June 11, 2001

Mac Components Engineered (MCE) Announces 48GB Expansion Bay Hard Drives
for the Apple PowerBook

Irvine, CA – Mac Components Engineered’s PowerBook Products Division (MCE
PowerBook Products, an Apple Developer) today announced a 48GB version of
its popular Xcar=E9t Pro line of expansion bay hard drives for the Apple
PowerBook. The new 48GB Xcar=E9t Pro-99 Expansion Bay Hard Drive is designed
for the 500MHz and 400MHz Apple PowerBook (FireWire) as well as the 400MHz
and 333MHz Apple PowerBook G3 Series (Bronze Keyboard). The new 48GB Xcar=E9=
t
Pro Expansion Bay Hard Drive is designed for the Apple PowerBook G3 Series
– 1998 (Wallstreet) which includes the 300MHz, 292MHz, 266MHz, 250MHz, and
233MHz models.Both units have begun shipping in limited quantities, and
will ship in larger quantities by September 1, 2001.

“These 48GB Xcar=E9t Pro and Pro-99 Expansion Bay Hard Drives have a 5400RPM
spindle speed, making them the biggest and fastest storage devices you can
put inside any PowerBook,” said Arnold Ramirez, President, MCE PowerBook
Products. “It is this type of flexibility and expandability that has kept
the PowerBook G3 so popular among high-end video and graphic professionals.”

The new 48GB Xcar=E9t Pro-99 and Xcar=E9t Pro Expansion Bay Hard Drives can
capture and store over 220 minutes of digital video (DV) content. The
drive’s high performance allows for completely reliable DV capture without
the worry of dropping frames. Incorporating IBM’s Drive Noise Suppression
System (DNSS), the new 48GB Xcar=E9t Pro-99 and Xcar=E9t Pro Expansion Bay H=
ard
Drives offer significantly reduced noise levels that enhance the user’s
experience while using the PowerBook. DNSS replaces the traditional ball
bearing design with the fluid dynamic bearing spindle motor technology and
voice coil motor dampening enhancements. These efforts result in acoustical
noise reduction, improved shock tolerance and superior reliability.

The MCE Xcar=E9t Pro-99 Expansion Bay Hard Drive is designed to fit into the
right expansion bay of the currently-shipping Apple PowerBook (FireWire) as
well as the Apple PowerBook G3 Series-1999 (Bronze Keyboard). The MCE
Xcar=E9t Pro-98 Expansion Bay Hard Drive is designed to fit into either the
right or left expansion bay of the Apple PowerBook G3 Series-1998
(Wallstreet). Since both Xcar=E9t Pro hard drive models utilize native Apple
hard disk drivers to operate, no extra drivers or other software are
needed, thereby eliminating potential driver conflicts. Also, both models
can be configured to boot the PowerBook directly. As with all MCE PowerBook
expansion bay devices, the Xcar=E9t Pro-98 Expansion Bay Hard Drive and
Xcar=E9t Pro-99 Expansion Bay Hard Drive are truly portable, requiring no
external power supply, with all power being supplied by the PowerBook. Both
drives are fully compliant and compatible with Apple’s new MacOS X.

The MCE 48GB Xcar=E9t Pro Expansion Bay Hard Drive and the MCE 48GB Xcar=E9t
Pro-99 Expansion Bay Hard Drive retail for $799.00 This price includes the
48GB Xcar=E9t Pro expansion bay hard drive, owner’s manual, and a protective
carrying case. The drive carries a one-year warranty. Interested dealers
and distributors should contact Dealer and Distributor Sales at MCE.

Mac Components Engineered designs and markets domestically and
internationally a wide range of Apple PowerBook-related products and
solutions to distributors, dealers, and end-users. For additional
information please contact Mac Components Engineered, 30 Hughes, Suite 203,
Irvine, CA, 92618; telephone (949) 458-0800, fax (949) 458-1803, or on the
Internet at http://www.mcetech.com.