For Immediate Release
LaCie Shipping Newly Announced Removeable Storage Solutions
Industry Firsts Include:
6GB, 18GB PocketDrives with USB and FireWire Support
FireWire 37GB External HD
12X CD-RW Drives
HILLSBORO, OR (January 20, 2000) Less than a week after unveiling three
revolutionary storage solutions to crowds of onlookers at MACWORLD, LaCie
announced today that it has already begun shipping the new products.
Designed to meet the capacity and performance requirements of content
developers, A/V professionals and on-the-go users, the new devices include
the world’s smallest 6GB and 18GB hard drives with both FireWire and USB
support, the industry’s highest-capacity FireWire desktop drive, and a 12X
CD-RW drive–the industry’s fastest burner for Macintosh Computers.
Building on the success of its original award-wining PocketDrive which was
introduced with a SCSI interface in 1991, LaCie’s new PocketDrive hard
drives are the first peripherals to offer both Universal Serial Bus (USB)
and FireWire (IEEE 1394) support, or “U&I ” (LaCie’s acronym and trademark
for the dual-support capability).
“There will probably always be some demand for the SCSI interface, but it
won’t be long before all of the computer manufacturers will follow Apple’s
lead and will simplify the way users attach peripherals,” predicted Mike
Mihalik, LaCie Vice President of Engineering. “They’ll have a FireWire port
for high-speed storage products and DV camcorders and USB ports for
peripherals that aren’t performance-critical. By providing storage
solutions with both interfaces, users will have plug-and-play connectivity
without having to worry about whether the computer is equipped with a USB
port or a FireWire port.”
U&I (USB and FireWire) PocketDrive — Designed to meet the storage
requirements of today’s demanding, data-intensive applications, LaCie’s new
6GB and 18GB PocketDrives provide high capacity, fast access, and
reliability in an affordable, ultra-compact design plus cross-platform
interoperability to simplify file sharing. The drives also provide an
excellent solution for full system backup, including a bootable operating
system.
At MACWORLD, the performance and versatility of the drives were
demonstrated by LaCie and Apple Computer, as well as Newer Technology and
RATOC Systems, providers of Macintosh and G3/G4 upgrade solutions. Visitors
to these booths saw the drives demonstrated with PowerBooks, iMacs, iBooks
and G3/G4 systems. Measuring only 3.5″ x 5.75″ and weighing less than a 13
ounces, LaCie’s new PocketDrives are also compatible with Windows 98SE and
2000 PCs. The 6 GB PocketDrive has an SRP of $399 and the18GB drive is
priced at $749.
“The LaCie PocketDrive is going to be a must-have peripheral for every
PowerBook and iBook user,” said Mr. C.Okamura president of San Jose,
Calif.-based RATOC Systems. “Dual-interface support makes it fast and easy
for users to share large files, even videos, with almost anyone. Finally,
there is a storage solution that will handle FCP 1.2 and DV camcorder video
captures that is easy to carry with you, easy to use and realistically
priced.”
37.5GB FireWire Desktop Hard Drive — Offering a capacity of 37.5GB,
LaCie’s new 3.5″ HDD is, the industry’s highest-capacity desktop hard drive
with a built-in FireWire controller. With the FireWire interface, the drive
is not only faster than comparable SCSI-equipped drives, it’s hot-pluggable
with G3, G4 and iMacDV systems, as well as Windows” 98 Second Edition and
Windows 2000 systems. This capability provides digital video, music and
digital imaging professionals with a fast and efficient means of moving
large files from one system to another without rebooting the computers. The
37GB FireWire hard drive has an SRP of $659 and includes a LaCie 1394
cable, worldwide power supply and the company’s Silverlining Pro drive
management software. LaCie also offers a FireWire 20GB desktop HDD.
12x4x32x CD-RW — With the ability to write a complete 650MB CD in about
six minutes, LaCie’s new 12x4x32x CD-RW is the industry’s fastest CD burner
for Macintosh computers. The SCSI-2 drive also incorporates constant
angular velocity (CAV) technology to provide users with 32x playback and
150ms access. In addition to performing all of the encoding/decoding
functions, the drive handles the digital servo, interface and other
functions to maximize the throughput of Apple’s newest systems. Available
with a street price less than $460, the drive ships with complete Macintosh
and Windows recording utilities. Linux users can download X-CD-Roast from
the Internet.
All of the new storage products are immediately available through
authorized LaCie resellers and mail order partners worldwide.
About LaCie
Founded in 1987, LaCie is a world leader in the development and manufacture
of cross-platform mass storage, digital video and color-management computer
peripherals for personal, business, industrial and multimedia environments.
In addition to its U.S. development, marketing and manufacturing facilities
in Hillsboro, OR, LaCie has its corporate office in Massy, France, and
sales offices in Canada and 10 European countries. LaCie Group SA is a
French public company listed on the Paris Nouveau March (code 5431). For
more information, contact LaCie, Ltd. at 22985 NW Evergreen Parkway;
Hillsboro, OR 97124 or call (503) 844-4500, Fax (503) 844-4593. Visit
LaCie’s Web site at www.lacie.com