LaCie Bundles SATA II PCI-Express Card 2E With Two Big Compact 2-Disk SATA II RAID

• Compact 2-disk SATA II RAID storage up to 1TB
• Best for real-time video editing on PCIe-equipped Macs or PCs
• Fast throughput of up to 110MB/s in Fast mode (RAID 0)
• Comes with next-generation SATA II PCI-Express Card 2E

PORTLAND, OR (June 2006) – Today LaCie announced it will bundle a next-generation SATA II PCI-Express (PCIe) card 2E with its compact Two Big two-disk RAID system. The new LaCie SATA II 3Gb/s PCI-Express Card 2E has two ports and provides a native x1 host bus interface for use with Apple® Power Mac® G5s or PCs with PCIe architecture. The LaCie Two Big with PCIe card bundle is available for the lowered price of $449 (500GB) or $879 (1TB). LaCie also offers a Two Big bundled with a PCI-X card for the lowered price of $469 (500GB) and $899 (1TB), as well as optional spare drive bundles.

LaCie Product Manager Emanuela Boila said, “Owners of new G5s will now be able to take advantage of LaCie Two Big’s speedy SATA II interface. It’s the perfect solution for video editors who want a no-fuss RAID unit with amazing throughput of up to 110MB/s. You can also protect your files with RAID redundancy via a simple-to-use selection switch. The two-port PCIe card allows you to add another unit for increased speed and capacity—all at an unbeatable price.”

LaCie Two Big with PCIe achieves a maximum throughput of 110MB/s in Fast mode (RAID 0). Drives are hot-swappable for instant expandability and the unit is hot-pluggable so can be removed without having to power down the computer. LaCie Two Big is also available with an optional spare hard drive.

LaCie Two Big comes pre-formatted in Fast mode in which the disks are striped together for ultimate speed right out of the box, best for real-time video editing. It can also be configured to RAID 1 (called Safe mode) in which data is mirrored for redundancy in case of drive failure. Concatenation (called Big mode) spans data over both disks so full capacity can be achieved whereby the drive appears as one large volume, or alternatively JBOD mode will show each disk as an independent volume.

Features
• Compact and sturdy metal case and quiet fan for heat dissipation
• Fast data transfer rates thanks to SATA II interface
• Two hot-swappable SATA drives
• Pre-formatted in RAID 0 (Fast mode) for fastest throughput of 110MB/s
• Simple to reconfigure with RAID selection switch
• Automatic drive rebuilding in RAID 1 (Safe mode)
• Bundled with a 2-port SATA II PCIe or 4-port PCI-X card
• Works with PC or Mac

Availability
LaCie Two Big is available for pre-order today via LaCie websites and widely available through LaCie’s specialized dealer network end of June at the suggested retail prices below. LaCie Two Big ships with the selected PCI card and all necessary cables for immediate use. Additional product information can be found at www.lacie.com.

LaCie Two Big with PCI-Express 500GB $449 (+250GB spare HDD is $569)
LaCie Two Big with PCI-Express 1TB $879 (+500GB spare HDD is $1179)
LaCie Two Big with PCI-X 500GB $469 (+250GB spare HDD is $589)
LaCie Two Big with PCI-X 1TB $899 (+500GB spare HDD is $1199)

About LaCie
LaCie creates external storage solutions and color monitors that help professionals and everyday users easily manage their digital lives. Powerful technology combined with unique designs by the internationally acclaimed Philippe Starck, Neil Poulton, Porsche Design GmbH, Ora-Ïto and Karim Rashid make LaCie the world leader in storage innovation. Established in France in 1989, LaCie is now headquartered in North America, Europe and Asia and listed on the Paris Nouveau Marché (code 5431). For more information, visit www.lacie.com.

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Contact LaCie
Press Inquiries:
Melissa Logan, 503-844-4500, mlogan@lacie.com

Sales Inquiries:
Direct Sales, 503-844-4502, sales@lacie.com
Reseller Sales, 503-844-4500, sales@lacie.com

Sustained transfer rates can vary depending upon the selected RAID configuration. The maximum sustained transfer rate of 110MB/s was achieved in RAID 0 (Fast mode).

1GB (gigabyte) = 1 billion bytes. 1TB (terabyte) = 1000GB. Total accessible capacity varies depending upon operating environment (typically 5–10% less).

Contact Information

Melissa Logan

PR Specialist

LaCie

Contact via E-mail