Kuddos to Other World Computing, OWC, as it has become 100% reliant on the wind to churn out its great accessories for Mac and PCs out there in Woodstock, IL.. That means that OWC now uses complete renewable, non-polluting power to get it through its day. SvenOnTech spoke to Larry O’Connor, CEO, Other World Computing earlier this year about OWCs upcoming conversion to becoming fully green. O’Connor’s excitement was difficult for him to harness as he outlined the building of the current facility and the many avenues and difficulties his company experienced to become green. “I made the decision to 100% self fund this project because of the conservational benefits as well as the future cost of energy,” O’Connor recently told SvenOnTech. “With the kilowatt hour rate in the Chicago market up 24.3% since 1999, it only makes sense to use technology to lower our usage and costs related to traditional power sources.”
Here are some highlights of OWCs gusty power:
* Geo-thermal ground-coupled heat pump system
* Fiber optic rooftop light-harvesting technology
* High insulation value glass windows and exterior sunshade technology for reduced cooling costs
* High insulation value materials throughout the building for reduced energy use
* “Smart” sensors to detect and adjust energy in unused rooms
* Permeable Paver system for environmentally friendly run-off water handling
* Bio Swales landscaping for water conservation
* Use of native plants and prairie grasses for water conservation
* Sloan Waterless Urinals and dual-mode toilets for water conservation
* Sloan high-efficiency hand driers in washrooms for energy/paper savings
* High-efficiency drinking water filtration system to eliminate need for delivered water
* Company-wide recycling with near zero waste generation
* Facilities for employees to commute to work by bicycle
* Low-impact cleaning products
To read more about OWCs green goals as well as view pictures, stop by www.macsales.com/windpower.
If you’re looking for a new external hard drive device to back up your data and or get you some mass density of speed for, say, video editing, then take a look our just posted review off the OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2. This beefy unit is impressive and pretty darn sweet. We got raw test figures and some real life examples. The results are impressive and, well, just read the review and see for yourself what we thought in the end.
A Faster Mac In 10 Minutes
The OWC series of free online upgrade installation videos for MacBook and MacBook Pro models are rated from an “Easy” to “Straightforward” level and can be performed at home as quickly as an estimated 10-minute installation time. The complete series of installation videos for MacBook and MacBook Pros, as well as videos for Mac tower, desktop, and iPod battery installs is available at: http://eshop.macsales.com/installvideos/
“One of OWC’s founding principles is to maximize the usefulness of existing resources. Whether a customer has a legacy Mac or the latest machine, these videos are an invaluable resource for getting greater performance from their Mac and/or extending its useful life,” said Larry O’Connor, CEO, OWC. “With the typical service center charging upwards of $80 for an easy memory install, MacBook and MacBook Pro owners can save both time and money by utilizing this free resource.”
Memory Upgrades From $29.79, 7200RPM Hard Drives From $64.99
OWC Memory Upgrade Kits priced starting at $29.79 are available up to 8GB for MacBook and MacBook Pro models and are backed with a Money Back Guarantee and OWC’s Lifetime Advance Replacement Warranty. Additional money savings are also available through OWC’s Rebate program, which provides $5.00 Cash Back per 1GB Apple Factory Standard memory module.
Upgrading the internal hard drive can also make MacBook and MacBook Pro machines faster. Prices start at $64.99 for a 250GB 7200RPM drive, with the most popular upgrades including a 320GB 7200RPM drive priced at $84.99 and a 500GB 7200RPM drive priced at $149.99. In addition, MacBook and MacBook Pro owners that purchase a new hard drive from OWC also enjoy the benefit of keeping their existing drive, which can be used as a temporary backup drive, converted into an external storage solution, or sent to OWC for a cash back trade-in.
For a complete list of upgrades for MacBook and MacBook Pro models, visit:
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/memory/Apple_MacBook_MacBook_Pro/Upgrade
OWC – The Trusted Name in Mac Memory
OWC memory upgrades are available from 16MB up to 32GB for nearly every current and past Apple notebook and desktop computer manufactured during the past twenty years, including Mac Pro Xeon, iMac, PowerMac, Xserve, iBook, and PowerBook computers. By maintaining an active state-of-the-art test lab, OWC can ensure its memory upgrades offer the highest product quality and reliability and backs them with a Lifetime Advance Replacement Warranty and Money Back Guarantee.
