheduled payment of principal and interest in
         respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide, not later
         than the due date of any payment, money in an amount, or (C) a
         combination thereof, in each case sufficient, in the opinion of a
         nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed
         in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay
         and discharge each installment of principal (including mandatory
         sinking fund payments and amounts that may be payable at the option of
         the Holder on any Repayment Date) of, and premium (not relating to
         optional redemption), if any, and interest on, the Outstanding
         Securities of such series on the dates such installments of principal
         of, and premium (not relating to optional redemption), if any, or
         interest are due.

                 (2)      In the case of Defeasance under Section 1302, the
         Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel
         stating that (A) the Company has received





                                       74
<PAGE>   83
         from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a
         ruling or (B) since the date first set forth hereinabove, there has
         been a change in the applicable Federal income tax law, in either case
         (A) or (B) to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall
         confirm that, the Holders of the Outstanding Securities of such series
         will not recognize gain or less for Federal income tax purposes as a
         result of the deposit, Defeasance and discharge to be effected with
         respect to the Securities of such series and will be subject to
         Federal income tax on the same amount, in the same manner and at the
         same times as would be the case if such deposit, Defeasance and
         discharge were not to occur.

                 (3)      In the case of Covenant Defeasance under Section
         1303, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of
         Counsel to the effect that the Holders of the Outstanding Securities
         of such series will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal
         income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and Covenant Defeasance
         to be effected with respect to the Securities of such series and will
         be subject to Federal income tax on the same amount, in the same
         manner and at the same times as would be the case if such deposit and
         Covenant Defeasance were not to occur.

                 (4)      The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an
         Officers' Certificate to the effect that the Securities of such
         series, if then listed on any securities exchange, will not be
         demisted as a result of such deposit.

                 (5)      No Event of Default or event that (after notice or
         lapse of time or both) would become an Event of Default shall have
         occurred and be continuing at the time of such deposit or, with regard
         to any Event of Default or any such event specified in Sections 501(7)
         and (8), at any time on or prior to the 90th day after the date of
         such deposit (it being understood that this condition shall not be
         deemed satisfied until after such 90th day).

                 (6)      Such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not
         cause the Trustee to have a conflicting interest within the meaning of
         the Trust Indenture Act (assuming all Securities are in default within
         the meaning of such Act).

                 (7)      Such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance (including the
         deposit pursuant to such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance) shall not
         result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, the
         Indenture or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is
         a party or by which it is bound.

                 (8)      The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an
         Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all
         conditions precedent with respect to such Defeasance or Covenant
         Defeasance have been complied with.





                                       75
<PAGE>   84
                 (9)      Such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not
         result in the trust arising from such deposit constituting an
         investment company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of
         1940, unless such trust shall be qualified under such Act or exempt
         from regulation thereunder.

Section 1305.    Deposited Money and U.S. Government Obligations to be Held in
                 Trust; Indemnity for U.S. Government Obligations; Repayment to
                 Company.

                 (a)      Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of
         Section 1003, all money and U.S. Government Obligations (including the
         proceeds thereof) deposited with the Trustee or other qualifying
         trustee (solely for purposes of this Section and Section 1306, the
         Trustee and any such other trustee are referred to collectively as the
         "Trustee") pursuant to Section 1304 in respect of the Securities of
         any series shall be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in
         accordance with the provisions of the Securities of such series and
         this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any such
         Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as
         the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of Securities of such
         series, of all sums due and to become due thereon in respect of
         principal and any premium and interest, but money so held in trust
         need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required
         by law.

                 (b)      The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee
         against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against
         the U.S. Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 1304 or
         the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any
         such tax, fee or other charge that by law is for the account of the
         Holders of Outstanding Securities.

                 (c)      Anything in this Article Thirteen to the contrary
         notwithstanding, the Trustee and any Paying Agent shall promptly
         deliver or pay to the Company upon Company Request any money or U.S.
         Government Obligations held by them as provided in Section 1304 with
         respect to Securities of any series that, in the opinion of a
         nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed
         in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are in
         excess of the amount thereof that would then be required to be
         deposited to effect an equivalent Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance
         with respect to the Securities of such series.

Section 1306.    Reinstatement.

         If the Trustee or the Paying Agent is unable to apply any money in
accordance with this Article Thirteen with respect to the Securities of any
series by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental
authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application,
then the Company's obligations under this Indenture and the Securities of such
series shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred
pursuant to this Article Thirteen with respect to Securities of such series
until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent





                                       76
<PAGE>   85
is permitted to apply all money held in trust pursuant to Section 1305 with
respect to Securities of such series in accordance with this Article Thirteen;
provided, however, that if the Company makes any payment of principal of or any
premium or interest on any Security of such series following the reinstatement
of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the
Holders of Securities of such series to receive such payment from the money so
held in trust.


                                ARTICLE FOURTEEN

                    REPAYMENT AT OPTION OF SECURITY HOLDERS

Section 1401.    Applicability of Article.

         Securities of any series which are repayable at the option of the
Holders thereof before their Stated Maturity shall be repaid in accordance with
their terms and (except as otherwise contemplated by Section 301 for Securities
of such series) in accordance with this Article.

Section 1402.    Repayment of Securities.

         Each Security which is subject to repayment in whole or in part at the
option of the Holder thereof on a Repayment Date shall be repaid at the
applicable Repayment Price together with interest accrued to such Repayment
Date as specified pursuant to Section 301.

Section 1403.    Exercise of Option; Notice.

         Each Holder desiring to exercise his option for repayment shall, as
conditions to such repayment, surrender the Security to be repaid together with
all coupons, if any, appertaining thereto maturing after the Repayment Date and
with written notice of the exercise of such option at any office or agency of
the Company in a Place of Payment, not less than 15 nor more than 30 days prior
to the Repayment Date.  Such notice, which shall be irrevocable, shall identify
the Security to be repaid and shall specify the principal amount of such
Security to be repaid, which shall be not less than the minimum authorized
denomination for such Security or an integral multiple thereof and, in the case
of a partial repayment of the Security, the denomination or denominations of
the Security or Securities with Equivalent Principal Terms to be issued to the
Holder for the portion of the principal of the Security surrendered which is
not to be repaid.

