Maxtor extends Shared Storage simplicity to Mac users

Maxtor Shared Storage Plus Solution Now Offers Easy-to-use Centralised Storage, File Sharing, Backup and Media Streaming for Mac Users

MACWORLD EXPO, SAN FRANCISCO — January 11, 2006 — Maxtor Corporation (NYSE: MXO), the leader in consumer storage and backup solutions, today announced that it will be shipping its Maxtor Shared Storage Plus solution with Mac OS X version 10.4 “Tiger” support in February 2006. With the same simplicity and ease of use found in all Maxtor external and network storage solutions, the enhanced Maxtor Shared Storage Plus solution makes it easier than ever for Mac OS X users to connect, store, share, stream, print, and automatically back up computer files, digital photos, music and videos to one central location on a home or small office network.

“After years of helping the Mac community store and protect data, our simple, elegant and automatic backup experience is now available for Mac users across our entire family of Maxtor OneTouch and Maxtor Shared Storage external storage and backup solutions,” said Stacey Lund, vice president of marketing, Maxtor Branded Products Group. “With the new Maxtor Shared Storage Plus, Mac OS X users can rest assured they now have the ability to easily centralise and automatically back up all data on their home or small office network.”

“We’re thrilled that the popularity of Mac OS X opens doors for developers to create innovative solutions across a broad range of markets,” said Ron Okamoto, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. “As the use of digital media grows rapidly there’s strong demand for a centralised place to securely store, back up and share content so we are delighted to see Maxtor make it easier for Mac users to protect their digital media files.”

As home network adoption continues to grow–approximately 61.9 million home networks will be deployed worldwide by the end of 2006 (IDC 2005)–the need for a simple and easy-to-install centralised storage solution becomes paramount. For instance, many first-time home network buyers are interested in sharing entertainment content between different devices, including using both Macs and PCs on a shared network. With the new Maxtor Shared Storage Plus solution, a family could simultaneously listen to a music collection via a networked sound system upstairs, play movies on a networked theatre system in the living room and view a slide show of recent vacation photos on a laptop in the kitchen. Because the Maxtor Shared Storage Plus solution is based on industry-standard DNLA and UPnP AV guidelines, consumers can easily share their digital content with a broad array of consumer electronics devices on the market.

Key features and benefits of the new Maxtor Shared Storage Plus solution include:

• Supports Bonjour for automatic network configuration, providing quick and easy installation for Mac users.
• Up to 20 users can simultaneously access and protect their files using multiple Macs or PCs on a shared network.
• A quick-start CD automatically gives Mac or PC users a desktop icon for easy access to a shared public folder and a set of personal, password-protected private network folders.
• The solution includes two USB ports to connect and share two USB printers or two additional external storage drives or one of each.
• Industry-compliant media serving capabilities allow users to stream content on compatible UPnP AV digital media adapters for viewing content on televisions or listening to music on stereo systems.
• Users can set privacy levels for shared folders with an intuitive browser interface.
• To organise digital files, Maxtor’s exclusive Drag and Sort feature automatically identifies and sorts more than 100 different file types and puts them in specific music, photo, movie, Web, software or documents folders.
• The solution’s SimpleView feature acts like a built-in IT administrator, providing detailed backup and storage status at a glance to all users on the network.
• Integrated and easy-to-use software allows users to automatically back up hours of creative work stored on networked Mac or Windows computers, such as digital video and audio files as well as vital home or business documents.

Pricing and Availability

The enhanced Maxtor Shared Storage Plus network storage solutions will be available worldwide in February at major retailers and distributors. Please visit www.maxtor.com for local distribution channels and retail outlets. The manufacturer suggested retail price is £209.90 for the 200GB drive, £279.90 for the 300GB drive, and £349.90 for the 500GB drive.