To the delight of creative consumers and professional authoring providers, Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. today introduces its new BDR-2203 Blu-ray Disc®/DVD/CD internal computer writer. Delivering on the promise of a comprehensive solution for large file storage and high definition film functionality, the new device features an impressive 8X write speed capability for dual-layer BD-R Blu-ray Disc media. With the new writer, users can take advantage of the substantial 50 gigabyte (GB) storage capacity from Blu-ray Discs to ensure fast and successful preservation of standard and high definition data content along with the confidence that comes with using a Pioneer® optical disc product. The multi-format BDR-2203 comes packaged with specialized software to fulfill the array of creative and professional needs of PC users. The Pioneer BDR-2203 Blu-ray Disc internal computer writer begins shipping in April for a suggested price of $249.99.

Through extensive write speed testing, the company’s engineering group found that it will take users approximately 15 minutes to write 25 GB of information to a single-layer BD disc and about 30 minutes to write 50 GB worth of information (the equivalent of more than 10 single-layer DVD-R discs) when using the new writer.

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Today LaCie announced the Rugged XL, a super-sized expansion to LaCie’s award-winning line of Rugged hard drives. Showcasing more than just its extra-large exterior, the Rugged XL doubles capacity to 1TB, and will surely amplify the style of any creative desktop.

Rugged XL leverages the design and durability of the popular Rugged drive, offering aluminum casing for superior protection on your desktop, as well as the signature orange rubber sleeve. Taking advantage of the Rugged’s reputation for resilience, the Rugged XL also features an internal bumper and heat dissipating features, making the LaCie Rugged XL able to withstand the challenges and blunders that can occur on anyone’s desk.

Suited for speed-intensive applications or for large-scale backups, the Rugged XL is versatile and compatible with both Mac and PC environments. In addition, it supports two key interfaces: Hi-Speed USB for universal compatibility, and the extreme speed of eSATA 3Gb/s. The new drive also includes a complete software bundle for easy formatting with LaCie Setup Assistant, as well as Genie Backup Assistant software for Windows users and Intego Backup Assistant software for Mac users.

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Today, CDRLabs brings you an in depth look at Plextor's new Qflix enabled DVD writer, the PX-Q840U. With this new external drive, consumers can purchase and download movies from Cinemanow and then burn a permanent copy that can be played back on a standard DVD player. The PX-Q840U also offers 20x DVD±R, 12x DVD-RAM and 8x DVD±R DL writing speeds as well as support for Plextor's new PlexUtilities software.

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SandForce™ Inc., the pioneer of SSD (Solid State Drive) Processors that enable commodity NAND flash deployment in enterprise and mobile computing applications, today emerged from stealth mode and unveiled its first product, the SF-1000 SSD Processor family. These highly-integrated silicon devices address the inherent endurance, reliability, and data retention issues associated with NAND flash memory, making it possible to build SSDs that deliver unprecedented performance over the life of the drive with orders-of-magnitude higher reliability than enterprise-class HDDs (Hard Disk Drives).

The SandForce patent-pending DuraClass™ technology promises to accelerate mass-market SSD adoption. Leading OEMs are expected to release both SLC (single level cell) and MLC (multi-level cell) flash-based SSDs using SandForce single-chip SSD Processors later this year. IDC expects worldwide shipments of SSD's in the Enterprise and PC markets will exceed 40 million units in 2012, representing a CAGR of 171% from 2007-2012. (IDC, Worldwide Solid State Drive 2009-2012 Forecast Update, Doc # 216054, January 2009)

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