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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 High Performance Plug And Play Hardware RAID Data Storage/Backup Solution Now Offers Up To 12TB

Four drive bays: up to 12TB capacity for A/V editing, backup, photography, music, & graphics Four separate interfaces: FireWire 800, FireWire 400, USB, & eSATA Four selectable hardware RAID settings: 0, 1, 5, 10 priced from $479.99

December 28, 2010, Woodstock, IL -- Other World Computing (OWC®) http://www.macsales.com, a leading zero emissions Mac® and PC technology company, announced today it has expanded the OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 desktop hardware RAID storage line storage capacity to 12TB by utilizing four 3TB high performance hard drives in the Qx2’s four hot swappable drive bays. In addition to offering massive storage/backup capacity in a desktop sized footprint, the Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 features a “Quad Interface” of FireWire® 800, FireWire 400, USB 2.0, and eSATA ports and four selectable Hardware RAID settings – 0, 1, 5, 10 – for high speed, highly reliable Plug and Play use with Macs and PCs.

Four Prosumer Models Starting At $479.99
  • 2TB OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 (500GB x 4 w/64MB cache) & three year warranty - $479.99

  • 4TB OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 (1TB x 4 w/128MB cache) & three year warranty -  $579.99
    Currently on year end special for $529.00

  • 8TB OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 (2TB x 4 w/128MB cache) & three year warranty - $929.99
    Currently on year end special for $879.00

  • 12TB OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 (3TB x 4 w/256MB cache) & three year warranty - $1399.99


In addition to four “prosumer” models, the Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 is available in three Enterprise Class options up to 8TB and a 0GB kit (no drives included) option. For more information on the complete OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 line, visit: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/hard-drives/RAID/Desktop/ To read how the Qx2 fits into the production workflow of professional users, visit http://eshop.macsales.com/owcpages/procorner/

Comprehensive “Burn-in” Test Ensures Highest Reliability
Unlike most other brand solutions that are assembled then shipped with little or no testing, OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 units undergo a multi-hour “burn in” performance certification procedure prior to shipping to ensure the unit is operating properly and that the installed drives are ready for demanding use. With this unmatched commitment to quality, OWC backs Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 solutions with up to an industry leading five year warranty.

Built for Demanding Performance-Intensive Applications
The OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 is built for demanding performance-intensive applications such as Audio/Video editing, HD-video, digital photography, professional music, graphics, redundant backup, and any use requiring data storage performance and reliability. Pre-configured in a Hardware RAID 5 mode to provide data redundancy to ensure uninterrupted access to stored data, as well as protecting against data loss, the Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 can also be configured to automatically perform one of the other three hardware RAID settings:  0, 1, or 10, as well as a Span (NRAID) setting. Selecting and/or visually confirming the RAID setting is performed via a recessed selector switch safely located behind the lockable front panel.

Plug & Play Desktop RAID For Mac & PC
The OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 also offers a variety of convenience features that make adding it to any Mac or PC Plug & Play easy:  FireWire 800, FireWire 400, USB 2.0, and eSATA interfaces, along with connection cables, provide compatibility with multiple operating systems and computers; front panel LEDs give quick, at-a-glance system status; and a removable key lock ensures the installed hard drives and selected RAID mode remain secure.

About Other World Computing (OWC)
Other World Computing (OWC) has been providing quality hardware products and support to the computer industry since 1988 and features one of the largest online catalogs of computer, iPod®, iPhone®, and iPad™ enhancement products through its e-commerce portal www.macsales.com. As an Apple Certified Developer, OWC also provides extensive US based technical support for Macintosh users around the world as well as Internet access via www.fastermac.net and www.owc.net

OWC’s industry awards and recognition include: Crain’s Chicago Business 2009 “Fast 50” List of 50 Fastest Growing Companies in the Chicago Area; Inc. 5,000 “Fastest Growing Privately Owned Companies in America” list honoree 2007-2010; Reseller Ratings Elite Member 2009 & 2010; Better Business Bureau Top Rating of A+ 2010; Reflex Packaging Commitment to Excellence Recycling Award 2009; Computerworld MagazineTop Green-IT Companies for 2008; and McHenry County Economic Development Corporation 2008 Business Champion Award.

In March 2010, OWC’s corporate campus was designated as LEED Platinum by the Green Building Certification Institute (http://eshop.macsales.com/green/index.html). Platinum is the highest achievable LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Program level, which began in 1998. Out of more than 14,000 LEED projects engaged worldwide since the program's inception, OWC is one of less than three hundred to achieve the Platinum standard. In September 2010, OWC’s headquarters earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ENERGY STAR rating for building operations that perform in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency.

Photo: Mercury Elite-AL Qx2

Contact:
Company Contact:
Jennifer Myers: (815) 502-5640 or jmyers@owcdigital.com