Panasonic has announced a new portable Super Multi drive, the LF-P968C. Not much larger than a standard CD case, the LF-P968C can be powered from the USB bus and features 8x DVD±R, 4x DVD±R DL and 5x DVD-RAM writing speeds. Here are some of the drive's specs:



Writing Speeds:
DVD±R: 8x
DVD±R DL: 8x
DVD+RW: 4x
DVD-RW: 6x
DVD-RAM: 5x
CD-R: 24x
CD-RW: 16x

Access Times:

DVD-ROM: 180ms
CD-ROM: 150ms

Read Speeds:
DVD-ROM (Single): 8x Max
DVD-ROM (Dual): 6x Max
DVD-Video: 4x Max
DVD±R: 8x Max
DVD±RW: 6x Max
DVD±R DL: 6x Max
DVD-RAM: 5x Max
CD-ROM: 24x Max

Buffer Size: 2MB


The LF-P968C is expected to hit store shelves on April 13th for about 22,000 Yen ($187US). More information can be found on Panasonic's website.