Fantom Drives Targets Prosumers With Affordable High Capacity Drive

February 21, 2008; 02:10 AM

TORRANCE, CA – February 20, 2008 – Fantom Drives, innovator of powerful storage systems, today announces its new G-Force MegaDisk eSATA+USB high performance external storage system with multiple RAID options, high-capacities, and dual interface connectivity.  Now available in 1.0 TB, 1.5 TB and 2.0 TB capacities, the Fantom Drives G-Force MegaDisk storage system also includes NTI Shadow Backup, for real-time continuous backup.

Fantom Drives' newest offering in its G-Force MegaDisk series provides both the eSATA and USB 2.0 interface. By providing both interfaces, the G-Force MegaDisk eSATA+USB 2.0 device enables the user to choose between the high performance (300 MB/S) eSATA or the more ubiquitous (60 MB/S) USB 2.0 interfaces.  Because eSATA may not be available on older computers, USB 2.0 allows the user to use the G-Force MegaDisk with Macs or PCs that lack an eSATA port.

Fantom Drives' new offering has RAID built in.  The user configurable RAID modes include RAID 0 (disk striping) for maximum speed, RAID 1 (disk mirroring) for maximum fault tolerance, JBOD (just a bunch of disks – direct mapping) for maximum flexibility, or Spanning for simple large volume support at bus speeds as high as 300 MB/s.  RAID software comes installed on the G-Force MegaDisk eSATA+USB 2.0 drive.

The new drive system is housed in an attractive aluminum enclosure that is designed to dissipate heat.  The enclosure features one eSATA port and one USB 2.0 port.  The drive can be used on Macs or PCs with an eSATA port or USB 2.0/1.1 interface.

“With the size of the typical user's digital content growing at amazing rates, the need for backup and storage of these files becomes essential.  The external storage unit that we're announcing today, with capacities as high as 2 TB, meets that need for many users.  Photos, music, videos, DVDs and other content can be easily stored, backed up, and retrieved using our MegaDisk eSATA+USB drive,” Joe Trupiano, Director of Marketing at Fantom Drives said.  “Because we offer multiple configuration options, the user can choose high performance, high capacity, high security, or the ability to independently configure the drives in these systems.”

The 32 MB data buffer cache in the new offering enables high performance data transfer between the MegaDisk eSATA and USB 2.0 drive and connected PCs and Macs.  In contrast, most other drives typically offer only an 8 MB data buffer.  The 32 MB data buffer in the Fantom Drives’ G-Force MegaDisk eSATA+USB drive reduces the delays in writing or reading data, and allows for virtually uninterrupted transfers, even over eSATA running at 300 MB/s.

Additionally, the Fantom Drives’ G-Force MegaDisk eSATA+USB 2.0 drive includes award-winning NTI Shadow software.  NTI Shadow offers real-time continuous backup, in addition to scheduled backup.  It’s easy to use, yet powerful interface enables users to securely back-up and restore their files.  Custom file filtering, version control, drag and drop file restore, and additional features make NTI Shadow an extremely valuable addition to the drives announced today.

The three capacity options of the G-Force MegaDisk eSATA+USB 2.0 drive includes the MDE1000, which offers 1 TB of storage, and the MDE1500, providing 1.5 TB of storage. The MDE2000 offers a massive 2TB of storage. All options are compatible with Windows 2000, Windows ME, Windows XP, Windows 2003 Server, Windows Vista and Mac OSX v10.2 and Mac OS X Leopard.  The G-Force MegaDisk is shipped with one USB 2.0 cable, an eSATA cable, Power Cord, User Manual, and NTI Shadow Backup Software.

Pricing and availability

The Fantom Drives’ G-Force MegaDisk with dual interface connectivity is currently available in 1.0 TB, 1.5 TB and 2.0 TB drive configurations and priced at $319.95, $459.95 and $649.95 respectively.

About MicroNet Technology/Fantom Drives

Based in Torrance, California, MicroNet Technology/Fantom Drives develops a full range of data storage products for creative professionals and IT managers.  From the affordable Platinum Series of desktop products through Enterprise-wide Storage Area Networks, MicroNet Technology/Fantom Drives continues to lead the industry in quality, performance and value.  MicroNet Technology/Fantom Drives' award-winning storage products include SANcube(tm) FireWire Storage Area Networks, Omega Enterprise Storage and SAN products, miniMate(tm) and the Platinum(tm) family of personal storage.  For product and reseller information, contact the company at 310-320-7272, fax to 310-328-0202, or visit us on the web at <http://www.fantomdrives.com/> .

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