PALO
ALTO, Calif., Aug. 14, 2000 -- Hewlett-Packard Company today launched
a family of high-performance HP CD-ReWritable (CD-RW) compact disc drives.
The fall product lineup provides a new design; faster write speeds (up
to 12x) and rewrite speeds (up to 8x); and a new, easy-to-use software
bundle.
"The low cost and versatility of CD writers, or CD burners, are attracting
more mainstream consumers to these drives," said Christy Tappy,
I-appliances marketing manager for HP. "In response, HP developed
a product line with software and drive performance that blends ease
of use and high performance for both experienced and beginning PC users."
For the experienced PC customer, the HP CD-Writer 9600si/9600se drives
provide a maximum 12x write speed, an 8x rewrite speed and a SCSI connection.
The 9510i and 9500i provide a maximum 12x write speed, an 8x rewrite
speed and an IDE connection. For the novice PC user, the HP CD-Writer
8230e and 8220e deliver up to 4x write speed and a maximum 4x rewrite
speed; a smaller, slim-line drive with color accents; and a simple,
USB plug-and-play connection.
HP market research shows that the majority of purchasers use CD writers
to store and share compressed music files, including MP3s. CD writers
also are popular for sharing and storing digital imagery, such as photos
and scanned documents for home and business.
"To satisfy this new wave of mainstream consumers seeking digital
music, HP worked with VERITAS Software Corporation to develop an innovative
and streamlined process for creating personalized CDs with the click
of a mouse," said Tappy. "It's simple enough for beginners, but
powerful enough to meet the primary needs of more experienced users."
The HP music creation software simplifies the recording process and
allows customers to focus on what they want to record, instead of on
how they record. In addition to the HP music creation software, each
HP CD-Writer includes the bonus software needed to convert MP3 files
to WAV files, the software to record tracks from personal audio CDs
to convert to MP3s, and the materials to create personalized and professional-looking
CD labels and jewel-case covers.
Additional functions of the drives offer the versatility to do the following:
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store and organize
MP3 files and convert them into music tracks that can be used on
other CD players;
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share and store
digital images, including valuable scanned family documents;
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archive and
share digital photography;
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create personalized
CD labels and jewel-case covers; and
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back up and
organize critical business and personal data files to conserve hard-drive
space. |
U.S. Pricing and Availability
The new family of HP CD-Writer drives is expected to be available
in the United States on Sept. 1, wherever name-brand computers and consumer
electronics are sold.
Drive Performance Connectivity Price
8230e/8220e 4x4x6x external USB $249
9150i/9140i 8x4x32 internal IDE 199
9350i/9340i 10x4x32 internal IDE 249
9510i/9500i 12x8x32 internal IDE 299
9600si 12x8x32 internal SCSI 349
9600se 12x8x32 external SCSI 399
More information is
available at http://www.hpcdwriter.com.
About HP
Hewlett-Packard Company -- a leading global provider of computing
and imaging solutions and services -- is focused on making technology
and its benefits accessible to individuals and businesses through simple
appliances, useful e-services and an Internet infrastructure that's always
on. HP has 86,000 employees worldwide and had total revenue from continuing
operations of $42.4 billion in its 1999 fiscal year. Information about
HP and its products can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com.