OWC’s independent memory benchmarks testing on a wide variety of Mac computers consistently demonstrates having more memory provides higher real-world performance. OWC memory performance gains are even more apparent when using memory intensive applications, such as audio/video, photo, 3D modeling, gaming and other applications, where OWC memory upgrades offer the best performance for the investment.
The full OWC Memory line, as well as a compatibility guide which directs customers to the correct upgrades for each specific Apple model, can be found online at: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/apple/memory/
Immediately available and priced starting at $239.99, the new Mercury On-The-Go 320GB 7200RPM drive has models available with USB 2.0, USB 2.0+eSATA, FireWire 400+USB 2.0, and FireWire 800/400+USB 2.0 Interfaces. These portable drive solutions are built with the latest Hitachi 7K320 mechanism with OWC’s custom bridge interfaces and provide the highest performance of any portable storage solution available on the market.
Geared for the demanding “On-the-Go” professional road warrior who requires dependable, high-performance storage, the OWC Mercury On-The-Go 320GB 7200RPM portable drive solution offers options for virtually all computers and gadgets with an available FireWire or USB port, including all Macs and PCs, as well as digital cameras and camcorders for an instant on-the-go portable storage solution to quickly and safely store all your digital photos and video when traveling.
With The Mercury On-The-Go portable drive, you can back-up your entire desktop computer and bring it with you everywhere you go. For easy backup, the drive also includes the full retail versions of the latest award-winning Prosoft DataBackup III for OS X and NovaStor NovaBackup for Windows.
In addition to the 320GB 7200RPM drive, OWC also offers additional 7200RPM models with capacities of 100GB to 200GB, priced from $109.99; and 5400RPM Models from 60GB to 500GB, priced from $74.99. All drive solutions offer leading performance and reliability due to a well thought-out design, performance bridge interface, and the best hard disk drive mechanisms inside.
The Mercury On-The-Go 320GB 7200RPM portable storage drive is available immediately priced starting at $239.99 through OWC and other retailers. It includes a carrying case, connecting cables, Prosoft DataRescue III for OS X, and NovaStor NovaBackup for Windows. All Mercury-On-The-Go models are covered by a one-year warranty and are compatible with Apple OS Versions 8.5 through 9.2.x; Apple OS X (including the latest OS 10.5.x); and Microsoft Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP, Vista.
For more information, see: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/on-the-go.
OWC has solutions available for nearly every Mac model over the last decade, including Mac Pro; PowerBook G4 Titanium 15”, 12/15/17” Aluminum; iBook G4; PowerMac; PowerMac G3, G4, G5; iMac G4; and eMac.
Whether upgrading from a read-only drive, replacing an older Superdrive, or for additional optical drives, the latest solutions from OWC are quiet, low-cost and Plug & Play ready. OWC makes it easy to upgrade to the new Superdrive models with the latest software, including Apple iLife, Roxio Toast, NTI Dragonburn, and other CD/DVD authoring applications preconfigured directly in the drives. The easy online guide lets you select the right Superdrive model for your Mac system.
Superdrives for desktop and tower model Macs are priced from $31.99 and offer up to 20X DVD, 12X Dual-Layer DVD (8.5GB per disc), and 48X CD burning speeds. DVD-RAM burn capability and LightScribe are also available. Superdrive 8X DVD, 6X DVD Dual-Layer, 24X CDRW, 5X DVD-RAM slot loading drives are now available from $99.95 for Apple iMac G5, iMac Intel, G4 Cube, PowerBook G4, and iBook G4 computers
For more information on the full line of OWC Superdrives for Mac, see: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/optical-drives/superdrives/
Other World Computing (OWC), a leading Mac and PC technology company, today announced the introduction and immediate availability of its new OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro FireWire+USB 2.0 Combo storage drives featuring SATA technology with a starting price of only $107.99 and capacities up to 1.0TB for Plug ‘N Play, hot swappable storage.
