Our History
The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.
Other World Computing
Founded in Woodstock, IL in 1988 by Larry O'Connor, MacSales.com as been the premier online source for upgrade and expansion products for Mac and iOS device users around the globe. For 30 years, we've offered outstanding upgrades and hardware from OWC, NewerTech and others, as well as comprehensive, free resources so you can go further with your technology. Since 1988, the OWC family has expanded to three campuses in Illinois, Texas and Nevada.
Timeline
2020
OWC’s ThunderBay Flex 8 is awarded the Video Edge 2020 Best of Show Special Edition award in the Store, Charge and Connect category.
2020
OWC is awarded three Stevies from the American Business Awards: two Gold Stevies for the OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dock and the OWC ThunderBay 4 mini with Thunderbolt 3, and a Bronze Stevie for the OWC Accelsior 4M2 PCIe SSD.
2019
OWC introduces the fastest SSD they’ve ever produced: the Accelsior 4M2. It is released in conjunction with the Mac Pro 2019, allowing users to upgrade their new machines to the max, at a much lower price point than factory options.
2019
The company joins the Right to Repair Association to work for legislation allowing all consumers to continue to have the ability to extend the life of their computers, digital equipment, appliances, and more.
2019
OWC receives gold recognition from the American Business Awards for the 14-port Thunderbolt 3 Dock.
2019
OWC’s ThunderBlade receives two awards at NAB 2019 – the BaM Award in the Store category, and Best of Show award from Video Edge.
2019
OWC expands into the EU with the acquisition of Trinity Distribution in Belgium.
2019
OWC acquires Akitio in Taiwan.
2018
OWC receives POWER Magazine’s Commercial and Industrial Generation Award for their environmental policies across their headquarters and warehouse procedures.
2018
OWC supports photographer Florian Wagner’s Sustainable Waters project, documenting water in Africa, and raises funds throughout the year for clean water campaigns to assist third-world countries. During his expedition, Florian and his team land their helicopter on their OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual minis –– their stored images survive unscathed.
2018
OWC launches the world’s fastest-ever external Thunderbolt drive: the ThunderBlade.
2018
OWC celebrates 30 years in business, an extremely rare accomplishment for a privately held technology company!
2017
OWC completes the acquisition of Mediafour, maker of the popular MacDrive Software, acquiring the software developer’s intellectual property and other assets.
2017
OWC Digital is named to Inc. 5000 List of Fastest-growing Private Companies in the U.S. and is also ranked in the Top Computer Hardware Company category.
2017
OWC ships the award-winning Thunderbolt™ 3 Dock, which has 13 ports to provide exceptional connectivity –– delivering power to laptops and other devices at the fastest speed possible.
2017
OWC introduces the Mercury Helios 3 with Thunderbolt™ 3 technology, delivering nearly unlimited PCIe card expansion potential to Thunderbolt 3-equipped Mac or Windows PCs.
2016
OWC releases the 40TB SSD ThunderBay 4 Mini RAID, the most powerful RAID engine for Mac, in a single compact external solution.
2016
OWC announces the availability of OWC Dual Boot Camp Enabler for Apple Boot Camp. This provides Boot Camp support to a number of OWC products and allows users to partition their drive and install Microsoft Windows™ directly onto their Macs –– enabling the simultaneous use of Windows and providing a simple transition between operating systems.
2016
OWC hosts the Military Care Package Drive to send care packages to the troops. The team comes together to raise funds and assemble packages to ship to the soldiers of Alpha Company, the 2/44th Air Defense Artillery serving in Iraq.
2016
OWC reveals the all-new Mercury Electra MAX 6G 2.0TB SSD, the highest-capacity 2.5” solid state drive ever offered by the company.
2015
OWC installs and activates a solar array consisting of 770 American-made Sun Power solar panels on the roof of the headquarters building in Woodstock, IL. It is one of the largest privately-owned solar arrays in the state of Illinois, and is rated to produce 265,000kW of electricity per year.
2015
OWC introduces the Envoy Pro mini with desktop-class SSD performance in the size of a thumb drive; the Viper Pro Thunderbolt SSD external drive; and Transwarp, a revolutionary software solution that redefines traditional hard drive performance, at its CES booth.