         Any Security which is to be repaid only in part shall be surrendered
at a Place of Payment therefor (with, if the Company or the Trustee so
requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form
satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder
thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing), and the Company shall
execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder of such
Security without service charge, a new Security or Securities with Equivalent
Principal Terms, of any authorized denomination as





                                       77
<PAGE>   86
requested by such Holder, in aggregate principal amount equal to and in
exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security so
surrendered.

         For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise
requires, all provisions relating to the repayment of Securities shall relate,
in the case of any Security repaid or to be repaid only in part, to the portion
of the principal of such Security which has been or is to be repaid.

Section 1404.    Securities Payable on the Repayment Date.

         Notice of exercise of the option of repayment having been given and
the Securities so to be repaid having been surrendered as aforesaid, such
Securities shall, on the Repayment Date, become due and payable at the
Repayment Price therein specified and from and after such date (unless the
Company shall default in the payment of Repayment Price and accrued interest)
such Securities shall cease to bear interest.  Upon surrender of any such
Security for repayment in accordance with Section 1403, such Security shall be
paid by the Company at the Repayment Price, together with accrued interest to
the Repayment Date; provided, however, that, installments of interest on
Securities whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Repayment Date shall be
payable to the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor
Securities, registered as such at the close of business on the relevant Record
Dates according to their terms and the provisions of Section 307.

         If any Security duly surrendered for repayment shall not be so paid,
the principal and any premium shall, until paid, bear interest from the
Repayment Date at the rate prescribed therefor in the Security.

         This instrument may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of
which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts
shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.





                                       78
<PAGE>   87
         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to
be duly executed, and their respective corporate seals to be hereunto affixed
and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.

                                     DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION


                                     By:   /s/  Alex C. Smith                 
                                         -------------------------------------
                                     Name:    Alex C. Smith                   
                                           -----------------------------------
                                     Title:      Vice President, Treasurer    
                                            ----------------------------------



                                     CHASE BANK OF TEXAS, NATIONAL
                                     ASSOCIATION


                                     By:   /s/  Cary Gilliam                  
                                         -------------------------------------
                                     Name:    Cary Gilliam                    
                                           -----------------------------------
                                     Title:      Vice President               
                                            ----------------------------------






                                       79

<PAGE>   1
                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.3

                           DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION

                             Officers' Certificate


         This Officers' Certificate is being delivered in connection with the
issuance by Dell Computer Corporation (the "Company") of $200,000,000 aggregate
principal amount of 6.55% Senior Notes Due 2008 (the "Senior Notes"), which are
represented by one or more Global Senior Notes (the "Global Senior Note"), and
pursuant to resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company and
the Pricing Committee dated March 5, 1998, and April 22, 1998, respectively,
and to Section 301 of the Indenture (the "Indenture") dated as of April 27,
1998, between the Company and Chase Bank of Texas, National Association, as
trustee (the "Trustee").  Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined
herein have the meanings specified in the Indenture.

         Pursuant to Section 301 of the Indenture, the undersigned hereby
certify as follows:

         1.               The title of the Senior Notes shall be "6.55% Senior
                          Notes Due 2008."

         2.               The Senior Notes shall be limited to $200,000,000
                          aggregate principal amount.

         3.               The date on which the principal and premium, if any,
                          on the Senior Notes are payable is April 15, 2008.

         4.               The rate at which the Senior Notes shall bear
                          interest shall be 6.55% per year; the date from which
                          such interest shall accrue shall be April 15, 1998;
                          the interest payment dates on which such interest
                          shall be payable shall be April 15 and October 15,
                          beginning October 15, 1998; and the regular record
                          dates for the determination of the holders of the
                          Senior Notes to whom such interest is payable shall
                          be the immediately preceding April 1 (for April 15
                          payment dates) and the immediately preceding October
                          1 (for October 15 payment dates).

         5.               Payments of principal of and interest on the Senior
                          Notes represented by the Global Senior Note initially
                          registered in the name of The Depository Trust
                          Company (the "Depositary") or its nominee shall be
                          made by the Company through the Trustee in
                          immediately available funds to the Depositary or its
                          nominee, as the case may be.

         6.               The Senior Notes are subject to redemption upon
                          receipt of notice by first-class mail at least 30
                          days and not more than 60 days prior to the
                          Redemption Date, at the option of the Company at any
                          time, as a whole or in part, at a Redemption Price
                          equal to the greater of (i) 100% of their principal
                          amount or (ii) the sum of the present values of the
                          remaining scheduled payments of principal and
                          interest thereon (exclusive of interest accrued to
                          the Redemption Date) discounted to the Redemption
                          Date on a semiannual basis (assuming a 360-day year
                          consisting of twelve 30-day
<PAGE>   2
                          months) at the Treasury Rate plus 12.5 basis points,
                          plus in either case accrued and unpaid interest on
                          the principal amount being redeemed to the Redemption
                          Date; provided, however, that installments of
                          interest on Senior Notes that are due and payable on
                          an Interest Payment Date falling on or prior to the
                          relevant Redemption Date shall be payable to the
                          holders of such Senior Notes, or one or more
                          Predecessor Securities, registered as such at the
                          close of business on the relevant Regular Record Date
                          according to their terms and the provisions of the
                          Indenture.

         "Treasury Rate" means, with respect to any Redemption Date for the
Senior Notes, (a) the yield, under the heading that represents the average for
the immediately preceding week, appearing in the most recently published
statistical release designated "H.15(519)" or any successor publication that is
published weekly by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and
that establishes yields on actively traded United States Treasury securities
adjusted to constant maturity under the caption "Treasury Constant Maturities,"
for the maturity corresponding to the Comparable Treasury Issue (if no maturity
is within three months before or after the Maturity Date, yields for the two
published maturities most closely corresponding to the Comparable Treasury
Issue shall be determined and the Treasury Rate shall be interpolated or
extrapolated from such yields on a straight-line basis, rounding to the nearest
month) or (b) if such release (or any successor release) is not published
during the week preceding the calculation date or does not contain such yields,
the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity of the
Comparable Treasury Issue, calculated using a price for the comparable Treasury
Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the
Comparable Treasury Price for such Redemption Date.  The Treasury Rate shall be
calculated on the third Business Day preceding the Redemption Date.

         "Comparable Treasury Issue" means the United States Treasury security
selected by the Independent Investment Banker as having a maturity comparable
to the remaining term of the Senior Notes to be redeemed that would be
utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial
practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of comparable
maturity to the remaining term of the Senior Notes.

