RANCHO TECHNOLOGY EXTENDS FLOPTICAL TECHNOLOGY STANDARD TO MAC SYSTEMS Cupertino, CA--May 29, 1992--The Floptical Technology Association today announced that a member company, Rancho Technology, Rancho Cucamonga, CA, has extended its Floptical product line with the introduction of an external 3.5-inch 21 megabyte (MB) Floptical subsystem for the Apple Macintosh market. Rancho Technology is one of the earliest adapter of the Floptical technology standard for controller products. The RT5000MAC connects externally to the Macintosh and comes with a SCSI Floptical formatter, installer, driver and utility software. Available now, the RT5000MAX is priced at $533 in single unit quantities. The RT5000MAC joins Rancho Technology's family of Floptical subsystems, including the Model RT3000 and RT4000 series of Floptical subsystems in an internal or external form factor for the IBM PS/2 Micro Channel (MCA) and ISA computers with universal power requirements. The RT3000 and RT4000 series were included in a recent high volume North American distribution agreement between JACO Electronics, Inc., Hauppauge, NY, and Rancho Technology. JACO is one of the world's largest distributors of electronic components, systems, and related products. "The demand for high capacity removable storage is strong in the Macintosh market, especially with the increasing popularity of megabyte-hungry graphics applications" said Steve Bierwirth, sales manager for Rancho Technology. "Floptical technology provides Mac users with the additional high capacity storage they need now, and still allows them to read and write to their existing library of 1.44MB floppy disks." The 3.5-inch 21MB Floptical disk drive is the emerging standard for high-capacity flexible disk drive storage as it is seen as a superior solution for low cost removable high-capacity data storage needs for the vast majority of microcomputer users. The Floptical Technology Association is comprised of drive manufacturers Insite Peripherals and Iomega Corp.; media manufacturers Maxell and 3M; and Insite's drive manufacturing partner MKE; along with host adapter companies Adaptec, Future Domain and Rancho Technology. -------------------------------------------------------- INSITE AND MASS MICROSYSTEMS SIGN OEM AGREEMENT San Jose, CA -- June 1, 1992 -- Insite Peripherals has signed a high volume OEM (original equipment manufacturer) agreement with MASS Microsystems, Sunnyvale, CA, to supply the company with volume quantities of its 3.5-inch 21 megabyte (MB) Floptical disk drive. Both Insite and MASS Microsystems have already begun shipments. MASS Microsystems will market the new SCSI flexible drive to the mid-range Apple Macintosh removable storage market under the brand name FloptiPak 21. Unique features of the FloptiPak 21, in addition to high capacity and downward compatibility with standard 1.44MB floppy diskettes, are its small size and weight. The 21MB (formatted) subsystem weighs less than two pounds, measures only 1-inch by nine-inches by five-inches, and is powered through the floppy disk port of the Macintosh. "The Macintosh market values portability, value and performance," said Peter Shambora, MASS Microsystems' senior vice president, sales and marketing. "The FloptiPak 21 offers the most economical 3.5-inch mid-range removable storage solution, especially for users of megabyte-greedy graphics programs. A single Floptical diskette can hold the equivalent of fourteen 1.44MB floppies. Plus the FloptiPak 21 can be shared among several Macintosh users." Chuck Moran, vice president of marketing and sales for Insite, said, "MASS Microsystems has tapped into a very fertile market. Volume shipments from our manufacturer, MKE, enable Insite to satisfy the large demand for easily portable, removable storage systems that provide the highest capacity and are downward compatible with existing 1.44MB floppies." MASS Microsystems' FloptiPak 21, which began shipping last month, has a suggested retail price of $699 and is covered by a one-year warranty on parts and labor and toll-free technical support. The suggested retail price of the media is $49. MASS Microsystems, Inc. designs, manufactures and markets computer peripherals worldwide for the Apple Macintosh family of personal computers. The company's products include award-winning desktop video solutions, a complete line of removable and fixed storage systems and large screen displays. MASS Microsystems is located at 810 West Maude Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086. Insite has announced this year a series of OEM pacts worth over $10 million in total with suppliers to the Macintosh, IBM PC and Amiga markets. Insite I325VM (Variable Mode) Floptical Disk Drive. The 3.5-inch Model I325VM features 21MB of formatted capacity (25MB unformatted), one inch high form factor, single +5 volt power requirements, and optional automatic ejection mechanism. The Floptical disk drive features variable mode dual heads which make it the first and only very high capacity 3.5-inch flexible drive able to read and write standard lower capacity 1.44MB 3.5-inch diskettes. The Floptical drive's very high capacity is achieved by the use of patented optical servo tracks and magnetic recording technologies. Insite is a founding member of the Floptical Technology Association, formed in 1991 with Iomega Corp., Hitachi Maxell, 3M and MKE to promote Floptical products and activities. Associate members include host adapter companies Adaptec, Future Domain and Rancho Technology. Insite Peripherals was founded in 1987 to exploit the emerging market for very high capacity flexible disk drive products. Insite is located at 4433 Fortran Drive, San Jose CA 95134 2302 -------------------------------------------------------- JACO ELECTRONICS SUPPORTS FLOPTICAL TECHNOLOGY STANDARD Cupertino, CA -- June 1, 1992 -- The Floptical Technology Association today announced that JACO Electronics, Inc., Hauppauge, New York, has joined the growing list of companies supporting Floptical technology with the addition