2015
The Mercury Helios PCIe Thunderbolt Expansion Chassis is updated with Thunderbolt 2 technology for amazing 20Gb/s performance.
2014
OWC is named to the Inc. 5000 list of Fastest Growing Privately Owned Companies in America for the first time. The company will be included on the prestigious list every year through 2013.
2014
OWC announces the Aura SSD as the industry's first SSD upgrade for the 2013 Mac Pro and makes pre-order options available.
2014
OWC’s ThunderBay 4 is named as a 2015 CES Innovations Award honoree.
2014
The ThunderBay line goes portable with the ThunderBay 4 mini, delivering big performance in a small footprint –– with up to 8TB of storage and sustained speeds of up to 1,284MB/s.
2014
OWC announces the release of the OWC Thunderbolt 2 Dock, enabling unmatched flexibility, connectivity, and performance for Thunderbolt equipped Macs.
2014
OWC announces the first-to-market memory upgrades that go up to 32GB for the new Apple 2014 iMac 27" with Retina 5K display.
2014
The ABA People's Choice Stevie Awards honor OWC twice for the PlayStation 4 DIY hard drive upgrade kit and the Envoy Pro EX USB 3.0 portable SSD storage solution.
2014
OWC begins a relationship with Got Your Six, a non-profit organization dedicated to amplifying the diversity of veteran voices on current and emerging veteran’s issues. The profits from specific OWC products, such as camo phone cases, go towards supporting the cause.
2014
OWC’s ThunderBay 4 high-performance 4-Bay Thunderbolt 2 technology-enabled storage solution is available in up to 20TB, with sustained data rates up to 1,342 MB/s.
2014
Jen Soulé is named President of OWC, assuming overall responsibilities for strategic development, expansion opportunities, performance management, budgeting, and guiding technological innovation through OWC products and services.
2014
OWC introduces the Intel Xeon processor and OWC memory turnkey upgrades for the latest generation Apple Mac Pro 2013 –– offering big savings over factory upgrades.
2014
OWC expands the Mercury On-The-Go Pro line with the release of a portable, bus-powered 1.0TB 5400RPM hard drive with a high-speed Thunderbolt interface. The Mercury Elite Pro Dual with hardware RAID options is also added to the Thunderbolt lineup.
2014
OWC acquires SoftRAID after working with their team for nearly a decade. At the time, there is no option available beyond RAID 0, 1, 10 for software-controlled RAID on Mac. Through this partnership, OWC takes SoftRAID technology to a higher level, making RAID 4, 5 and 6, 6+ new high-performance realities. Software RAID offers substantial benefits over fixed hardware RAID solutions in many cases, and OWC helps to bring this new technology to customers.
2014
OWC announces the release of the Jupiter Callisto and Jupiter Kore, two rack-mounted enterprise class storage solutions.
2014
OWC expands its rapidly growing Thunderbolt interface storage line with the ThunderBay IV 4-bay high-performance solution, adding tremendous storage capacity and throughput to any Mac or PC with a Thunderbolt port.
2014
OWC’s Mercury Helios 2 expands the Helios PCIe Thunderbolt expansion chassis lineup with 20Gb/s and support for up to two PCIe cards.
2013
Shortly after Apple announces the second-generation Mac Pro, OWC is the first to release memory upgrades for the powerful new cylindrical model, eventually releasing a 128GB kit.
2013
Business Intelligence Group chooses Other World Computing as Green Tech Company of the Year for its corporate environmental protection efforts, including its LEED Platinum Certified headquarters in Woodstock, Ill.
2013
Other World Computing's Envoy Pro EX USB 3.0 Portable SSD Solution is named as a “CES Innovations 2014 Design and Engineering Award” honoree.
2013
OWC is recognized in a proclamation from the City of Woodstock as an “outstanding corporate citizen in the City of Woodstock and one of our very own.”
2013
OWC celebrates 25 years of growth, innovative upgrades and enhancements for the Apple universe. As part of the company’s ongoing environmental mandate, the OWC team hosts a fundraiser for Charity:Water, raising over $75,000 for clean water campaigns worldwide.
2013
OWC's Aura Pro and Mercury high performance SSDs win Gold as the Product Line of the Year at the Best in Biz Awards 2013 International.