         "Independent Investment Banker" means Morgan Stanley & Co.
Incorporated or, if such firm is unwilling or unable to select the Comparable
Treasury Issue, an independent investment banking institution of national
standing appointed by the Trustee after consultation with the Company.

         "Comparable Treasury Price" means, with respect to any Redemption
Date, (a) the average of four Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such
Redemption Date, after excluding the highest and lowest such Reference Treasury
Dealer Quotations, or (b) if the Trustee obtains  fewer than four such
Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all such Quotations.

         "Reference Treasury Dealer" means each of Morgan Stanley & Co.
Incorporated and Goldman, Sachs & Co. and their respective successors;
provided, however, that if either of the foregoing shall cease to be a primary
U.S. Government securities dealer in New York City (a "Primary Treasury
Dealer"), the Company will substitute therefor another Primary Treasury Dealer.


                                      2
<PAGE>   3
         "Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations" means, with respect to each
Reference Treasury Dealer and any Redemption Date, the average, as determined
by the Trustee, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue
(expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in
writing to the Trustee by such Redemption Treasury Dealer at 5:00 p.m., New
York City time, on the third Business Day preceding such Redemption Date.

         7.               The Senior Notes shall be represented by a Global
                          Senior Note deposited with the Depositary and
                          registered in the name of the nominee of the
                          Depositary.

         8.               There shall be no mandatory sinking fund for the
                          payments of the Senior Notes.

         9.               The Company shall be subject to all the covenants set
                          forth in Articles Eight and Ten of the Indenture with
                          respect to the Senior Notes.

         10.              Article Thirteen of the Indenture shall apply to the
                          Senior Notes.

         11.              As long as the Depositary or its nominee, or a
                          successor Depositary or its nominee, is the
                          registered owner of the Global Senior Note, owners of
                          the beneficial interests in the Global Senior Note
                          shall not be entitled to have the Senior Notes
                          registered in their names and shall not receive or be
                          entitled to receive physical delivery of Senior Notes
                          in definitive form.

         12.              Chase Bank of Texas, National Association, shall be
                          the Trustee and initial Paying Agent and Registrar
                          for the Senior Notes under the Indenture.

         13.              The Senior Notes shall not be subordinated.  The
                          Senior Notes shall be senior unsecured obligations of
                          the Company ranking pari passu with other senior
                          indebtedness of the Company.





                                       3
<PAGE>   4
         In witness whereof, we have hereunto signed out names and affixed the
seal of the Company.

Dated:  April 27, 1998

                                          DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION



                                           /s/  Alex C. Smith                 
                                          ------------------------------------
                                          By:   Alex C. Smith
                                                Vice President, Treasurer



                                           /s/  Thomas H. Welch, Jr.          
                                          ------------------------------------
                                          By:   Thomas H. Welch, Jr.
                                                Assistant Secretary





                                      4

<PAGE>   1
                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.4

                           DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION

                             Officers' Certificate


         This Officers' Certificate is being delivered in connection with the
issuance by Dell Computer Corporation (the "Company") of $300,000,000 aggregate
principal amount of 7.10% Senior Debentures Due 2028 (the "Senior Debentures")
which are represented by one or more Global Senior Notes (each a "Global Senior
Note"), and pursuant to resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the
Company and the Pricing Committee dated March 5, 1998, and April 22, 1998,
respectively, and to Section 301 of the Indenture (the "Indenture") dated as of
April 27, 1998, between the Company and Chase Bank of Texas, National
Association, as trustee (the "Trustee").  Capitalized terms used and not
otherwise defined herein have the meanings specified in the Indenture.

         Pursuant to Section 301 of the Indenture, the undersigned hereby
certify as follows:

         1.               The title of the Senior Debentures shall be "7.10%
                          Senior Debentures Due 2028."

         2.               The Senior Debentures shall be limited to
                          $300,000,000 aggregate principal amount.

         3.               The date on which the principal and premium, if any,
                          on the Senior Debentures are payable is April 15,
                          2028.

         4.               The rate at which the Senior Debentures shall bear
                          interest shall be 7.10% per year; the date from which
                          such interest shall accrue shall be April 15, 1998;
                          the interest payment dates on which such interest
                          shall be payable shall be April 15 and October 15,
                          beginning October 15, 1998; and the regular record
                          dates for the determination of the holders of the
                          Senior Debentures to whom such interest is payable
                          shall be the immediately preceding April 1 (for April
                          15 payment dates) and the immediately preceding
                          October 1 (for October 15 payment dates).

         5.               Payments of principal of and interest on the Senior
                          Debentures represented by the Global Senior Notes
                          initially registered in the name of The Depository
                          Trust Company (the "Depositary") or its nominee shall
                          be made by the Company through the Trustee in
                          immediately available funds to the Depositary or its
                          nominee, as the case may be.

         6.               The Senior Debentures are subject to redemption upon
                          receipt of notice by first-class mail at least 30
                          days and not more than 60 days prior to the
                          Redemption Date, at the option of the Company at any
                          time, as a whole or in part, at a Redemption Price
                          equal to the greater of (i) 100% of their principal
                          amount or (ii) the sum of the present values of the
                          remaining scheduled payments of principal and
                          interest thereon
<PAGE>   2
                          (exclusive of interest accrued to the Redemption
                          Date) discounted to the Redemption Date on a
                          semiannual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting
                          of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 15
                          basis points, plus in either case accrued and unpaid
                          interest on the principal amount being redeemed to
                          the Redemption Date; provided, however, that
                          installments of interest on Senior Debentures that
                          are due and payable on an Interest Payment Date
                          falling on or prior to the relevant Redemption Date
                          shall be payable to the holders of such Senior
                          Debentures, or one or more Predecessor Securities,
                          registered as such at the close of business on the
                          relevant Regular Record Date according to their terms
                          and the provisions of the Indenture.

         "Treasury Rate" means, with respect to any Redemption Date for the
Senior Debentures, (a) the yield, under the heading that represents the average
for the immediately preceding week, appearing in the most recently published
statistical release designated "H.15(519)" or any successor publication that is
published weekly by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and
that establishes yields on actively traded United States Treasury securities
adjusted to constant maturity under the caption "Treasury Constant Maturities,"
for the maturity corresponding to the Comparable Treasury Issue (if no maturity
is within three months before or after the Maturity Date, yields for the two
published maturities most closely corresponding to the Comparable Treasury
Issue shall be determined and the Treasury Rate shall be interpolated or
extrapolated from such yields on a straight-line basis, rounding to the nearest
month) or (b) if such release (or any successor release) is not published
during the week preceding the calculation date or does not contain such yields,
the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity of the
Comparable Treasury Issue, calculated using a price for the comparable Treasury
Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the
Comparable Treasury Price for such Redemption Date.  The Treasury Rate shall be
calculated on the third Business Day preceding the Redemption Date.

