Summatec's Mirror-Link, a new standard in removable media, makes its debut
at PC EXPO in the Multi-Media Pavillion booth #173.

June 20, 1995/New York City: At the Javits Convention Center, a
revolutionary concept in computing still in the preview stage just this
spring becomes reality this week as Summatec Computer Corporation of
Vista, California provides the industry its first official glimpse of the
successful marriage of the two most proven data-storage technologies. With
the national debut of the company's new Mirror-Link removable media
system, PC users in every field can finally have the best of both worlds:
the speed and capacity of a hard drive in a format that loads and ejects
just like a floppy disk.

Mirror-Link consists of an ultra-high performance (up to 1.3 GB), small
form-factor hard drive sealed in an impact-resistant cartridge, and a
docking station that interfaces the removable drive to a computer. The
cartridge, barely 3 x 5 inches in size and weighing just 7 ounces, can be
loaded and ejected as quickly and easily as a floppy disk. All required
software and electronics (SCSI or IDE) are included in the docking
station, which can be configured internally or externally depending on the
host computer. This unique docking system is patented, with additional
patents pending and copyrights established. Summatec has also designed a
series of controllers for high-data users to further enhance Mirror-Link's
performance. Both PC and Macintosh-compatible versions of Mirror-Link will
be available starting this summer.

Observes Summatec co-founder and chief executive Dr. Lynn Wilson, "In its
perpetual race to catch-up with user needs- in this case the need to
augment, back-up and transport data more effectively- our industry has
produced an assortment of incompatible schemes. The common element among
them is compromise, in speed, capacity and convenience- as if the user
should be content with 'two out of three ' Summatec's solution was to
converge the concepts behind the two most successful and accepted magnetic
storage formats- the floppy and the hard drive- into one formidable device
After all, nearly every PC sold during the past decade features a hard
drive and accepts floppy disks, which tells you how people like to work.
In that respect, Mirror-Link is the first removable system that truly
speaks to their needs"

Initially providing up to 1.3 GB capacity and a 13.3 MB/second transfer
rate, MirrorLink will benefit any application involving large amounts of
digital information, such as graphics, photography, and imaging of all
types, large-scale data recording, and complete file transfers Early
Mirror-Link adopters are expected to be those who already use disk and
tape back-up systems, and include desktop publishing/pre-press, financial,
manufacturing, medical, legal and government markets. Regarding those last
several user-groups, Dr Wilson notes that "while file names can be deleted
from disk drives, the information itself remains and may be retrieved
using specialized software Once confidential data has been stored on a
hard drive, the entire PC must be considered classified. With MirrorLink,
documents and applications can be totally removed, making it a technology
that will benefit anyone with an interest in increased security"

Those wishing to keep their data safe will be interested in another aspect
of the design: Mirror-Link's exceptional ruggedness and reliability.
Encased in its proprietary cartridge, the small form-factor hard drive is
capable of withstanding shocks up to 100 G's while operating and 200 G's
in non-operational mode. A "spin down" feature ensures that no data is
lost or damage done to the removable disk drive during the eject
procedure. "The entire removable media business developed around the need
to back-up and transport data more reliably," notes Summatec Computer
Corporation's marketing vicepresident Bryan Fifield "Anyone who's ever
lost a tape or disk cartridge through shipping damage or careless handling
will appreciate that 'robustness' was a fundamental Mirror-Link design
parameter."

Fifield adds that while initial users will certainly include current
back-up system users, Mirror-Link's potential is beyond precedent.
"Current removable drives are really just 'digital file cabinets'-
adequate for storage but not places where one wishes to spend their time.
Our removable hard-disk drive is a working environment equaled only by the
PC's own drive. In speed alone, Mirror-Link is many times higher in order
of magnitude than any conventional outboard storage and retrieval system.
One can work directly on it and from it. For those reasons, it could
easily become the de facto standard for large-capacity removables, with an
application rate more closely resembling CD-ROM than anything else."

This makes the Mirror-Link the first removable drive relevant to the
consumer market as well, and ultimately where the technology is expected
to have its greatest impact. Notes Summatec International Marketing
president Derrill Fussell, "Home PC growth is driving the PC industry both
now and for the long-term, with this market expected to account for nearly
50% of all sales within three years. Furthermore, our selection of PC
EXPO's Multi-media Pavillion as the venue for our national introduction is
no accident. Multi-media is increasingly driving the demand for home PC's.
Mirror-Link is an ideal technological partner for this application,
because unlike any other removable format currently available, it has both
the speed and size necessary to keep up with leading edge video, audio and
graphics. Any removable system intending to earn a permanent place in the
home must first address that market's unique needs. Ours does- it's simply
the biggest, fastest and most powerful new kid on the multi-media block."

Beyond multi-media, the home potential for Mirror-Link is far-ranging.
"Mirror-Link makes it possible for a single PC to have several hard drives
dedicated to multiple purposes and users- business, family, entertainment,
household, etc.," continues Derrill Fussell. "The peripherals market right
now is one of the fastest expanding segments in the PC business, growing
at an incredible 26% in the past year and representing some $3.5 billion
at retail. To say the market is there for Mirror-Link is a gross
understatement."

Fussell has put the finishing touches on Summatec's retail distribution
network in anticipation of enthusiastic consumer and professional demand.
"We've seen a growing resistance to new products among existing removable
media users, mainly because these products offer only incremental
improvements and are often not 100% compatible. An example is the
independent graphics designer/desktop publisher who can't justify
'upgrading' to a 100MB cartridge system from an earlier investment in a
44MB predecessor, or isn't willing to take the chance that the service
bureau has made the same 'upgrade'. So when something like Mirror-Link
becomes available with over 10 times that speed and capacity, you'll see a
lot of pent-up demand from frustrated PC users in both the professional
and home markets"

Mirror-Link cartridges are available in 520 MB to 13 GB versions, with
retail pricing planned between $795 to $1262 respectively. Complete
systems (cartridge and docking station) range from $1073 to $1585.
Mirror-Link is available in both IDE and SCSI configurations, with two
internal docking systems and one external docking station offered The
product will be available through PC specialist retailers and distributors
throughout North America starting in summer 1995. Future plans for
Mirror-Link technology call for expansion beyond the 4.5 GB range as well
as new "docking" storage media products with even greater levels of
flexibility.

Summatec Computer Corporation is a diverse team of senior industry
professionals under the leadership of Dr. Lynn Wilson With a background in
Physical Organic Chemistry and a firm grasp of manufacturing engineering
principles and technologies, Dr Wilson directed the research, development
and manufacturing of innovative magnetic products for 3M, IBM and Memorex.
In 1992, he co-founded Summatec with Daniel C Sheppard (senior
vice-president) to research, design and build advanced data storage
sub-systems for the PC and laptop computer markets, using proprietary
technology and drawing on leading-edge resources from around the globe.

Summatec Computer Corp
368 East Broadway
Vista, CA 92084
619-726-7807,  fax 619-945-5684

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