2013
The OWC Mercury Accelsior PCIe SSD line is expanded with the Mercury Accelsior_E2, which features up to 960GB of SSD capacity, 820MB/s speeds and two 6Gb/s eSATA interface ports for further external storage expansion capability.
2013
OWC continues its environmentally friendly initiatives by including software bundles directly on drives, eliminating the need for disc-based installs and ultimately leading to less waste entering landfills.
2013
OWC announces the first phase of the Jupiter mini-SAS DAS/SAN scalable storage solution release. Jupiter redefines shared SAN storage by harnessing the simplicity and performance of mini-SAS direct attached storage, for up to 48Gb/s speed and up to 3600TB capacity.
2013
OWC announces the Mercury Viper SSD at 2013 International CES Expo. Mercury Viper is designed for professional users and gamers that require uncompromised workflow performance. It is the industry's fastest 3.5-inch 6G Solid State Drive, with speeds that nearly eclipse the fastest internal data interface –– SATA 3.0 6Gb/s –– offered in Macs and PCs.
2012
Inc.'s Hire Power Awards recognizes OWC for its job creation from 2008 to 2011. OWC ranks as one of the top three companies within the computer hardware industry.
2012
OWC wins Silver in the Most Socially/Environmentally Responsible Company of the Year category in the Best in Biz Awards 2012, judged by media and analyst firms.
2012
OWC announces the opening of a new distribution center in Nevada for enhanced order processing and fulfillment capabilities. The move broadens OWC's distribution resources and adds shipping flexibility to benefit customers both in the U.S. and around the globe. The new distribution center can process 1.2 million orders a year.
2012
The OWC Mercury Accelsior™ PCI Express SSD wins a Gold Stevie in the New Product or Service of the Year - Computer Hardware category at the 2012 American Business Awards ceremony.
2012
OWC's rapid growth continues and is named on the Inc. 5000 list of Fastest Growing Privately Owned Companies in America for the sixth consecutive year. OWC is one of just 524 companies to make the list throughout the six years that the list has been published.
2012
OWC announces the Mercury Helios™ PCIe Thunderbolt Expansion Chassis. The solution enables the use of half-length professional-level PCIe 2.0 adapter cards with Mac mini, iMac, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and other Thunderbolt-equipped computers without PCIe slots. OWC's first Thunderbolt-compatible product offers throughput up to 10Gb/s and supercharged data transfer performance up to 620MBs, with capacities up to nearly 1.0TB.
2012
OWC announces the industry's first "Dream Team," a high-performance Solid State Drive upgrade and bus-powered enclosure bundle for 2010-2011 MacBook® Air computers. It’s called the “Mercury Aura Envoy Bundle” and includes a speedy Mercury Aura Pro Express SSD, as well as a unique enclosure that perfectly complements the MacBook Air by re-tasking the factory SSD as a high-performance external drive.
2012
The company expands to a new office facility in Austin, Texas. This location houses OWC’s creative and engineering teams, along with some of the management team. This is a hopeful and ambitious time for the organization.
2012
For the third time, OWC is added to the ranks of the Crain's Chicago Business Fast Fifty list of the fastest growing companies in the Chicago area, posting a 111 percent revenue growth rate over the previous five years in the published 2012 listing.
2012
The OWC Mercury Accelsior PCI Express SSD is named a finalist in the New Product or Service of the Year - Computer Hardware category of the 2012 American Business Awards.
2012
OWC announces the Mercury Aura Envoy as the industry's first bus-powered enclosure for using the Apple MacBook Air's SSD as a portable external drive, thus launching the ideal portable solution that fits in a laptop bag or coat pocket.
2012
The Mercury Accelsior is introduced at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show as the first Mac/PC bootable, fully supported PCIe SSD card on the market.
2012
OWC showcases its new line of Jupiter mini-SASTM shared storage solutions with blazing fast bandwidth of up to 48Gb/s and a scalable capacity of up to 3600TB (3.6 Petabyte).
2012
OWC wins the About.com 2012 Readers' Choice Award for Best Mac Peripheral Reseller. The company receives 92% of all votes cast in the first year for the award, which is open to both brick-and-mortar and online resellers.