         "Comparable Treasury Issue" means the United States Treasury security
selected by the Independent Investment Banker as having a maturity comparable
to the remaining term of the Senior Debentures to be redeemed that would be
utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial
practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of comparable
maturity to the remaining term of the Senior Debentures.

         "Independent Investment Banker" means Morgan Stanley & Co.
Incorporated or, if such firm is unwilling or unable to select the Comparable
Treasury Issue, an independent investment banking institution of national
standing appointed by the Trustee after consultation with the Company.

         "Comparable Treasury Price" means, with respect to any Redemption
Date, (a) the average of four Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such
Redemption Date, after excluding the highest and lowest such Reference Treasury
Dealer Quotations, or (b) if the Trustee obtains  fewer than four such
Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all such Quotations.


                                      2
<PAGE>   3
         "Reference Treasury Dealer" means each of Morgan Stanley & Co.
Incorporated and Goldman, Sachs & Co. and their respective successors;
provided, however, that if either of the foregoing shall cease to be a primary
U.S. Government securities dealer in New York City (a "Primary Treasury
Dealer"), the Company will substitute therefor another Primary Treasury Dealer.

         "Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations" means, with respect to each
Reference Treasury Dealer and any Redemption Date, the average, as determined
by the Trustee, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue
(expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in
writing to the Trustee by such Redemption Treasury Dealer at 5:00 p.m., New
York City time, on the third Business Day preceding such Redemption Date.

         7.               The Senior Debentures shall be represented by two
                          Global Senior Notes deposited with the Depositary and
                          registered in the name of the nominee of the
                          Depositary.

         8.               There shall be no mandatory sinking fund for the
                          payments of the Senior Debentures.

         9.               The Company shall be subject to all the covenants set
                          forth in Articles Eight and Ten of the Indenture with
                          respect to the Senior Debentures.

         10.              Article Thirteen of the Indenture shall apply to the
                          Senior Debentures.

         11.              As long as the Depositary or its nominee, or a
                          successor Depositary or its nominee, is the
                          registered owner of the Global Senior Notes, owners
                          of the beneficial interests in the Global Senior
                          Notes shall not be entitled to have the Senior
                          Debentures registered in their names and shall not
                          receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery
                          of Senior Debentures in definitive form.

         12.              Chase Bank of Texas, National Association, shall be
                          the Trustee and initial Paying Agent and Registrar
                          for the Senior Debentures under the Indenture.

         13.              The Senior Debentures shall not be subordinated.  The
                          Senior Debentures shall be senior unsecured
                          obligations of the Company ranking pari passu with
                          other senior indebtedness of the Company.





                                       3
<PAGE>   4
         In witness whereof, we have hereunto signed out names and affixed the
seal of the Company.

Dated:  April 27, 1998

                                       DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION


                                        /s/  Alex C. Smith                    
                                       ---------------------------------------
                                       By:   Alex C. Smith
                                             Vice President, Treasurer



                                        /s/  Thomas H. Welch, Jr.             
                                       ---------------------------------------
                                       By:   Thomas H. Welch, Jr.
                                             Assistant Secretary





                                      4

<PAGE>   1
                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.5

                                    FORM OF

                          6.55% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2008

                                       OF

                           DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION


                               [FACE OF SECURITY]

         UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE
OF THE DEPOSITARY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION ("DTC"), NEW YORK, NEW
YORK, TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR
PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR
SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY
PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO., OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN
AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC) ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR
VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED
OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.

         TRANSFERS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS IN
WHOLE, BUT NOT IN PART, TO NOMINEES OF DTC OR TO A SUCCESSOR THEREOF OR SUCH
SUCCESSOR'S NOMINEE AND TRANSFERS OF PORTIONS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY SHALL BE
LIMITED TO TRANSFERS MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH IN THE
INDENTURE REFERRED TO ON THE REVERSE HEREOF.
<PAGE>   2
                                                                               2

CUSIP NO. 247025 AD 1

No. T-_______                                                  $_______________

                          6.55% Senior Notes Due 2008

                 Dell Computer Corporation, a Delaware corporation, promises to
pay to Cede & Co., or registered assigns, the principal sum of $_______________
on April 15, 2008.

                    Interest Payment Dates:    April 15 and October 15
                              Record Dates:    April 1 and October 1

                Additional provisions of this Security are set forth on the
other side of this Security.

Dated:  April 27, 1998                  DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION,


                                        by
                                            ----------------------------------
                                            Name:  Alex C. Smith
                                            Title: Vice President, Treasurer

                                        by
                                            ----------------------------------
                                            Name:  Thomas H. Welch, Jr.
                                            Title: Assistant Secretary

TRUSTEE'S CERTIFICATE
OF AUTHENTICATION

CHASE BANK OF TEXAS, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
as Trustee, certifies that this is
one of the Debt Securities,
designated 6.55% Senior
Notes Due 2008, referred to
in the Indenture.

  by
      ----------------------------------
      Authorized Signatory





                           [REVERSE SIDE OF SECURITY]
<PAGE>   3
                                                                               3


                          6.55% Senior Notes Due 2008

1.     Interest

       Dell Computer Corporation, a Delaware corporation (such corporation, and
its successors and assigns under the Indenture hereinafter referred to, being
herein called the "Company"), promises to pay interest on the principal amount
of this Security at the rate per annum shown above.  The Company shall pay
interest semiannually on April 15 and October 15 of each year commencing on
October 15, 1998.  Interest on the Securities shall accrue from the most recent
date to which interest has been paid or, if no interest has been paid, from
April 15, 1998.  Interest shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of
twelve 30-day months.

2.     Method of Payment

       The Company shall pay interest on the Securities (except defaulted
interest) to the Persons who are registered holders of Securities at the close
of business on the April 1 or October 1 next preceding the interest payment
date even if Securities are canceled after the record date and on or before the
interest payment date.  Holders must surrender Securities to a Paying Agent to
collect principal payments.  The Company shall pay principal and interest in
immediately available (same day) funds in money of the United States of America
that at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private
debts.  However, the Company may pay principal and interest by check or wire
transfer payable in immediately available (same day) funds in such money.

