Connectix Announces Speed Doubler 2 For Macintosh; Next Generation Product Delivers Increased Performance and a New Configurable Control Panel to Manage Features

Business Wire, Dec 9, 1996

SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 9, 1996--Connectix Corporation announces Speed Doubler(tm) 2, a major upgrade to the original award-winning Speed Doubler.

Speed Doubler 2 is a software-based accelerator for the Macintosh that gives users faster access to their data and boosts 68K emulation for Power Macs running non-native applications, up to twice as fast as Apple's emulator.(a) Speed Doubler 2 will list for US$99 and current Speed Doubler owners are eligible for a $25 upgrade rebate.

User productivity is increased by Speed Doubler 2's ability to access data faster from removable drives and slower hard drives. Removable drives, such as the Zip(tm), realize up to a 40% increase in performance.(a) Copying files to and from other Macintoshes with Speed Doubler 2's new network copy feature is up to three times faster.(a)

Speed Doubler 2 takes advantage of the multitasking capabilities of the Macintosh by enabling users to copy files from three different locations simultaneously. Users don't have to wait for the Trash Can to empty because Speed Doubler 2 empties it in the background-helpful when deleting megabytes of data. Speed Doubler 2's improved Secure Erase function makes it virtually impossible to recover deleted files.

Speed Doubler 2 makes it easy for users to keep folders of information synchronized. PowerBook users who need to keep information synchronized with a desktop system or users who store files on servers will benefit from Speed Doubler 2's new synchronization feature.

Speed Doubler 2 includes a new control panel which allows users to easily select the features they want. Users can directly access all of Speed Doubler 2's components, making configuration quick and easy.

"Speed Doubler 2 will play a key role in giving Macintosh users even better performance from their systems," says Gina Clark, General Manager of the Utilities Group at Connectix. "New features, such as fast copies between Macintoshes, and faster access to removable media such as Zip disks, will make Speed Doubler 2 another must have product."

$25 Rebate Upgrade for North American Speed Doubler Users

Connectix will offer an upgrade program for Speed Doubler in North America. Current owners of Speed Doubler simply purchase Speed Doubler 2 at any retail or catalog outlet and mail in the enclosed coupon, along with proof of ownership, to receive the US$25 rebate. Customers purchasing the original Speed Doubler after November 1, 1996 are entitled to a free upgrade to Speed Doubler 2. Customers may obtain the free upgrade coupon by contacting Connectix Customer Service (800/950-5880), faxback service (800/571-7558) or the Connectix Web Site (www.connectix.com).

Speed Doubler 2 Technology -- How It Provides Speed

In order to maintain software compatibility with 68K Macs, Apple provides a 68K emulator on its Power Macs. The technique works but is not as fast as running an application designed for the PowerPC. It's slow because every time a 68K instruction is encountered, the emulator translates it to a PowerPC instruction. The method used in Speed Doubler is called Dynamic Recompilation and gives Speed Doubler 2 its performance advantage. Instead of converting each 680x0 instruction to PowerPC whenever it is called, Speed Doubler 2 translates all the instructions dynamically and only once.

After each instruction is translated, it does not need to be translated again. Future calls of that particular 680x0 instruction are already in faster PowerPC mode.

Speed Doubler 2 has an intelligent disk cache system designed to utilize physical RAM to greatly improve data access performance. Speed Doubler 2 techniques focus the cache memory to speed up particular functions, such as data writes. Through the combination of using more memory and intelligently managing data, Speed Doubler 2 improves data access performance and provides greater benefits than the standard System 7 disk cache.

Pricing and Availability Information

Speed Doubler 2 will be widely available in January at over 6,000 locations including retail and catalog outlets. It carries a suggested retail price of US$99, with an expected street price of about $60.

Founded in 1988 and based in San Mateo, CA, Connectix Corporation designs, manufactures, distributes and publishes award-winning personal computer enhancement products. The company's flagship products include Color QuickCam, RAM Doubler, Speed Doubler, and Connectix VideoPhone. For more information, contact Connectix at 800/950-5880, 415/571-5100 or fax 415/571-5195. The company can be contacted at http://www.connectix.com -0-

Note to Editors: QuickCam, RAM Doubler, Speed Doubler, and Connectix VideoPhone are trademarks of Connectix Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

Note: (a) According to Connectix testing

CONTACT: Connectix Corp.

Taran Reese, 415/571-5100

reese@connectix.com