LaCie Expands Mobile Capacity to 320GB for Its Rugged All-Terrain and Little Disk Families

PORTLAND, OR (January 2008) — LaCie announced today increased capacity to 320GB for its Rugged All-Terrain Hard Disk, design by Neil Poulton and the 2.5-inch Little Disk, design by Sam Hecht. Ideal for data backup and easy data transfers between computers, the 2.5-inch Little Disk is available in either USB 2.0 or USB 2.0 and FireWire 400, while the rugged is available in USB 2.0 and a USB 2.0, FireWire 400 and FireWire800 version for speedier data transfers.

Simple plug and play allows these drives to interact smoothly with any laptop or desktop computer’s USB or FireWire port to add increased mobile storage for all-types of digital media including music, photographs and documents. Without the need for an additional AC adaptor*, the Rugged and the 2.5-inch Little Disk now offer the largest capacities available for any single-disk portable drive.

“People have a tendency nowadays to travel more and need extra space to store and share their data. Just a few years ago, maximum capacity for a standard 2.5-inch mobile hard drive was just 80GB,” said Nolwenn Rozen, LaCie Mobile Product Manager. “Today LaCie is capable of reaching capacity four times greater than what was once available. By increasing the capacity of our most popular products, LaCie continues to be on the forefront in providing the latest technologies and capacities to our customers.”

The LaCie Rugged is a tough and speedy portable hard drive for people on the go and is designed to protect data against everyday bumps, bruises and hard knocks of the real world. Its unique aluminum shell and rubber bumper protect it from table-height drops for extra protection.

Stylish and compact, the Little Disk features a high-gloss, elegant design with clean, simple lines and comes with a removable protective cap. The integrated, extractable USB cable pulls out and retracts so it can never be lost or forgotten. The Little Disk is durable and very lightweight for transporting data from one machine to another. Bundled synchronization software allows users to access and modify files, emails (Microsoft Outlook) or personal settings and it will sync updated data back to the host computer.

The 320GB Rugged and 2.5-inch Little Disk can store up to 400 movies, 72,000 Songs, or 288,000 photos**.

Availability
The LaCie Rugged and 2.5-inch Little Disk in the 320GB capacity will be available late January from LaCie direct and widely available via LaCie’s specialized dealer network at the suggested retail price starting at $199. Capacities ranging from 60GB to 250GB are currently available for both the Rugged and Little Disk family at prices starting from $89. For more product information, visit www.lacie.com.

About Sam Hecht
Sam Hecht is an award winning UK-based industrial designer. He studied industrial design at the Royal College of Art in London. In 2002 he established Industrial Facility with his partner Kim Colin. Mr. Hecht has designed for Epson, Droog, Established & Sons, and Panasonic amongst others. He is also the retained designer to Muji Japan. For more information on Sam Hecht and Industrial Facility, please visit www.industrialfacility.co.uk.

About Neil Poulton
Neil Poulton was born in Thurso, Scotland. A graduate in Industrial Design from Edinburgh University and Milan’s Domus Academy, Poulton first came into public view in 1989 as the creator of “the ageing pens,” pens made from a “living,” wearing plastic that changes color and form with use. Today, Neil Poulton designs and develops best-selling, award-winning products for a variety of international clients including LaCie & Artemide. Since 1991, Poulton has lived and worked in Paris, France. www.neilpoulton.com

About LaCie
Located in the US, Canada, Japan, Australia, Europe, Singapore and Hong Kong, LaCie is the leading manufacturer of computer peripherals for PC, Apple and Linux users. LaCie creates external storage solutions and color monitors that help professionals and everyday people easily manage their digital lives. LaCie has differentiated its products through original designs and leading-edge technology. Established in France in 1989, LaCie is listed on Euronext under FR0000054314 (LAC). For more information, visit www.lacie.com.

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Contact LaCie
Press Inquiries: Barry Katcher, 503-844-4578, bkatcher@lacie.com
Sales Inquiries: Direct Sales, 503-844-4502, sales@lacie.com
Reseller Sales, 503-844-4500, sales@lacie.com

1GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes. Total accessible capacity varies depending upon operating environment (typically 10–15% less).

*For computers with a low-powered USB port, the included power-sharing cable helps turn the drive on by drawing extra power from a second USB port.
**Calculations are based on 700MB per MPEG-4 (DivX) movie, 1MB per JPEG photo file, and 4MB per MP3 song. These values often vary.