The New CD Pocket RW With
Rechargeable Battery Power Provides True Portability
CHATSWORTH, Calif.--(BUSINESS
WIRE)--Sept. 20, 1999--Leading the market with the world's first
truly portable CD-RW solution, Smart and Friendly® announced
today that shipments of the new CD Pocket RW(TM) with rechargeable
battery power will begin shipping by the end of this September.
Weighing approximately one pound,
the palm-sized CD-RW offers 4x Write, 4x ReWrite and 20x Playback
performance without requiring the use of an external power source.
The small, but powerful, solution switches quickly and easily from
AC power to its rechargeable battery, enabling mobile users to
create up to six CDs on a single charge. Equipped with a PCMCIA PC
interface, the CD Pocket RW travels effortlessly from the desktop
to portable computer.
"CD-RW is a perfect product for
mobile computer users, giving them the ability to back up and
transfer their data when away from the network," said Martin
Reynolds, Vice President for Dataquest, a San Jose, Calif.-based
industry research firm.
"However, there is no practical
integrated solution -- the drives are too big. An external
solution is the perfect transition product to kick-start this
market. With almost 7.5 million notebook computers expected to be
sold in the US in 2000," Reynolds continued, "and more than twice
that many established users, the market for CD-RW upgrades will be
significant. Finally, mobile users will be free of the floppy."
The CD Pocket RW is designed to
meet the needs of the growing number of road warriors who require
removable, ReWritable capability in a universal storage format.
According to the Yankee Group, a Boston, Mass.-based consulting
firm, the number of notebook users is expected to grow from 2.6
million in 1992 to 36.6 million in 2002, a ten-fold increase. The
rapidly expanding demand for notebooks translates to increased
demand by users for notebook peripherals, including portable
CD-Recorders.
For mobile users, one of the key
benefits of having a CD Pocket RW will be the ability to back up
their data while on the road. Portable computers store data that
is often more time-sensitive than the data stored on office
networks. As a result, data backup becomes even more important.
The Smart and Friendly CD Pocket RW can create up to six CDs on a
single charge, offers a 4x Write speed and an access time of
120msec or less. These features, combined with the convenience of
battery operation, make the CD Pocket RW an ideal backup solution.
"The CD Pocket RW expands the
capabilities of today's business travelers," said Perry Solomon,
President and CEO of Smart and Friendly. "By providing mobile
users with a high-performance, removable storage solution that's
also compact and easy-to-use, they have virtually unlimited
storage capacity. Road warriors also have a low-cost means of
immediately exchanging information, and a fast, reliable way of
protecting their data," he added.
The CD Pocket RW includes
Universal Disc Format (UDF)-compliant packet-writing technology by
Adaptec that simplifies the Writing and ReWriting processes. Users
can drag and drop, rename, move or delete files on the fly. Files
can be saved directly to the CD Pocket RW using the convenient "Save
As" command, just like a floppy or hard drive.
To ensure complete functionality
in a portable solution, the CD Pocket RW includes the following
software:
-- Adaptec Easy CD Creator Standard Edition: Enables users to create
music, audio, data or mixed-mode CDs. Easy CD Creator runs on
Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows NT 4.0.
-- Adaptec DirectCD: Users can drag and drop files, rename files,
delete files, and create new directories right to a CD-RW disc.
Users can even save files directly from word processing software,
spreadsheet, or other applications directly to CD-RW.
-- PowerQuest Drive Image: Drive Image is the leading backup and
disaster recovery software package available on the market today.
Drive Image enables the user to create bootable CD-R or CD-RW
discs for disaster recovery or for hard drive upgrades that can
be run on any CD-ROM drive. Further, PowerQuest Drive Image
allows the user to back up selected partitions or an entire disk
to CD-R or CD-RW. For disks larger than the capacity of one CD-R
disc, backup data can span across multiple CD-R or CD-RW discs.
-- Sonic Foundry CD Architect: Writes studio-quality audio CDs,
samples audio from compact discs, records from DAT cartridges or
digitizes material through a Windows-compatible sound card.
Provides extensive support for PQ editing - including track
times, adjusting gaps between tracks from 0 to unlimited seconds,
and printed cue sheets.
-- Sonic Foundry Sound Forge XP: Composes professional-quality
digital audio files with more than 25 digital audio effects and
processes. Sound Forge also lets users incorporate audio into web
page design.
-- Diamond Cut Audio Restoration Tools 32: Cleans up clicks and pops
from phonograph record source audio; removes hiss from cassette
and reel to reel tape, and enhances CD audio recordings. Audio
enhancement capabilities produce excellent audio masters for
recording to CD.
-- ECI Disc Inspector Pro: A complete utility package ensures that
your discs are written correctly. Disc Inspector Pro includes
data compare, lost session recovery, CD Table of Contents
display, and more.
-- Smart and Friendly CD Consultant: Simplifies the installation
process. This utility gives users the ability to automatically
install the included software applications for use with the CD
Pocket RW.
Less than 1-inch thick and
measuring only 5 inches by 6-1/2 inches, the CD Pocket RW (Model
SAF768) can easily fit into a briefcase beside a portable
computer, or alone in a pocket. This unique portable CD-RW
solution will begin shipping by the end of September 1999, and has
an ESP (estimated street price) of $599.
About Smart and Friendly: Smart
and Friendly, Inc. is recognized as the industry's largest
privately held manufacturer of complete optical storage solutions,
including CD-Recorders with CD-RW ReWritability, CD-ROMs, network
storage, media and accessories. The company was recently named the
country's Number One Supplier to Retail of CD-Recorders and CD-ReWritable
products by Personal Technology Research (PTR), publishers of the
HOT Market Monitor USA. Smart and Friendly President and CEO Perry
Solomon was recently named to the Board of Directors of the
Optical Storage Technology Association (OSTA) and is Chairman of
the Market Development Committee.
Smart and Friendly products are
available at leading retail outlets including: American TV, Best
Buy, CDW, CompUSA, ComputAbility, Damark, DataVision, Fred Meyer,
Fry's Electronics, Insight Direct, J&R Computer World, Micro
Center, MicroWarehouse, Nationwide Computers, Nebraska Furniture
Mart, NECX, Outpost.com, PC Connection, Staples, Value America and
Wal-Mart, and to resellers through D&H, Ingram Micro, Merisel,
and Tech Data. Smart and Friendly products are available
internationally through a network of in-country distributors and
globally through Computer 2000, CHS, Ingram Micro and Tech Data.
For product and sales information,
contact Smart and Friendly at 20520 Nordhoff Street, Chatsworth,
CA 91311; http://www.smartandfriendly.com.
Phone 800/959-7001 or
818/772-8001, fax 818/772-2888. Smart and Friendly also offers
free technical support over a toll-free line.
Note to Editors: Smart and
Friendly is a registered trademark and CD Pocket RW is a trademark
of Smart and Friendly, Inc. All other product names are trademarks
or registered trademarks of their respective companies. |