The latest in the OWC Mercury Elite-AL storage line, the Mercury Elite-AL Pro FireWire+USB 2.0 Combo storage drives feature the latest Oxford 934 performance chipset, the best SATA mechanisms available, two FireWire 400 1394A 6 Pin, and one USB 2.0 port. Drives may be stacked or stood vertically (stand included) and measure only 9.3” (length) x 1.4” (height) x 5.6″ (width) or 237mm x 36mm x 142mm.
The drive’s two FireWire ports allow it to be daisy-chained to any additional FireWire devices. Its Oxford chipset allows Plug ‘N Play compatibility with virtually any Mac, PC, and Linux-based computer that supports either a FireWire or USB 2.0 Interface. Data may be accessed/read/written interchangeably between any of the FireWire and USB 2.0 ports allowing the seamless use of the drives between multiple systems or for upgrading corresponding computer systems.
OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro FireWire+USB 2.0 Combo Drives Pricing:
80GB 7200RPM 8MB Cache – $107.99
160GB 7200RPM 8MB Cache – $117.99
250GB 7200RPM 8MB Cache – $137.99
320GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache – $147.99
400GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache – $159.99
500GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache – $175.99
750GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache – $239.99
1.0TB 7200RPM 32MB Cache – $369.99 ($339.99 after limited time Rebate*)
*Through 3/19/2008, purchase of the drive includes a $30 Hitachi-sponsored Mail-In Rebate. Rebate details at: http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20World%20Computing/MAU4S7H1TB32/
All OWC Mercury Elite-AL drives are tested and certified for demanding audio/video, backup, movies, graphics, music, photography, data, and more. The drive’s sleek aluminum design optimizes function with fanless heat dissipation while aesthetically enhancing the desktop, and is specifically built to safely endure the rigorous demands of portability.
OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro storage drive solutions are available from Other World Computing with everything needed for immediate Plug ‘N Play operation: FireWire and USB 2.0 cables; Intech HD Speedtools utility suite; Prosoft Data Backup for Mac OS X®; NovaStor NovaBackup for Windows; and a full 2-year warranty.
OWC’s full line of award winning Mercury Elite-AL storage solutions can be found at http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/1394/USB/EliteAL .
For additional information contact www.MacSales.com or call toll free (800) 275-4576.
Other World Computing (OWC), a leading Mac and PC technology company, announced today that it is offering 4GB Memory Kits for Apple’s newly announced MacBook and MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo models, which began shipping yesterday, February 26, 2008. OWC is providing memory for these new MacBook 13” 2.1GHz/2.4GHz Core 2 Duo Models and MacBook Pro 15” & 17” 2.4GHz/2.5GHz (including 2.6GHz optional configuration) Core 2 Duo models. OWC memory is available in modules and kits of up to 4.0GB for these models as well as the previous MacBook Pro models.
OWC is an Apple Developer Connection Premiere member and its memory upgrades meet Apple’s electrical and mechanical design requirements. OWC maintains an active state-of-the-art test lab to ensure the highest product quality and reliability and provides a lifetime of high-performance reliable operation backed with a Money Back Guarantee and OWC’s Lifetime Advance Replacement Warranty.
OWC’s 4.0GB Memory Upgrade Kits are available immediately, priced at $95.99 (configured as two 2GB memory modules). Additional savings are also available for customers who take advantage of OWC’s trade-in program, which provides $20 cash back for the trade-in of two 1GB modules.
Other World Computing (OWC), a leading Mac and PC technology company, announced today new Superdrive optical drives for all Mac computers, including Mac Pro; PowerBook G4 Titanium 15”, 12/15/17” Aluminum; iBook G4; PowerMac G3, G4, G5; iMac G4; and eMac.
Whether upgrading from a read-only drive, replacing an older Superdrive or adding additional optical drive, OWC’s Superdrives are priced right and are Plug & Play easy to install. OWC offers the newest, fastest, and quietest SuperDrive technology from Pioneer, including 20X DL SuperDrive DVR-115D to read and write DVDs, CDs, and dual-layer DVDs. Capacity for dual layer DVDs is 8.5GB at speeds of 10X; regular DVDs for 4.7GB capacity at 20X; and CDs for 700MB at 40X.