2011
OWC begins the yearly tradition of partnering with Toys for Tots as part of the annual employee holiday celebration. This tradition leads to hundreds of toys donated to local children in need over the coming years.
2011
After attempting to acquire Axiotron/Modbook and after a change in Axiotron’s business plans, OWC exits from the ModBook and the relationship with Axiotron business and stock. The innovative product unfortunately never has the chance to see its full potential, but the experience ultimately teaches the team valuable lessons for future partnerships.
2011
OWC expands its flagship solid state drive line to include: The Mercury Legacy Pro SSD, the Mercury Extreme Pro SSD Legacy Edition, the Mercury Aura Pro MBA SSD, the Mercury Aura Pro Express SSD and the Mercury Aura Pro 1.8" SSD.
2011
OWC announces Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G, the industry's first 6GB/s solid state drives for the 2011 Apple MacBook Air –– offering more than 3X faster speeds and capacities up to 4X greater than factory SSD options.
2011
With its strong focus on Apple and standard Windows firmware update support, OWC becomes the first SSD manufacturer to provide Apple/Mac friendly SSD Firmware update support.
2011
Apple introduces the first MacBook Pro Laptops with both SATA 6Gb/s capability. Apple was still only using 3Gb/s drives, so their firmware and wave conformity only worked for the slower 3Gb/s SATA interface. This creates a challenge for OWC, as Apple doesn’t actually support 6Gb/s drives at this time.
2011
Macworld Magazine names the OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express SSD one of 10 Best of Show products at Macworld Expo 2011; MacLife Magazine also sings its praises with a Best Mac Hardware honor.
2011
OWC expands the built in the USA consumer/prosumer targeted SandForce Driven™ SATA Revision 3.0 6GB/s solid state drive line with the new Mercury Electra 6G SSD.
2011
Dealerscope.com names Larry O’Connor as a 2011 40 Under 40 Best-Consumer Electronics Retail Talent. Larry is profiled as a young leader with the energy, enthusiasm and ideas to drive the industry forward.
2011
OWC announces the industry's first 16GB each module-based upgrade kits that give 2009-2010 Apple Mac Pro models up to 96GB memory in total. That’s up to 3X more memory than factory kits.
2011
OWC’s ongoing interest in outer space and the space program inspires the team to sponsor “The Last Shuttle,” a documentary program about NASA’s final space shuttle launch, the Endeavor. OWC provides the storage solutions used to document the launch, ensuring the content is collected and stored safely for future generations. The company also hosts a viewing party at the Challenger Center in Woodstock –– a local educational facility that teaches children about the space program in an immersive setting.
2011
OWC introduces the Mount Pro 2.5" drive sled, which adds any 2.5" SATA drive to a 2009-2010 Apple Mac Pro 'Nehalem' & 'Westmere' models to maximize durability without compromising aesthetics.
2011
SSD Review HWBot Overclocking team uses the OWC Mercury Extreme Pro RE SSD to win a world record in the PCMark Vantage overall point category for a Quad Core system.
2010
OWC headquarters receives the prestigious Energy Star Designation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
2010
OWC ships the world’s first Sandforce processor-based SSD. This is the first SSD designed specifically to meet the needs of the Mac OS which. At this time, Mac OS still needs a TRIM independent solution, as Apple OS does not support SSD TRIM of any kind.
2010
OWC retains its Elite status from ResellerRatings.com for the second consecutive year, while maintaining a 9.65/10 Lifetime Rating.
2010
OWC is awarded Platinum Level Certification by the LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) program for attaining the highest level of green building design and operation. Out of more than 14,000 LEED projects engaged worldwide since the program's inception, OWC is one of fewer than 300 to achieve the Platinum standard.
2010
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership Program recognizes Other World Computing for achieving more than 100 percent on-site power generation.
2009
OWC receives Elite status from ResellerRatings.com, with a rating of 9.65/10.
2009
OWC Vestas V39-500kW wind turbine goes online. OWC is now 100% on-site wind-powered, becoming the first technology manufacturer/distributor in the U.S. to achieve this standard.
2009
Excavation begins for OWC's Vestas V39-500kW wind turbine.
2009
OWC expands its storage line, debuting the new Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 –– a four-bay, Plug and Play desktop hardware RAID storage solution.
