Other World Computing (OWC) announced its new Aura Pro Express 480GB Solid-State Drive (SSD) for the 2010 Apple MacBook Air.
For more information visit: www.macsales.com
Unedited press release follows:
OWC Announces Mercury Aura Pro Express 480GB As Industry’s Largest Capacity High Performance Solid State Drive For 2010 Apple MacBook Air
First and only SSD upgrades for 11.1″ and 13.3″ models starting at $479.99 now available in four models – 180GB, 240GB, 360GB, and 480GB – with up to nearly 4X greater capacity over factory options
Uses award-winning SandForce technologies and Tier 1/Grade A NAND to deliver up to 68% faster real-world performance and up to 3.5X faster 4K random reads/writes than factory options
May 5, 2011 Woodstock, IL — Other World Computing (OWC®) http://www.macsales.com, a leading zero emissions Mac® and PC technology company, today announced its OWC Mercury Aura™ Pro Express Solid State Drive is now shipping in an industry largest 480GB capacity for all 2010 Apple® MacBook® Air models. First announced at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show this past January, the OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express line now offers up to 4X greater capacity and up to 68% faster real-world performance than factory available options. This new 480GB model introduction continues OWC’s position as the only aftermarket SSD manufacturer for the 2010 MacBook Air and the most comprehensive U.S. manufacturer of industry leading SandForce® processor based SSDs available today with OWC Mercury Pro brand SSD models available for nearly every Mac and PC produced over the past decade.
Four Models Starting At $479.99 MSRP
The OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express is available immediately for same day order fulfillment in four capacities compatible with all 11.1″ and 13.3″ 2010 MacBook Air models:
• 180GB Mercury Aura Pro Express with 7% over provisioning & three year warranty – $479.99
• 240GB Mercury Aura Pro Express with 7% over provisioning & three year warranty – $579.99
• 360GB Mercury Aura Pro Express with 7% over provisioning & three year warranty – $1179.99
• 480GB Mercury Aura Pro Express with 7% over provisioning & three year warranty – $1579.99
For more information on the OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express line, including reseller inquires, visit: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/Aura_Pro_Express
More Speed, Capacity, and Options Than Factory SSD
The OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express offers owners of and those interested in the 2010 MacBook Air models a SSD upgrade path that delivers higher performance, functionality, and reliability. With peak data rates of 275MB/s, the Mercury Aura Pro Express was benchmark test proven by The Storage Review to offer up to 68% higher speed than factory installed SSDs. The OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express is available in four sizes -180GB, 240GB, 360GB, 480GB – for more upgrade choices and nearly 4X higher data storage/backup capacity than factory SSD options when compared to 11.1″ model factory options up to only 128GB and 13″ model factory options up to 256GB.
Doesn’t Slow Down With Use Like Ordinary SSDs
Ordinary SSDs offer fast read/write performance during first initial uses, but then experience significant write speed degradation over repeated usage. Independent simulation tests conducted by leading drive performance experts like MacPerformanceGuide confirm OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express SSD’s ultra-efficient Block Management & Wear Leveling technologies are able to eliminate virtually any reduction in data transfer speeds over heavy long term usage of the drive and without dependency on less than effective OS TRIM management.
Up To 100X Greater Data Protection
Utilizing SandForce DuraClass™ technology, the OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express is able to provide up to 100X higher data protection than provided by ordinary SSDs as well as leading enterprise class hard disk drives. By combining the highest level of Error Correction Code (ECC) and SandForce RAISE™ (Redundant Array of Independent Silicon Elements) technology along with 7% over provisioning, the Mercury Aura Pro Express provides RAID like data protection and reliability without loss of transfer speed due to parity.
Earns Industry Expert Praise & Accolades
Out of a field of more than 230 exhibitors and thousands of exhibited products at this past January’s Macworld 2011 conference, the OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express SSD was named one of 10 Macworld Expo 2011 “Best of Show” products by Macworld magazine as well as earning “Best Mac Hardware” honors by MacLife magazine.
Expands Most Comprehensive SSD Line For Macs And PCs
The new 480GB Mercury Aura Pro Express model joins OWC’s existing line of performance leading, record breaking SATA 2.0 and SATA 3.0 interface Mercury Extreme Pro SSDs available for nearly every Mac and PC in capacities from 40GB to 480GB starting from $99.97:
• OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 6G SSD
• Benchmark tested by BareFeats as the industry’s fastest SSD available, the Pro 6G SSD provides up to 559MB/s sustained reads and 515MB/s writes for nearly SATA 3.0 bus saturating speed.
• OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD
• Ultra high performance 2.5″ SATA 2.0 SSD for demanding portable and desktop tower use.
• OWC Mercury Extreme Pro RE SSD
• RAID-Ready Enhanced performance with 28% over-provisioning for data centers, network operation centers, and dedicated RAID installations. Used to set overclocking world record: http://eshop.macsales.com/NewsRoom/Framework.cfm?page=PR/ssdre_032411.html
• OWC Mercury Legacy™ Pro
• First and fastest SandForce processor based IDE/ATA SSD available for pre-Intel® PowerPC® based Mac notebooks, PCs, and other notebook/laptop computers.
• OWC Mercury Extreme™ Pro Legacy Edition
• First and fastest SandForce processor based IDE/ATA SSD available for pre-Intel PowerPC based Macs, PCs, and other desktop/tower computers.
For more information on the complete OWC Mercury Pro SSD line, visit: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/
For more information on the OWC catalog of over 2,900 performance upgrades and accessories, or for reseller inquires, visit: http://eshop.macsales.com/
“We’re quite pleased to introduce this highest capacity model to the first and only available aftermarket SSD line for the 2010 MacBook Air,” said Larry O’Connor, Founder and CEO, Other World Computing. “With up to 4X greater capacity and up to 68% faster real-world performance over factory options, the Mercury Aura Pro can truly transform a MacBook Air.”
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 a member of the Apple Developer Program, 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 Magazine Top 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.