3.     Paying Agent and Registrar

       Initially, Chase Bank of Texas, National Association ("Trustee"), shall
act as Paying Agent and Registrar.  The Company may appoint and change any
Paying Agent, Registrar or co-registrar without notice.  The Company or any of
its domestically incorporated wholly owned Subsidiaries may act as Paying
Agent, Registrar or co-registrar.

4.     Indenture

       The Company issued the Securities under an indenture dated as of April
27, 1998, between the Company and the Trustee, as supplemented by the officers'
certificate relating to the Securities dated as of April 27, 1998 (the
"Officers' Certificate" and, collectively with the aforementioned indenture,
the "Indenture").  The terms of the Securities include those stated in the
Indenture and those made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust
Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S.C. Sections  77aaa-77bbbb) as in effect on the
date of the Indenture (the "Act").  Terms defined in the Indenture and not
defined herein have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Indenture.  The
Securities are subject to all such terms, and Holders are referred to the
Indenture and the Act for a statement of those terms.

       This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of general unsecured
obligations of the Company all issued or to be issued under the Indenture.
Debt Securities issued under the Indenture may be issued in one or more series,
which different series may be issued in various aggregate principal amounts,
may mature at different times, may bear interest at different rates, may have
<PAGE>   4
                                                                               4

different conversion prices (if any), may be subject to different redemption
provisions, may be subject to different sinking, purchase or analogous funds,
may be subject to different covenants, Events of Default and subordination
provisions and may otherwise vary as the Indenture provides. This Security is
one of a series designated as 6.55% Senior Notes Due 2008 (the "Securities")
issued under the Indenture, limited to $200,000,000 aggregate principal amount.
The Indenture imposes certain limitations (with significant exceptions) on the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, including the incurrence of liens and
entering into Sale and Lease-Back Transactions.

5.     Optional Redemption

       The Securities are redeemable at any time, at the option of the Company,
in whole or from time to time in part, upon not less than 30 and not more than
60 days' notice as provided in the Indenture, on any date prior to their
maturity (the "Redemption Date") at a price equal to the greater of (a) 100% of
the principal amount of the Securities to be redeemed and (b) the sum of the
present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest
thereon (exclusive of interest accrued to such Redemption Date) discounted to
such Redemption Date on a semiannual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting
of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 12.5 basis points, plus
accrued and unpaid interest on the principal amount being redeemed to such
Redemption Date; provided, however, that installments of interest on the
Securities that are due and payable on an Interest Payment Date falling on or
prior to the relevant Redemption Date shall be payable to the holders of such
Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as such at the
close of business on the relevant Regular Record Date according to their terms
and the provisions of the Indenture.

       "Treasury Rate" means, with respect to any Redemption Date for the
Securities, (a) the yield, under the heading that represents the average for
the immediately preceding week, appearing in the most recently published
statistical release designated "H.15(519)" or any successor publication that is
published weekly by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and
that establishes yields on actively traded United States Treasury securities
adjusted to constant maturity under the caption "Treasury Constant Maturities,"
for the maturity corresponding to the Comparable Treasury Issue (if no maturity
is within three months before or after the Maturity Date, yields for the two
published maturities most closely corresponding to the Comparable Treasury
Issue shall be determined and the Treasury Rate shall be interpolated or
extrapolated from such yields on a straight-line basis, rounding to the nearest
month) or (b) if such release (or any successor release) is not published
during the week preceding the calculation date or does not contain such yields,
the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity of the
Comparable Treasury Issue, calculated using a price for the comparable Treasury
Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the
Comparable Treasury Price for such Redemption Date.  The Treasury Rate shall be
calculated on the third Business Day preceding the Redemption Date.

       "Comparable Treasury Issue" means the United States Treasury security
selected by the Independent Investment Banker as having a maturity comparable
to the remaining term of the Securities to be redeemed that would be
utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial
practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of comparable
maturity to the remaining term of the Securities.
<PAGE>   5
                                                                               5

       "Independent Investment Banker" means Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
or, if such firm is unwilling or unable to select the Comparable Treasury
Issue, an independent investment banking institution of national standing
appointed by the Trustee after consultation with the Company.

       "Comparable Treasury Price" means, with respect to any Redemption Date,
(a) the average of four Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such
Redemption Date, after excluding the highest and lowest such Reference Treasury
Dealer Quotations, or (b) if the Trustee obtains  fewer than four such
Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all such Quotations.

       "Reference Treasury Dealer" means each of Morgan Stanley & Co.
Incorporated and Goldman, Sachs & Co. and their respective successors;
provided, however, that if either of the foregoing shall cease to be a primary
U.S. Government securities dealer in New York City (a "Primary Treasury
Dealer"), the Company will substitute therefor another Primary Treasury Dealer.

       "Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations" means, with respect to each
Reference Treasury Dealer and any Redemption Date, the average, as determined
by the Trustee, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue
(expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in
writing to the Trustee by such Redemption Treasury Dealer at 5:00 p.m., New
York City time, on the third Business Day preceding such Redemption Date.

6.     Denominations; Transfer; Exchange

       The Securities are in registered form without coupons in denominations
of $1,000 and whole multiples of $1,000. A Holder may transfer or exchange
Securities only in accordance with the Indenture.  The Registrar may require a
Holder, among other things, to furnish appropriate endorsements or transfer
documents and to pay any taxes and fees required by law or permitted by the
Indenture.

7.     Persons Deemed Owners

       The registered Holder of this Security may be treated as the owner of it
for all purposes.

8.     Unclaimed Money

       If money for the payment of principal or interest remains unclaimed for
two years, the Trustee or Paying Agent shall pay the money back to the Company
at its request unless an abandoned property law designates another Person.
After any such payment, Holders entitled to the money must look only to the
Company and not to the Trustee for payment.

