Maxtor Shipping New Hard Drive

Maxtor Shipping New Hard Drive Family Targeted at Emerging Market Segments; New 531DX Combines High Reliability With Affordable Pricing
Maxtor Corporation (Nasdaq: MXTR) today announced shipments of the new Maxtor 531DX drive family, the first hard disk drive to incorporate an inner diameter load/unload ramp for increased data reliability. The innovative ramp literally locks the recording head into a protective carrier to cradle the head during shipment and any other time the drive is not in operation.

"Maxtor views this new product line as a strategic move into new segments of the storage marketplace," said Mike Cannon, president and CEO of Maxtor. "By applying innovative technology, we have created a superior drive at a reasonable price. As an example of this, Maxtor is the first company in the industry to feature load/unload technology in products that are priced under one hundred dollars. The new line is an excellent choice for applications in the consumer, Internet appliance and entry PC markets."

"Over the next few years, we are going to see most disk drives incorporate load/unload ramp technology," said Pantelis Alexopoulos, vice president, advanced technology, and CTO of Maxtor. "By implementing this technology in a simple, elegant design, Maxtor quickly delivers value to the end customer." Co-developed with the Maxtor Singapore organization, the Maxtor 531DX also contains a reduced number of parts and components, providing even greater reliability with fewer points of possible failure. An additional reliability feature is a new slim 17-mm height that reduces the overall space consumed by one-third over traditional hard drive designs. The thinner form factor allows better air circulation, a key factor in promoting long-term reliability.

Along with the introduction of the 531DX, Maxtor also acknowledged the very strong support of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB). Ko Kheng Hwa, managing director of Singapore's EDB, said, "Singapore is a major force in the global hard disk drive industry. We will continue to strengthen Singapore's capabilities in outstanding technical talent and a strong research and development infrastructure to complement world-class manufacturing." The Maxtor 531DX features a 5400 rpm spin speed and is offered in both 10 and 15 gigabyte (GB) capacities. Other product specifications and additional information about the ramp load/unload feature and form factor can be found at www.maxtor.com.

SOURCE Maxtor Corporation www.prnewswire.com