Could this be an Ovonic Double Hitter?
Smart and Friendly Announces
Pocket-Sized CD-RW Solution; The New
CD Pocket RW With Rechargeable
Battery Power Provides True Portability
September 21, 1999
CHATSWORTH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)
-- Leading the market with the world's first truly
portable CD-RW solution, Smart and Friendly(R) 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;
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.
<<Business Wire, 09-20-99, 07:00 Eastern>>
CONTACT: Smart and Friendly, Inc., Chatsworth | Perry Solomon,
818/772-8001 | Perrys@smartandfriendly.com |
www.smartandfriendly.com | or | Beyond Words, Ltd. | Tracy
Laidlaw, 602/569-0222 | beyondw@cerfnet.com
[Copyright 1999, Business Wire]
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