9.     Discharge and Defeasance

       Subject to certain conditions, the Company at any time may terminate
some or all its obligations under the Securities and the Indenture if the
Company deposits with the Trustee cash or U.S. Government Obligations for the
payment of principal and interest on the Securities to redemption or maturity,
as the case may be.
<PAGE>   6
                                                                               6

10.    Amendment, Waiver

       Subject to certain exceptions set forth in the Indenture, (i) the
Indenture or the Securities may be amended with the written consent of the
Holders of at least a majority in principal amount outstanding of the
Securities and (ii) any acceleration of principal and interest on the
Securities resulting from a default or noncompliance with any provision may be
waived with the written consent of the Holders of a majority in principal
amount outstanding of the Securities.  Subject to certain exceptions set forth
in the Indenture, without the consent of any Holder, the Company and the
Trustee may amend the Indenture or the Securities to cure, among other things,
any ambiguity, omission, defect or inconsistency, or to evidence the succession
of another Person to the Company pursuant to Article Eight of the Indenture, or
to add guarantees with respect to the Securities or to secure the Securities,
or to add additional covenants or surrender rights and powers conferred on the
Company, or to permit the qualification of the Indenture under the Act, or to
make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any Holder, or to
provide for the acceptance of a successor or separate Trustee.

11.    Defaults and Remedies

       Under the Indenture, Events of Default include (i) default for 30 days
in payment of interest on the Securities; (ii) default in payment of principal
or premium on the Securities at maturity, upon acceleration or otherwise; (iii)
failure by the Company to comply with other agreements in the Indenture or the
Securities, in certain cases subject to notice by Holders and lapse of time;
(iv) certain accelerations (including failure to pay within any grace period
after final maturity) of other Indebtedness of the Company if the amount
accelerated (or so unpaid) exceeds $50,000,000 and continues for 30 days after
the required notice to the Company; (v) certain events of bankruptcy or
insolvency with respect to the Company; and (vi) certain judgments or decrees
for the payment of money in excess of $50,000,000.  If an Event of Default
occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in
principal amount of the Securities may declare all the Securities to be due and
payable immediately.

       Holders may not enforce the Indenture or the Securities except as
provided in the Indenture. The Trustee may refuse to enforce the Indenture or
the Securities unless it receives reasonable indemnity or security.  Subject to
certain limitations, Holders of a majority in principal amount of the
Securities may direct the Trustee in its exercise of any trust or power.  The
Trustee may withhold from Holders notice of any continuing Default (except a
Default in payment of principal or interest) if it determines that withholding
notice is in the interest of the Holders.

12.    Trustee Dealings with the Company

       Subject to certain limitations imposed by the Act, the Trustee under the
Indenture, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or
pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal with and collect obligations owed
to it by the Company or its Affiliates and may otherwise deal with the Company
or its Affiliates with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee.
<PAGE>   7
                                                                               7

13.    No Recourse Against Others

       An incorporator and any past, present or future director, officer,
employee or stockholder, as such, of the Company shall not have any liability
for any obligations of the Company under the Securities or the Indenture or for
any claim based on or otherwise in respect of the Securities or the Indenture.
By accepting a Security, each Holder waives and releases all such liability.
The waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issue of the
Securities.

14.    Authentication

       This Security shall not be valid until an authorized signatory of the
Trustee (or an authenticating agent) manually signs the certificate of
authentication on the other side of this Security.

15.    Abbreviations

       Customary abbreviations may be used in the name of a Holder or an
assignee, such as TEN COM (=tenants in common), TEN ENT (=tenants by the
entireties), JT TEN (=joint tenants with rights of survivorship and not as
tenants in common), CUST (=custodian), and U/G/M/A (=Uniform Gift to Minors
Act).

16.    Governing Law

       THIS SECURITY SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK (WITHOUT REFERENCE TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF
LAW).

17.    CUSIP Numbers

       Pursuant to a recommendation promulgated by the Committee on Uniform
Security Identification Procedures the Company has caused CUSIP numbers to be
printed on the Securities and has directed the Trustee to use CUSIP numbers in
notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders. No representation is made as
to the accuracy of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as
contained in any notice of redemption and reliance may be placed only on the
other identification numbers placed thereon.

       The Company shall furnish to any Holder upon written request and without
charge to the Holder a copy of the Indenture referred to herein.  Requests may
be made to:

                              Corporate Secretary
                           Dell Computer Corporation
                                  One Dell Way
                         Round Rock, Texas  78682-2244
<PAGE>   8
                                                                               8

                                ASSIGNMENT FORM

To assign this Security, fill in the form below:

I or we assign and transfer this Security to

        ----------------------------------------------------------------
            (Print or type assignee's name, address and zip code)


        ----------------------------------------------------------------
                 (Insert assignee's soc. sec. or tax I.D. No.)

and irrevocably appoint                              agent to transfer this
Security on the books of the Company.  The agent may substitute another to act
for him.


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


Date:                            Your Signature:
     -----------------------                    --------------------------------


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

Sign exactly as your name appears on the other side of this Security.


Date:                            Your Signature:
     -----------------------                    -------------------------------
                                                (Sign exactly as your name 
                                                appears on the other side of 
                                                the Security)


Signature Guarantee:
                    -----------------------------------------------------------
                    (Signature must be guaranteed by a member firm of the New 
                    York Stock Exchange or a commercial bank or trust company)

<PAGE>   1
                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.6

                                    FORM OF

                        7.10% SENIOR DEBENTURES DUE 2028

                                       OF

                           DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION


                               [FACE OF SECURITY]

         UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE
OF THE DEPOSITARY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION ("DTC"), NEW YORK, NEW
YORK, TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR
PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR
SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY
PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO., OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN
AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC) ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR
VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED
OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.

         TRANSFERS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS IN
WHOLE, BUT NOT IN PART, TO NOMINEES OF DTC OR TO A SUCCESSOR THEREOF OR SUCH
SUCCESSOR'S NOMINEE AND TRANSFERS OF PORTIONS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY SHALL BE
LIMITED TO TRANSFERS MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH IN THE
INDENTURE REFERRED TO ON THE REVERSE HEREOF.
<PAGE>   2
                                                                               2

CUSIP NO. 247025 AE 9

No. T-_______                                                  $_______________

                        7.10% Senior Debentures Due 2028

                 Dell Computer Corporation, a Delaware corporation, promises to
pay to Cede & Co., or registered assigns, the principal sum of $_______________
on April 15, 2028.

                      Interest Payment Dates:    April 15 and October 15
                                Record Dates:    April 1 and October 1

                Additional provisions of this Security are set forth on the
other side of this Security.