2008
As part of an educational initiative, OWC pays the fees for all STEM-related Advanced Placement tests for the Woodstock high school district. T Advanced Placement tests award college credit to students who achieve a test high score and eventually assist in lowering their college costs. This kicks off a yearly program where OWC pays nearly 100 student test fees to encourage the study of STEM fields, such as Computer Science, Physics, Biology, Calculus, and Statistics.
2008
As a major investor and master distributor, OWC receives the first ModBook conversion kits from Axiotron. Shipping begins for the revolutionary ModBook Tablet MacOS Computer.
2008
OWC receives BizRate’s Circle of Excellence Gold Honoree Award.
2008
All OWC departments and staff members move into the new, 37,000 square-foot corporate headquarters. For the first time in four years, the whole OWC team is under a single roof.
2007
The company premieres OWC Blu-ray Internal and External Drive Solutions.
2007
OWC introduces the OWC Mercury Rack Pro, a line of external rackmount storage solutions.
2007
OWC partners with Axiotron to support the creation of ModBook, the world’s first tablet.
2007
OWC offers the first MaxRAM 6GB memory upgrade kits for select Apple iMac, MacBook, MacBook Pro models –– enabling 50% more memory than the factory maximum. More memory makes a tremendous difference in the lifespan and capabilities of any machine. MaxRAM becomes the term for all of OWC’s RAM kits that enable over factory memory capabilities.
2007
OWC breaks ground on its new 37,000 square-foot corporate headquarters, designed according to Platinum specifications of the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program. There are only a handful of new LEED Platinum buildings in the world at this time.
2006
Once again, OWC begins searching for a larger home. This time Larry decides to build a facility that will co-exist with the environment and function like no other company headquarters in the world. A new site is identified to will house OWC HQ that is unique in its mixed-use design as a LEED Platinum building. LEED is a nationally accepted voluntary building certification program that defines high-performance green buildings, which are more environmentally responsible, healthier, and conservation-minded structures.
2006
The company becomes the first manufacturer to introduce a Quad Interface external hard drive. The drive combines FireWire 800, FireWire 400, USB 2.0, and eSATA connection options into one high-capacity storage solution: the OWC Mercury™ Elite-AL Pro Quad Interface.
2006
OWC reaches the milestone of shipping more than half a million OWC brand memory modules to satisfied customers worldwide.
2006
OWC is the first third-party company on the market to create memory modules and upgrade kits for the Intel® based Mac Pro that meet Apple® specifications.
2006
OWC introduces the Mercury Elite-AL RAID series of external storage solutions and the first Dual-HD external FireWire drive RAID, available up to 1.5TB.
2005
When Motorola fails to deliver their revolutionary 7448 processor on-time (a follow-up to the widely used by Apple 7447), it substantially impacts the future of upgradeability. OWC releases an incredible 7448 processor solution in response to this, but the market gives way as Apple completely shifts to Intel. Drive becomes the weak link as processor and other architecture outpaces Drive I/O capabilities. SSDs prove to be the great next frontier.
2005
The company obtains PowerLogix, gaining some key technology in the acquisition. OWC devotes a lot of time to correcting a long period of customer service failures and unfulfilled warranties that came with the purchase.
2005
NewerTech introduces a line of Intelligent Battery Charger/Conditioners, allowing customers to keep two laptop batteries at optimum condition at all times.
2005
OWC introduces the miniStack drive line. Though designed as the perfect complement to Apple’s Mac mini, the drives are also compatible with any Mac or PC with an available FireWire or USB port.
2005
OWC begins offering an iPod battery replacement program with a guaranteed 24-hour turn around for customers in the continental US.
2004
NewerTech introduces the NuPower “MaxCapacity” replacement battery, compatible with the PowerBook G3 FireWire (2000/Pismo) and PowerBook G3 Lombard (1999/Bronze Keyboard) models.
2004
OWC receives the BizRate Circle of Excellence Gold Honoree Award.
2003
OWC debuts the OWC Neptune line of external 7200RPM FireWire storage solutions. The drives are available in 60GB to 250GB capacities.
2003
NewerTech introduces an extra high-capacity NuPower replacement battery, compatible with PowerBook G3 FireWire (2000/Pismo) and PowerBook G3 Lombard (1999/Bronze Keyboard) models.