of the 3.5-inch 21-megabyte (MB) Floptical subsystem for the IBM PS/2 to its product line. Floptical Technology Association member company, Rancho Technology, Inc., Rancho Cucamonga, CA, will supply JACO, one of the world's largest distributors of electronic components, systems and related products, with the Floptical subsystems in a million dollar distribution agreement signed earlier this year. "The Floptical drive's high capacity and read/write compatibility with standard capacity 720KB and 1.44MB diskettes, combined with volume availability, is an irresistible combination," said Mort Denson, JACO's vice president of industrial computer product marketing. "The PS/2 Micro Channel (MCA) systems are perfect for Floptical applications because multiuser systems typically demand more computing power and storage capacity. As Rancho Technology offers the only PS/2-compatible Floptical subsystem, we predict substantial sales to this important market over the next year." Denson's prediction is supported by a recent market surveys showing that 84% of computer users desire increases in floppy disk drive capacity. Steve Bierwirth, sales manager for Rancho Technology said, "JACO's excellent distribution channels to the North American OEMs and VAR/VAD market and PS/2 users' demand for higher capacity storage systems will help to further promote Floptical technology as the leading contender for industry standardization in the very high capacity storage market." The 3.5-inch 21MB Floptical disk drive is the emerging standard for high-capacity flexible disk drive storage as it is seen as a superior solution for low cost removable high-capacity data storage needs for the vast majority of microcomputer users. Rancho Technology will supply JACO with quantities of its Model RT3000 and RT4000 series of Floptical subsystems in an internal or desktop form factor for the ISA and PS/2 (MCA) with universal voltage power requirements. -------------------------------------------------------- MASS MICROSYSTEMS SUPPORTS FLOPTICAL TECHNOLOGY STANDARD 21 MB FloptiPak 21 Subsystem Designed for Macintosh High Capacity Portable Storage Market Cupertino, CA--June 1, 1992 -- The Floptical Technology Association today announced that MASS Microsystems, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, has joined the growing list of companies supporting Floptical technology with the introduction of its FloptiPak 21 removable disk drive for the Apple Macintosh market. Peter Shambora, MASS Microsystems' senior vice president, sales and marketing. "Floptical drives and diskettes will soon replace standard floppy products as the industry standard due to their increased capacity and performance, downward compatibility with 1.44MB diskettes, and affordable media cost." Floptical Technology Association member company, Insite Peripherals, Inc., San Jose, CA, will supply MASS Microsystems with the Floptical drives in a high volume original equipment manufacturer (OEM) agreement. Chuck Moran, vice president of marketing and sales for Insite, said, "MASS Microsystems' choice of Floptical technology for its new high capacity storage products strengthens Floptical technology's position as the leading contender for industry standardization in the very high capacity floppy storage market." MASS Microsystems will market the new SCSI flexible drive to the mid-range Apple Macintosh removable storage market under the brand name FloptiPak 21. Unique features of the FloptiPak 21, in addition to high capacity and downward compatibility with standard 1.44MB floppy diskettes, are its small size and weight. The 21MB (formatted) subsystem weighs less than two pounds, measures only 1-inch by nine-inches by five-inches, and is powered through the floppy disk port of the Macintosh. The Floptical Technology Association includes drive manufacturers Insite Peripherals and Iomega Corp.; media manufacturers Maxell and 3M; and Insite's drive manufacturing partner MKE; along with host adapter companies Adaptec, Future Domain and Rancho Technology. The 3.5-inch 21MB Floptical disk drive is the emerging standard for high-capacity flexible disk drive storage as it is seen as a superior solution for low cost removable high-capacity data storage needs for the vast majority of microcomputer users. OTHER FLOPTICAL TECHNOLOGY SUPPORTERS Announced support of the Floptical technology standard includes Commodore, Westchester, PA; Arrow Electronics, Melville, NY; Digital Micronics, Inc., Carlsbad, Calif.; GrassRoots, Inc., Lenexa, Kansas; Liberty Systems, Santa Clara, Calif.; PLI (Peripheral Land, Inc.), Fremont, Calif.; Procom Technology, Costa Mesa, Calif.; Rancho Technology, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; and TASS Optical World, San Diego, Calif. All market to the IBM PC, Amiga and/or Macintosh markets. The Micro Standards Committee of the Microcomputer Manager's Association (MMA), has nominated the Floptical disk drive as the industry standard for very high capacity floppy disk drives. The recommendation came in a white paper published last year based on a competitive evaluation among available high capacity drives. FLOPTICAL TECHNOLOGY BACKGROUND INFORMATION Products based on Floptical technology include disk drives, media, host adapter and subsystem products. The 3.5-inch Floptical disk drive features 21MB of formatted capacity (25MB unformatted), one inch high form factor and single +5 volt power requirements. The Floptical disk drive uses standard 3.5-inch diskettes and variable mode dual heads which make it the first and only very high capacity 3.5-inch flexible drive able to read and write standard lower capacity 72OKB and 1.44MB 3.5-inch diskettes. The Floptical's very high capacity is achieved by combining patented optical servo track positioning and magnetic recording technologies. -------------------------------------------------------- The Floptical Technology Association is located at 22710 Stevens Creek Blvd., Suite 220, Cupertino, CA 95014. 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