Press

Other World Computing (OWC), a leading provider of products and services for the Macintosh marketplace, today introduced 5400RPM 80GB Mercury On-The-Go FireWire and FireWire+USB 2.0 storage solutions.

Today’s announcement was made by OWC at the Macworld Conference & Expo, being held January 5-9, 2004 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, where the company is exhibiting in booth #2233.

Immediately available online through OWC, the 80GB 5400RPM Mercury On-The-Go drives feature an 8 Megabyte (MB) data buffer and are available with either a FireWire only interface for $349.97 or with both FireWire and Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 interfaces for $359.97. The IEEE1394/iLink-compliant FireWire interface features two ports (one powered 6-pin and one unpowered 4-pin), while the USB interface on the combination drive supports both USB v2.0 and v1.1.

“While it would have been difficult to imagine such a speedy, high-capacity drive in a pocket-sized package just a short time ago, the newest of OWC’s Mercury On-The-Go portable storage solutions makes that a reality today,” said Larry O’Connor, president of OWC. “With data transfer rates in excess of 40MBs per second, our 5400RPM solutions are fast enough for even the most demanding A/V applications and are indispensable tools for ‘on-the-go’ professionals in need of practical, high-performance storage solutions at the right cost.”

Weighing 11 ounces and measuring only 3.5-inches x 5.5-inches x 1.0-inches, Mercury On-The-Go drives provide convenient and portable solutions for additional storage capacity, transporting large files between multiple computers and real-time audio/video editing. They are 100-percent plug-and-play-compatible for quick access wherever one travels. Additionally, the On-The-Go drives can be used with any electronic device that has FireWire and/or USB data ports, including digital video and still cameras.

In addition, OWC has reduced prices on select Mercury On-The-Go storage solutions. Updated pricing is as follows:

• 40GB 5400RPM w/16MB buffer: $249.97 (FireWire only) and $259.99 (FireWire+USB),
  
• 60GB 4200RPM: $249.97 (FireWire only) and $259.99 (FireWire+USB),
  
• 60GB 7200RPM: $339.97 (FireWire only) and $349.99 (FireWire+USB), and
  
• 80GB 4200RPM w/8MB buffer: $299.97 (FireWire only) and $309.97 (FireWire+USB).
  

Mercury On-The-Go drives are compatible with any operating system with FireWire or USB (combo model) support, including Apple OS 8.6-9.2.2, OS X and Windows 98SE/2000/XP. Features include shock-protective design, a cool blue activity LED, near-silent operation and multiple connecting ports. Drives may be powered (via FireWire or USB) or with the included AC adapter, and all cables, formatting software and a one-year warranty are also included.

Pricing, ordering and availability information for other OWC products are available online exclusively at www.macsales.com/firewire. OWC’s online newsroom is found at http://eshop.macsales.com/newsroom/.