2003
OWC debuts the Mercury Extreme product line with a G4/1.33GHz processor upgrade, the fastest Macintosh processor to date.
2003
OWC launches FasterMac.net, a Macintosh-only Internet service that provides nationwide 56K dialup access throughout the United States –– specifically for Macintosh users.
2003
OWC introduces the sleeker aluminum Mercury Elite-AL line of external storage solutions.
2001
OWC steps in to ensure customers that invested in upgrading their existing Macs don’t have to buy new Macs to utilize Apple’s new OS X. During the beta testing period of OS X, Apple enables it to run on existing, pre-OS X modules; however, when it went to final code release, Apple turns off that support. The core of OS X was open source. With the help of a talented coder, OWC is able to maintain support from OS 10.0 to 10.5x for these great Macs, which often ran faster than the new models when equipped with OWC upgrades. This XPostFacto utility is maintained through 10.5x when the OS, in its shift to Intel, loses significant open-source opportunities that made the project possible. But this gave years of usability to Macs that still worked quickly and perfectly with the new OS X.
2001
The company moves to a new location in Woodstock, doubling its space. At this point, it has approximately 30 employees.
2001
OWC introduces high-performance Mercury Elite FireWire/USB 2.0 Combo Storage Solutions, the first to support operation at 7200 RPMs.
2001
OWC introduces the OWC Mercury On-The-Go models. These 2.5” portable FireWire drives utilize up to 60 Gigabyte (GB), making them the highest capacity 2.5" portable FireWire storage solution available at the time.
2001
OWC is the first company to offer an iPod case, “The Pod Protector.”
2001
OWC gets its first large PR break when a major newspaper covers the story of OWC memory functioning properly after an OS X update from Apple enforces Apple’s memory specifications. Incorrect timing was creating errors and crashes, and this was the first instance of Apple checking Apple required parameters. OWC’s memory was correct and continued to make a positive difference for customers vs. incorrect products from other suppliers. OWC had long maintained its own memory programming and its extensive system testing process stood apart from the rest.
2000
OWC introduces the Mercury Classic Elite line of external storage solutions.
2000
OWC has the opportunity to purchase the NewerTech, a long-loved Apple upgrades company –– enabling even further capabilities in the upgrade space.
1999
OWC introduces the Mercury G4 ZIF processor upgrade line.
1997
Jen Soulé starts as a Sales Representative with OWC. She will go on to manage the sales team, head up product development and eventually be named President of OWC.
1997
OWC adds the OWC Afterburner for Power Mac 7200 series to their acceleration product line.
1997
OWC becomes a significant player in the Mac Processor upgrades market. At this time, OWC is the #1 computer upgrades seller, but the company is still very dependent on its suppliers. All of that changes when the main supplier sells their stock and leaves OWC with empty shelves. Larry sees this difficulty as an opportunity to become a large-scale brand manufacturer. Soon, the OWC Mercury Extreme ZIF processor upgrades OWC is able to provide solutions such as the OWC Mercury Extreme ZIF processor upgrades, which offer 2.5X faster performance than any factory Apple Mac, at a much more palatable price-point.
1997
OWC launches the first online compatibility guide. It’s the first of its kind, customers simply select their Apple computer model to see the exact memory, processor upgrade and hard drive options they can choose from to efficiently upgrade their existing Mac.
1996
OWC brings speed increases to the Power Mac 6100/7100/8100 series with the updated OWC Rocket.
1996
OWC faces a second, near-terminal obstacle: credit card fraud. The company uses the catastrophe as a learning experience, putting obligations to customers and suppliers at the forefront. Larry and his team devise code and implement it into the online checkout process to flag potential fraud attempts before they can become an issue. This protects OWC and its customers, allowing business to move forward more confidently than ever. Despite a six-figure hit to the operation, OWC makes good on its obligations to suppliers, publishers, and team members. Among other things, this creates long term relationships, partnerships, and a strong foundation of trust that operates as a pillar for the growing business.
1995
The company launches their first e-commerce platform, www.macsales.com, using a local Woodstock ISP for hosting and email. Late in 1995, the ISP has a major email outage which lasts for a full month and leads some to question if OWC has gone out of business. OWC.NET is born as a result of this catastrophe, providing a reliable ISP and ensuring OWC will never again experience such an outage.
