Maxtor Corp. announced today the release of the Maxtor Personal Storage 3000LE, a new 40 GB external hard drive that spins at 5400 RPM. The drive sports the new high speed USB 2.0 interface. The 3000LE is priced at US$199.95 and will be available from authorized retailers and via Maxtor’s online store, Maxtordirect.com.
Maxtor noted that the new drive is compatible with both Macs and PCs. USB 2.0 isn’t yet available on the Mac as a factory-installed option — instead, Apple continues to use USB 1.1, which operates at a fraction of the speed of the faster, newer USB standard. Some third parties offer USB 2.0 expansion cards which work on the Mac, however. USB 2.0 operates at speeds more akin to FireWire, and is downwardly compatible with USB 1.1 also.
Maxtor senior VP Tex Schenkkan noted that USB is popular with various external devices including digital cameras, printers, scanners and MP3 players.
“Now that the same easy connectivity is available to hard drive users at an affordable price, each family member can own a 3000LE to store their data and applications, thereby personalizing their content library and extending the value of the household PC or Mac computer,” said Schenkkan.