June 9, 1997

Toshiba's New 12X-to-24X-Max CD-ROM Drive Stands Alone with Industry Leading Performance; Enables Fast Transfers and Access to Data

IRVINE, Calif., June 9, 1997 - Leading the industry with high performance CD-ROM drives, Toshiba America Information Systems Inc., Disk Products Division (TAIS DPD) today introduced its 12X-to-24X Partial Constant Angular Velocity (PCAV) ATAPI internal CD-ROM drive. The combination of the drive's 12X-to-24X transfer and the industry's fastest access time of 90ms earns the XM-6102B internal drive its high performance classification.

"Typically, 20X and 24X CAV and PCAV CD-ROM drives start spinning at only a 10X base speed, and therefore transfer data at a lower rate for a longer period of time than Toshiba's XM-6102B," said Maciek Brzeski, director of marketing, CD-ROM, TAIS DPD. "But Toshiba's new high-performance XM-6102B, with its 12X base transfer rate that quickly ramps to a sustained 24X, delivers the fastest data transfers possible today."

Toshiba stands alone in its ability to deliver its high base speed of 12X through it's advanced vibration control technology. Both the motor and the tray were specifically redesigned to handle the fast 6,300 RPM of the 24X-max drive, while minimizing media vibration.

The new 24X-max XM-6102B drive sustains maximum data transfers of 3.6MB/sec. supported by burst rates of 16.7MB/sec in both PIO mode-4 or DMA transfer mode-2. For the quickest access to data, the drive supports industry-leading 85ms random seek and 90ms random access times. To heighten its industry-leading performance specifications, the drive features a 256KB buffer.

Toshiba stands apart from the competition with its proven Active Wide Range playback system and digital servo control. Like other Toshiba CD-ROM drives, the XM-6102 employs the Active Wide Range playback system, which allows the drive to read data at +/- 80 percent of a specific rotational speed - allowing the drive to access data on the disc at almost any time. The digital servo control, which offers greater precision in tracking and quick head positioning, further contributes to performance and reliability.

The XM-6102B internal ATAPI CD-ROM drive has a competitive suggested list price of $185 and is available now.

The XM-6102B fully meets the demands of today's multimedia applications. The drive is MPC-3 compliant and supports multisession Photo CD, Video CD and CD-EXTRA. The drive can also read CD-RW, CD-R, CD-DA, CD-ROM XA, CD-G, CD-I, CD-I Ready and CD-I Bridge disc formats.

For user convenience, the XM-6102B drive was designed with a tray-loading mechanism. A media-removal prevention function ensures that CDs cannot be ejected during read operations. For integration and set-up flexibility, the drive may be mounted horizontally or vertically.

The XM-6102B was designed to provide a contamination-free design and unsurpassed reliability. As a result, the XM-6102B features a 100,000 hour MTBF. The new XM-6102B internal drive measures only 1.62(h) x 5.69(w) x 7.41(d) inches and weighs only 1.98 pounds. The drive's power consumption is a low 8.5 watts average. The drive may be used in temperatures ranging from 41 - 122 degrees Fahrenheit.

TAIS is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., with annual sales of approximately $4 billion. TAIS is comprised of nine divisions which manufacture and market a wide range of business and information-oriented products in the United States. Products include notebook and desktop computers, disk drives, CD-ROM drives, DVD drives, plain-paper copiers, facsimile systems, digital business telephone systems, voice mail, security imaging systems, industrial video products, medical, digital and PC cameras, systems solutions for the cable industry, and toner products. TAIS is an independent operating company, owned by Toshiba America, Inc., a subsidiary of the $53 billion Toshiba Corp., a world leader in high-technology products with 207 major subsidiaries and affiliates worldwide.

The TAIS Disk Products Division markets a wide range of industry-standard 2.5-inch hard disk drives, CD-ROM drives and DVD-ROM drives in the United States. For additional product information, contact Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Disk Products Division, 9740 Irvine Blvd., Irvine, CA 92618-1697; telephone (714) 457-0777, or on the World Wide Web at: http://www.tais.com/taisdpd/ or http://www.toshiba.com.

Agency Contact: