PANASONIC INTRODUCES NEW QUAD SPEED CD-ROM DRIVES
Two models join a series offered by Panasonic

Secaucus, NJ - Panasonic Communications & Systems Company (PCSC), a
division of Matsushita Electric Corp. of America, announces the
introduction of two quad speed CD-ROM drives. The new drives, LK-MC684BP
internal and LK-MC604S external drive, join the Panasonic family of CD-ROM
drives that include external, internal and portable drives.

According to Timothy J. Curran, vice president of Panasonic's Computer
Products Group, "The Panasonic-branded CD-ROM drives have two key
advantages that set them apart from the competition: a reliability rating
that is up to 25 percent higher than many competitors and
24-hour/seven-day technical support. For resellers and VARs, reliability
and support are critical factors in bundling CDROM drives with systems.
Panasonic is one brand they can strongly recommend, based on years of
proven success and the fact that Matsushita Electric Industrial Company,
Ltd., the parent company of PCSC, is the world's largest manufacturer of
CD-ROM drives through its Matsushita Kotobuki Electric manufacturing
facility." The LK-MC604S external and LK-MC684BP internal drives feature
mean time between failure (MTBF) ratings of 125,000 power-on hours.

The LK-MC684BP internal drive features an enhanced IDE (Integrated Drive
Electronics) interface with ATAPI (AT Attachment Packet Interface)
support, enabling it to run on 80286, 80386, 80486 and Pentium ISA bus
systems. The model features plug-and-play operation and includes an
interface card, connection cables and EZ installer software. It can be
installed in any 5-1/4" slot, whether vertically or horizontally oriented,
for greater configuration flexibility. The disk tray features specially
designed tabs that hold a CD in place if the drive is mounted vertically.
The external standalone model, the LK-MC604S, features an embedded SCSI
interface to ensure plug compatibility with a wide range of systems,
including PCs and Macs. The drive also supports most major SCSI interface
boards.

Both the LK-MC684BP and LK-MC604S models support many CD formats including
Audio CDs, Video for Windows, Photo CD Multisession, CD-i and Video CD
(CD-i and Video CD require an MPEG board), and most major operating
systems and environments including DOS, Windows 3.1 and OS/2. The
LK-MC604S is also Macintosh-compatible. These new quadruple speed drives
feature fast 175 msec random seek and have a data transfer rate of 600 kB
per second. Both offer CD audio output through headphone jack and line-out
(LK-MC684BP line-out is on the interface board), audio playback capability
and sub-channel data read with error correction. Each has auto loading and
3-way eject. Panasonic is the only company to offer a power save feature
on its drives, resulting in lower power consumption when the drive is
inactive, saving the user energy and money.

Panasonic backs both CD-ROM drives with a 2-year limited warranty and
offers 24-hour/7-day technical support. The LK-MC604S, introduced this
month, carries a suggested retail price of $499. The LK-MC684BP, available
in September, will carry a suggested retail price of $299. The LK-MC604S
is available through Panasonic computer distributors and resellers. Upon
its introduction, the LK-MC684BP will be available through the same
channel.

In the United States, Panasonic Communications & Systems Company markets an
extensive line of office automation equipment that includes: laser, dot
matrix, compact page and color thermal printers; multifunction devices;
multimedia speakers; color monitors; optical disk and storage devices;
gray scale and color scanners; electronic filing systems; office copiers;
electronic whiteboards; electronic typewriters; facsimile machines;
digital pagers; personal communication systems; point-of-sale systems;
business telephone systems; and notebook computers through Panasonic
Personal Computer Co.

Panasonic Communications & Systems Company
Two Panasonic Way
Secaucus, NJ 07094
800-742-8086,  201-348-7000
 
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