1995
OWC begins shipping the first external 500MB hard drive ever for under $299, a break-through in pricing accessibility.
1994
The company continues to expand into acceleration products, including products like the OWC Rocket –– the chip that upgrades Quadra/Centris Mac processors to higher speeds.
1994
Larry O’Connor is still attending Marquette University full-time. However, running the business and going to school leave him close to burn-out. At the age of 20, near the end of his sophomore year, O’Connor decides to focus full-time on building the business. This proves to be a sound decision, as 1994 is also the first year OWC makes over $1M in revenue.
1993
OWC is recognized by troops serving in Desert Storm for goods shipped overseas in support of those far from home working in service of the United States.
1993
Other World Computing is introduced and moves into the broader Apple market. After Larry experiences less-than-stellar service from some mail-order technology companies, he creates Other World Computing to focus on the needs of customers and provide the best service. The company goal is not simply selling whatever the hot product is for the month. Instead, OWC is focused on providing an out of this world level of service and expertise that can’t be found anywhere else.
1993
LRO Computer Sales interfaces with a company that has a unique design opportunity and the collaboration results in the launch of the first ever bus-powered hard drive. The drive utilizes the floppy port on the computer or the last floppy drive for power… no external power source needed.
1993
LRO Computer Sales incorporates in the state of Illinois under the name “New Concepts Development Corporation (NCDC).” The company moves into a 2,500-square-foot office space and, over the next six years, gradually utilizes adjacent space to expand to over 6,500-square feet.
1992
Founder Larry O’Connor graduates high school in Woodstock, IL, and receives a scholarship to Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI. So begins the struggle of balancing a burgeoning tech business and a full-time college course load.
1990
LRO Computer Sales attends its first AppleFest Expo in Long Beach, CA; introducing a product called the NCDC Visionary, the first live video, color, and video capture card for the Apple IIGS. Team members use this video card to create early video and animation for the website.
1990
The organization experiences a break-in that results in the loss of most of the inventory, consisting of hard drives, memory, Visionary cards and more. This very nearly ends the business, but with positive momentum and some short-term help, the company survives.
1990
LRO Computer Sales rents its first office in Woodstock and begins offering their first SCSI hard drives of the common ZFS (Zero Footprint Style) type.
1990
LRO Enterprises renames itself LRO Computer Sales and begins selling External SCSI Hard Drives and accessories such as replacement power supplies, coprocessors, and extended memory cards. These are the first drives OWC builds in-house. Sales are made via catalog, phone, online, and magazine ads. The company moves into its first 1,200-square feet facility in Woodstock, IL and hires its first employees.
1989
At this point the business still operates out of a room in the O’Connor family barn in remote Marengo, Illinois.
1989
The company’s first ads are placed in A+ and Incider magazines, among others. LRO Enterprises broadens its scope, offering solutions to make computers faster and maintain them for the long haul. From replacement power supplies to early processor upgrade boards (such as the Transwarp from Applied Engineering and the ZIP Chip from Zip Technologies), LRO Enterprises hits its stride by maximizing technology performance.
1989
LRO Enterprises begins offering memory upgrades. After experiencing the expensive service and memory options in the local market, Larry notices something specific to Apple users. Instead of the time-consuming process of taking a computer into a service facility and waiting in-shop to have work completed, upgrades can be done in minutes at home. After an earthquake temporarily causes memory prices to go up (and no one in the Apple market brings them down), Larry begins self-educating and experimenting with upgrading his own machine. He is shocked at how easy it is –– in these days, chips are really just chips that work without issue. LRO begins offering memory online, pitching products on America Online’s classified listings, online BBS, and online chat rooms. The first 800 number is 1-800-ASK-4-LRO.
1988
LRO Enterprises is founded by 14-year-old Larry O’Connor, who begins re-inking computer printer ribbons to extend printer cartridge life. Services are offered locally in Woodstock and surrounding areas. While it's a messy job, reusing ribbons offers businesses significant savings and helps Larry save on re-inking his own ImageWriter II color ribbons. Larry sees the opportunity to bring sustainability and value into an overpriced market. However, after re-inking 100s of ribbons, he identifies a higher need in the technology space: memory upgrades.