Plextor USA today announced the immediate release of the PlexWriter 40/12/40A CD-RW optical disk drive. The internal drive delivers industry leading performance with 40X CD-Recording, 12X CD-ReWriting, and 40X-max Read speeds, making it the fastest CD- RW drive available on the market today. Recording at 40X speed, the new drive is capable of burning a 650 MB disc in just over three minutes while maintaining the highest quality and stability.

The PlexWriter 40/12/40A includes several new features designed to increase recording quality. For the first time ever, the PlexWriter drive features a black CD-holder tray, which Plextor lab tests found reduces C1 error rates. Optimized PCB circuits near the power supply help decrease noise and provide clean power to the drive, improving both jitter and deviation levels. A new diagnostic function empowers users by helping them determine whether write errors are caused by the drive, the media, or the system.

"Achieving high-quality 40X recording speeds is a significant milestone, proving that Plextor continues to lead the market in performance and reliability," said Howard Wing, vice president of sales and marketing for Plextor. "We have also developed a host of exciting new features that debut with this new PlexWriter drive making the recording process more reliable. We know that many users will appreciate the Hi Speed CD-ReWrite speed of 12X making the Plextor 40/12/40A ideal for backup data applications".

The PlexWriter 40/12/40A features the most advanced design and engineering, including innovative BURN-Proof™ technology, for maximum reliability. Using a slow source drive or attempting to perform multiple tasks while recording a CD can lead to buffer underrun errors that render the disc unusable. BURN-Proof technology prevents buffer underrun errors, so end-users can multi-task by sending email or surfing the Web while recording a high-quality CD. The PlexWriter 40/12/40A also features PoweRec-II™ technology, a sophisticated media-writing strategy that guarantees recording results across a broad base of certified media. A unique feature calibrates the drive to each media disc to ensure the highest quality write operation using Zone-CLV servo positioning. This process produces the highest quality written disc possible.

The versatile 3-in-1 PlexWriter 40/12/40A drive lets users write, rewrite, and read compact discs at a wide variety of speeds. The internal drive connects via E-IDE (ATAPI) to any desktop computer (PC or Mac), making installation faster and easier than ever before. The new PlexWriter is Plug & Play compatible with Windows® 98/ME/2000/XP™.

The drive features a 4MB data buffer and Digital Audio Extraction rates to a maximum of 40X. Burst data transfer rates are 16.6 MB/sec (PIO Mode 4/DMA Mode 2) or 33.3 MB/sec (UDMA Mode 2). The drive also supports a wide variety of writing modes, including Track-at-Once, Disc-at-Once, Session-at-Once, Multisession, and variable/fixed packet writing.

The PlexWriter 40/12/40A ships with Roxio's Easy CD Creator and Direct CD, version 5.1. Also included are Plextor Manager 2000, Plextor Liquid Player+, a music player for streaming, downloading, and playing audio files, and a trial version of Stomp Click'N Design 3d, a CD labeling software.

The internal PlexWriter 40/12/40A CD-RW drive with E-IDE (ATAPI) interface is scheduled for shipment to distributors and resellers immediately. The Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) is $209 US. All retail packages include unlimited toll-free technical support and one-year full warranty.