March 20, 2001
MCE Announces the FireBay External FireWire Docking Unit for PowerBook
Expansion Bay Devices
Irvine, CA – Mac Components Engineered’s PowerBook Products Division (MCE
PowerBook Products, an Apple Developer) today announced the FireBay, an
external FireWire docking unit for PowerBook expansion bay devices. Once
inserted into the MCE FireBay, PowerBook expansion bay devices such as hard
disks, CD/DVD-ROM’s, CD-R/RW’s, Zip’s, etc. can be used externally on any
Mac or PowerBook with a FireWire port. Eligible expansion bay devices are
those designed for the Apple PowerBook (FireWire) and the Apple PowerBook
G3 Series – 1999 (Bronze/Lombard). Release date is set for early May.
“Expansion bay devices are no longer confined to the PowerBook platform,”
said Arnold Ramirez, President of MCE PowerBook Products. “Now PowerBook
owners can more fully realize their investment in expansion bay modules by
the ability to use them as external FireWire devices across machines.”
The MCE FireBay is a small, stackable bay which can accept one PowerBook
expansion bay device at a time. Depending on the particular expansion bay
device in use, the FireBay can be either bus-powered or can be powered by
the included AC adapter. This product gives PowerBook users, or users of
any FireWire-equipped Mac, the ability to use several of their expansion
bay devices simultaneously, instead of just one at a time and only in the
PowerBook’s single expansion bay.
Of particular interest to multimedia authors is the ability now to capture
digital video on location using their PowerBook and expansion bay hard
drive, and then later simply inserting the same bay drive into the MCE
FireBay connected to their PowerMac G4 desktop for final editing and
rendering.
The MCE FireBay can be used as a single, stand-alone unit or multiple
FireBays can be stacked on top of each other. In addition to a standard
FireWire port on the rear, each MCE FireBay has a topside FireWire port
which connects to a port underneath each unit when stacked, thereby
eliminating the need for extra cables.
The MCE FireBay FireWire Expansion Bay will ship with FireWire driver
software, a FireWire cable, and owner’s manual. Final pricing has not yet
been determined.
Mac Components Engineered designs and markets domestically and
internationally a wide range of Apple PowerBook-related products and
solutions to distributors, dealers, and end-users. For additional
information please contact Mac Components Engineered, 30 Hughes, Suite 203,
Irvine, CA, 92618; telephone (949) 458-0800, fax (949) 458-1803, or on the
Internet at http://www.mcetech.com.