FirewireDirect has announced the release of a new FireWire product line called the Spark II Pro. The Spark II Pro is FireWire and USB 2.0 combo drive (backwards compatible to USB 1.1) in a 2.5" enclosure. The unit also utilizes the Oxford 911 chipset as a FireWire bridge. From FirewireDirect:
FirewireDirect.com, Inc., the first company specializing in and dedicated exclusively to IEEE 1394, FireWire and iLINK peripherals, has announced the third evolution of their portable FireWire drive, the Spark II PRO, a new 2.5” hard drive that combines FireWire with USB and is the first portable FireWire combo drive compatible and compliant with the new USB 2.0 specification.
The USB 2.0 standard is targeted to increase device data throughout up to 480Mbps, 40 times faster than USB 1.1 devices. The new specification also inherits the current USB Plug and Play and hot-swapping capability, as well as providing backward compatibility for USB 1.1 hardware so the drive will still work with computers not yet updated to the new standard.
The drive is also upgraded to feature the celebrated Oxford 911 ATA-100 chipset for the fastest possible throughputs. The 911 bridge board has become the industry standard for delivering the highest speeds available in FireWire peripherals, and with itis inclusion in the new Spark II PRO, is now featured in all FirewireDirect storage devices. FirewireDirect is the only manufacturer to exclusively use the popular and award winning chipset in all of their FireWire storage products.
The Oxford 911 ATA-100 chip is present now in the new Spark II PRO portable HDD as well as FirewireDirectis industry leading 3.5” desktop hard drive, the SlimLine ULTRA II. The chipset also provides top performance for their CDRW and DVD-RAM products. FirewireDirect is also the clear leader in FireWire RAID products with three different types of FireWire RAID storage solutions, all of them equipped with the ultra fast 911 board.
The Spark II PRO Combo Drive featuring Oxford 911 FireWire and USB 2.0, like itis predecessor in the FirewireDirect portable hard drive line, will ship in 10, 20 and 30 GB configurations and will include both USB and FireWire cables and a full range 110-240V AC power supply. The Spark II PRO will also be available as an Enclosure for those wanting to build their own FireWire/USB drives.
You can find more information about the Spark II Pro product line at FirewireDirectis Web site. The units are shipping now, and are priced as follows:
10 GB Spark II PRO 2.5” USB/FireWire Combo Drive - 42.330 - $219
20 GB Spark II PRO 2.5” USB/FireWire Combo Drive - 42.320 - $279
30 GB Spark II PRO 2.5” USB/FireWire Combo Drive - 42.310 - $389
Spark II PRO 2.5” USB/FireWire Combo Drive Enclosure - 42.303- $139