Dated:  April 27, 1998                   DELL COMPUTER CORPORATION,


                                         by
                                             ---------------------------------
                                             Name:  Alex C. Smith
                                             Title: Vice President, Treasurer

                                         by
                                             ---------------------------------
                                             Name:  Thomas H. Welch, Jr.
                                             Title: Assistant Secretary

TRUSTEE'S CERTIFICATE
OF AUTHENTICATION

CHASE BANK OF TEXAS, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
as Trustee, certifies that this is
one of the Debt Securities,
designated 7.10% Senior
Debentures Due 2028, referred to
in the Indenture.

  by
     ---------------------------------
     Authorized Signatory





                           [REVERSE SIDE OF SECURITY]
<PAGE>   3
                                                                               3


                        7.10% Senior Debentures Due 2028

1.     Interest

       Dell Computer Corporation, a Delaware corporation (such corporation, and
its successors and assigns under the Indenture hereinafter referred to, being
herein called the "Company"), promises to pay interest on the principal amount
of this Security at the rate per annum shown above.  The Company shall pay
interest semiannually on April 15 and October 15 of each year commencing on
October 15, 1998.  Interest on the Securities shall accrue from the most recent
date to which interest has been paid or, if no interest has been paid, from
April 15, 1998.  Interest shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of
twelve 30-day months.

2.     Method of Payment

       The Company shall pay interest on the Securities (except defaulted
interest) to the Persons who are registered holders of Securities at the close
of business on the April 1 or October 1 next preceding the interest payment
date even if Securities are canceled after the record date and on or before the
interest payment date.  Holders must surrender Securities to a Paying Agent to
collect principal payments.  The Company shall pay principal and interest in
immediately available (same day) funds in money of the United States of America
that at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private
debts.  However, the Company may pay principal and interest by check or wire
transfer payable in immediately available (same day) funds in such money.

3.     Paying Agent and Registrar

       Initially, Chase Bank of Texas, National Association ("Trustee"), shall
act as Paying Agent and Registrar.  The Company may appoint and change any
Paying Agent, Registrar or co-registrar without notice.  The Company or any of
its domestically incorporated wholly owned Subsidiaries may act as Paying
Agent, Registrar or co-registrar.

4.     Indenture

       The Company issued the Securities under an indenture dated as of April
27, 1998, between the Company and the Trustee, as supplemented by the officers'
certificate relating to the Securities dated as of April 27, 1998 (the
"Officers' Certificate" and, collectively with the aforementioned indenture,
the "Indenture").  The terms of the Securities include those stated in the
Indenture and those made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust
Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S.C. Sections  77aaa-77bbbb) as in effect on the
date of the Indenture (the "Act").  Terms defined in the Indenture and not
defined herein have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Indenture.  The
Securities are subject to all such terms, and Holders are referred to the
Indenture and the Act for a statement of those terms.

       This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of general unsecured
obligations of the Company all issued or to be issued under the Indenture.
Debt Securities issued under the Indenture may be issued in one or more series,
which different series may be issued in various aggregate principal amounts,
may mature at different times, may bear interest at different rates, may have
<PAGE>   4
                                                                               4

different conversion prices (if any), may be subject to different redemption
provisions, may be subject to different sinking, purchase or analogous funds,
may be subject to different covenants, Events of Default and subordination
provisions and may otherwise vary as the Indenture provides. This Security is
one of a series designated as 7.10% Senior Debentures Due 2028 (the
"Securities") issued under the Indenture, limited to $300,000,000 aggregate
principal amount.  The Indenture imposes certain limitations (with significant
exceptions) on the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, including the
incurrence of liens and entering into Sale and Lease-Back Transactions.

5.     Optional Redemption

       The Securities are redeemable at any time, at the option of the Company,
in whole or from time to time in part, upon not less than 30 and not more than
60 days' notice as provided in the Indenture, on any date prior to their
maturity (the "Redemption Date") at a price equal to the greater of (a) 100% of
the principal amount of the Securities to be redeemed and (b) the sum of the
present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest
thereon (exclusive of interest accrued to such Redemption Date) discounted to
such Redemption Date on a semiannual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting
of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 15 basis points, plus
accrued and unpaid interest on the principal amount being redeemed to such
Redemption Date; provided, however, that installments of interest on the
Securities that are due and payable on an Interest Payment Date falling on or
prior to the relevant Redemption Date shall be payable to the holders of such
Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as such at the
close of business on the relevant Regular Record Date according to their terms
and the provisions of the Indenture.

       "Treasury Rate" means, with respect to any Redemption Date for the
Securities, (a) the yield, under the heading that represents the average
for the immediately preceding week, appearing in the most recently published
statistical release designated "H.15(519)" or any successor publication that is
published weekly by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and
that establishes yields on actively traded United States Treasury securities
adjusted to constant maturity under the caption "Treasury Constant Maturities,"
for the maturity corresponding to the Comparable Treasury Issue (if no maturity
is within three months before or after the Maturity Date, yields for the two
published maturities most closely corresponding to the Comparable Treasury
Issue shall be determined and the Treasury Rate shall be interpolated or
extrapolated from such yields on a straight-line basis, rounding to the nearest
month) or (b) if such release (or any successor release) is not published
during the week preceding the calculation date or does not contain such yields,
the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity of the
Comparable Treasury Issue, calculated using a price for the comparable Treasury
Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the
Comparable Treasury Price for such Redemption Date.  The Treasury Rate shall be
calculated on the third Business Day preceding the Redemption Date.

       "Comparable Treasury Issue" means the United States Treasury security
selected by the Independent Investment Banker as having a maturity comparable
to the remaining term of the Securities to be redeemed that would be
utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial
practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of comparable
maturity to the remaining term of the Securities.
<PAGE>   5
                                                                               5


       "Independent Investment Banker" means Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
or, if such firm is unwilling or unable to select the Comparable Treasury
Issue, an independent investment banking institution of national standing
appointed by the Trustee after consultation with the Company.

       "Comparable Treasury Price" means, with respect to any Redemption Date,
(a) the average of four Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such
Redemption Date, after excluding the highest and lowest such Reference Treasury
Dealer Quotations, or (b) if the Trustee obtains  fewer than four such
Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all such Quotations.

       "Reference Treasury Dealer" means each of Morgan Stanley & Co.
Incorporated and Goldman, Sachs & Co. and their respective successors;
provided, however, that if either of the foregoing shall cease to be a primary
U.S. Government securities dealer in New York City (a "Primary Treasury
Dealer"), the Company will substitute therefor another Primary Treasury Dealer.

