Plextor introduces internal and external high-speed CD-RW drives with 48X recording - Plextor PlexWriter 48/24/48A, Plextor PlexWriter 48/24/48U - Product Announcement

EDP Weekly's IT Monitor, Sept 2, 2002

Plextor Corp., a developer and manufacturer of high-performance CD-related equipment and software, has announced shipment of the internal PlexWriter 48/24/48A CD-RW drive and external PlexWriter 48/24/48U CD-RW drive. The versatile PlexWriter drives deliver high-speed performance with 48X CD-Recording, 24X CD-ReWriting, and 48X-max CD-Read, making them the fastest Plextor drives available. The new drives can burn a 650 MB disc in two and a half minutes while maintaining the industry's highest quality recording.

The internal PlexWriter 48/24/48A drive interfaces to any PC/AT-compatible system via ATA/ATAPI-5 and fits in any standard 5.25-inch half-height drive bay. The external PlexWriter 48/24/48U drive interfaces to any laptop or desktop computer (PC or Mac) via Universal Serial Bus (Hi-Speed USB 2.0 or USB 1.1). Both drives offer Plug & Play compatibility with Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP for fast, easy setup. Buffer size for both drives is 4MB.

Plextor's new internal and external 48X drives are also the first PlexWriters to support Mt. Rainier. This new industry standard provides the best end-user experience for backup of data and file transfer between PCs. It allows for "fast formatting" of media, making a disk available for drag-and-drop style writing approximately 30 seconds after unformatted media is inserted.

"We are pleased to offer the Mt. Rainier format, which enables native OS support of data storage on PlexWriter CD-RW drives," said Howard Wing, vice president of sales and marketing for Plextor. "This makes our product far easier for our customers who wish to use CD-RW drives as an eventual replacement for the floppy disk drive."

The internal PlexWriter 48/24/48A and external PlexWriter 48/24/48U both feature the most advanced design and engineering, including innovative BURN-Proof technology, for maximum reliability. Using a slow source drive or attempting to perform multiple tasks while recording a CD can lead to buffer underrun errors that render the disc unusable. BURN-Proof technology prevents buffer underrun errors, so end-users can multi-task by sending email or surfing the Web while recording a high-quality CD.

The new PlexWriter drives also feature PoweRec technology, a sophisticated media-writing strategy that guarantees recording results across a broad base of certified media. A unique feature calibrates the drive to each media disc to ensure the highest quality write operation using Constant Angular Velocity (CAV) servo positioning.

VariRec (variable recording) provides power users with unprecedented control over the burn process. This proprietary Plextor feature allows audio enthusiasts to tweak laser-beam power-levels in order to achieve particular playback characteristics or enhance disc compatibility with home/car CD players. VariRec is only available with Track-at-Once and Disc-at-Once recording modes at 4 X CD-Write speeds.

The ability of a CD-RW drive to read different types of compact discs varies based on the qualities of the discs and the type of data written to the discs. Plextor's new SpeedRead control function was designed to provide customers with the maximum read speed without sacrificing data integrity or customer safety.

SpeedRead works by automatically changing the default read speed from 40X to 48X via hardware or software control whenever the drive encounters either "pressed" data CDs or CD-R data CDs. Other disc types, such as CD-DA, Mixed Mode, and CD-RW, will be read at 40X even with SpeedRead enabled.

In order to satisfy both novices and experienced users, Plextor's bundled software package offers ease-of-use and extensive functionality. The internal PlexWriter 48/24/48A and external PlexWriter 48/24/48U both ship with Roxio's Easy CD Creator and DirectCD v 5.3, as well as Oak Technology's SimpliCD software, allowing users to choose between two award-winning software packages. Also included are Plextor Liquid Player , a music player for streaming, downloading, and playing audio files, and a trial version of Stomp Click'N Design 3D, a CD labeling software program.

The new PlexWriter 48/24/48A is scheduled for immediate shipments to distributors and resellers. The PlexWriter 48/24/48U will be delivered in last half of September The internal 48/24/48A CD-RW drive with ATA/ATAPI-5 interface has a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $169 USD. The external 48/24/48U CD-RW drive with Hi-Speed USB 2.0/1.1 interface has an MSRP of $209 USD. All retail packages include unlimited toll-free technical support and one-year full warranty.

Plextor Corp. is a leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance CD-related equipment for professional use in business and networked environments. Since opening its headquarters in Silicon Valley in 1990, Plextor has introduced numerous generations of award-winning optical storage products, including CD-ROM, CD-Recordable, and CD-ReWritable drives.