       "Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations" means, with respect to each
Reference Treasury Dealer and any Redemption Date, the average, as determined
by the Trustee, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue
(expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in
writing to the Trustee by such Redemption Treasury Dealer at 5:00 p.m., New
York City time, on the third Business Day preceding such Redemption Date.

6.     Denominations; Transfer; Exchange

       The Securities are in registered form without coupons in denominations
of $1,000 and whole multiples of $1,000. A Holder may transfer or exchange
Securities only in accordance with the Indenture.  The Registrar may require a
Holder, among other things, to furnish appropriate endorsements or transfer
documents and to pay any taxes and fees required by law or permitted by the
Indenture.

7.     Persons Deemed Owners

       The registered Holder of this Security may be treated as the owner of it
for all purposes.

8.     Unclaimed Money

       If money for the payment of principal or interest remains unclaimed for
two years, the Trustee or Paying Agent shall pay the money back to the Company
at its request unless an abandoned property law designates another Person.
After any such payment, Holders entitled to the money must look only to the
Company and not to the Trustee for payment.

9.     Discharge and Defeasance

       Subject to certain conditions, the Company at any time may terminate
some or all its obligations under the Securities and the Indenture if the
Company deposits with the Trustee cash or U.S. Government Obligations for the
payment of principal and interest on the Securities to redemption or maturity,
as the case may be.
<PAGE>   6
                                                                               6


10.    Amendment, Waiver

       Subject to certain exceptions set forth in the Indenture, (i) the
Indenture or the Securities may be amended with the written consent of the
Holders of at least a majority in principal amount outstanding of the
Securities and (ii) any acceleration of principal and interest on the
Securities resulting from a default or noncompliance with any provision may be
waived with the written consent of the Holders of a majority in principal
amount outstanding of the Securities.  Subject to certain exceptions set forth
in the Indenture, without the consent of any Holder, the Company and the
Trustee may amend the Indenture or the Securities to cure, among other things,
any ambiguity, omission, defect or inconsistency, or to evidence the succession
of another Person to the Company pursuant to Article Eight of the Indenture, or
to add guarantees with respect to the Securities or to secure the Securities,
or to add additional covenants or surrender rights and powers conferred on the
Company, or to permit the qualification of the Indenture under the Act, or to
make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any Holder, or to
provide for the acceptance of a successor or separate Trustee.

11.    Defaults and Remedies

       Under the Indenture, Events of Default include (i) default for 30 days
in payment of interest on the Securities; (ii) default in payment of principal
or premium on the Securities at maturity, upon acceleration or otherwise; (iii)
failure by the Company to comply with other agreements in the Indenture or the
Securities, in certain cases subject to notice by Holders and lapse of time;
(iv) certain accelerations (including failure to pay within any grace period
after final maturity) of other Indebtedness of the Company if the amount
accelerated (or so unpaid) exceeds $50,000,000 and continues for 30 days after
the required notice to the Company; (v) certain events of bankruptcy or
insolvency with respect to the Company; and (vi) certain judgments or decrees
for the payment of money in excess of $50,000,000.  If an Event of Default
occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in
principal amount of the Securities may declare all the Securities to be due and
payable immediately.

       Holders may not enforce the Indenture or the Securities except as
provided in the Indenture. The Trustee may refuse to enforce the Indenture or
the Securities unless it receives reasonable indemnity or security.  Subject to
certain limitations, Holders of a majority in principal amount of the
Securities may direct the Trustee in its exercise of any trust or power.  The
Trustee may withhold from Holders notice of any continuing Default (except a
Default in payment of principal or interest) if it determines that withholding
notice is in the interest of the Holders.

12.    Trustee Dealings with the Company

       Subject to certain limitations imposed by the Act, the Trustee under the
Indenture, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or
pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal with and collect obligations owed
to it by the Company or its Affiliates and may otherwise deal with the Company
or its Affiliates with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee.
<PAGE>   7
                                                                               7

13.    No Recourse Against Others

       An incorporator and any past, present or future director, officer,
employee or stockholder, as such, of the Company shall not have any liability
for any obligations of the Company under the Securities or the Indenture or for
any claim based on or otherwise in respect of the Securities or the Indenture.
By accepting a Security, each Holder waives and releases all such liability.
The waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issue of the
Securities.

14.    Authentication

       This Security shall not be valid until an authorized signatory of the
Trustee (or an authenticating agent) manually signs the certificate of
authentication on the other side of this Security.

15.    Abbreviations

       Customary abbreviations may be used in the name of a Holder or an
assignee, such as TEN COM (=tenants in common), TEN ENT (=tenants by the
entireties), JT TEN (=joint tenants with rights of survivorship and not as
tenants in common), CUST (=custodian), and U/G/M/A (=Uniform Gift to Minors
Act).

16.    Governing Law

       THIS SECURITY SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK (WITHOUT REFERENCE TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF
LAW).

17.    CUSIP Numbers

       Pursuant to a recommendation promulgated by the Committee on Uniform
Security Identification Procedures the Company has caused CUSIP numbers to be
printed on the Securities and has directed the Trustee to use CUSIP numbers in
notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders. No representation is made as
to the accuracy of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as
contained in any notice of redemption and reliance may be placed only on the
other identification numbers placed thereon.

       The Company shall furnish to any Holder upon written request and without
charge to the Holder a copy of the Indenture referred to herein.  Requests may
be made to:

                              Corporate Secretary
                           Dell Computer Corporation
                                  One Dell Way
                         Round Rock, Texas  78682-2244
<PAGE>   8
                                                                               8

                                ASSIGNMENT FORM

To assign this Security, fill in the form below:

I or we assign and transfer this Security to


      --------------------------------------------------------------------
             (Print or type assignee's name, address and zip code)


      --------------------------------------------------------------------
                 (Insert assignee's soc. sec. or tax I.D. No.)

and irrevocably appoint                              agent to transfer this
Security on the books of the Company.  The agent may substitute another to act
for him.


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


Date:                            Your Signature:
     -----------------------                    --------------------------


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

Sign exactly as your name appears on the other side of this Security.


Date:                            Your Signature:
     -----------------------                    --------------------------
                                                (Sign exactly as your name 
                                                appears on the other side of 
                                                the Security)


Signature Guarantee:
                    ------------------------------------------------------
                    (Signature must be guaranteed by a member firm of the New 
                    York Stock Exchange or a commercial bank or trust company)


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