“Replacing an existing optical drive or even adding an additional drive lets you enjoy the latest DVD and CD authoring performance and reliability,” said Larry O’Connor, President, Other World Computing . “For most Macs, this is an incredibly easy upgrade and one of great return for anyone who’s currently making or planning to make their own DVDs or CDs.”
OWC makes it easy to upgrade to fast DVD/CD burners compatible with the latest software, such as Apple iLife, Apple Discburner, Roxio Toast, NTI Dragonburn, and other CD/DVD authoring applications. Superdrives are available immediately from OWC priced starting at $29.99. Online installation guides and videos show users how to quickly install. For more information, see: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/optical-drives/superdrives/.
Other World Computing (OWC), a leading Mac and PC technology company and leading after-market supplier of memory upgrades for the Mac Pro, today announced its new “Quick Install” Guide for OWC Memory Upgrade Kits for the latest Mac Pro 8-Core Xeon models for the fastest, easiest installation a user can do on their own. Priced as low as $48.75 per GB, OWC memory upgrades offer a savings of well over 70% as compared to factory-installed and other competitors.
There are some slight changes to the memory riser configuration vs. the prior model, so users need to plan for a slightly different memory installation procedure. To simplify the process, OWC has created both a standard “Quick Install” Guide included with every Mac Pro 800MHz Memory set shipped and an online video installation guide to show just how easy it is to install. As OWC’s guide and online video affirms (see http://eshop.macsales.com/how_to_install/Apple/Mac_Pro_Memory_800Mhz_2008 for video), Mac Pro memory is an easily user installable upgrade.
OWC (FB-DIMM) 800MHz DDR2 72-Bit ECC fully-buffered Memory Upgrade Modules are available in matched sets of 1.0GB, 2.0GB, and 4.0GB modules for up to 32.0GB of total memory (see full pricing info below).
OWC Memory Module New Pricing:
2.0GB Matched Sets (1.0GB Module x 2) for as low as $60.00/GB
4.0GB Matched Sets (2.0GB Module x 2) for as low as $48.75/GB
8.0GB Matched Sets (4.0GB Module x 2) for as low as $85.94/GB
OWC has been providing memory to upgrade Apple computers for nearly 20 years. In August of 2006, OWC was the first to provide true Apple-Qualified memory for the first Apple Mac Pro Quad Xeon computers at independent prices and now without delay, has the new 800MHz memory available for these most recent Apple Mac Pro 8-Core Xeon models. OWC Memory Upgrade Kits provide premium quality, fully-tested modules that completely meet and/or exceed all Apple specifications. Utilizing superior components, including true Apple-Qualified heat spreaders, the modules provide a lifetime of high-performance, reliable operation backed by OWC’s Lifetime Advance Replacement Warranty.
Cash Back Trade-In Rebate
A cash-back rebate of up to $55 per set is also available from OWC for the trade-in of Apple factory memory. Available for immediate order, the OWC Memory Upgrade Kits consist of matched pairs of FB-DIMM modules manufactured to Apple’s stringent Mac Pro specifications, far exceeding JEDEC (the leading developer of solid-state industry standards) specifications. For additional information on OWC’s Mac Pro 8-Way Quad Xeon Memory Modules, See: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/memory/Mac-Pro-Memory or call toll free (800) 275-4576.
OWC also offers a full line of memory for upgrading nearly every Apple model made from the last twenty years, including MacBook, MacBook Pro, iMac, PowerMac, and PowerBook computers. The full OWC Memory line, as well as a compatibility guide which directs customers to the correct upgrades for each specific Apple model, can be found online here: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/apple/memory/
Other World Computing (OWC) announced today that it has lowered the price of its new award-winning OWC Mercury Blu-ray Internal and External Drive Solutions, priced now starting at $499.99 for internal and $599.99 for external drives. Winner of the American Photo 2007 Editor’s Choice Award for Best Storage Products, the OWC Mercury Blu-ray Drive is a FireWire/USB2 Plug & Play Blu-Ray Burner + DVDRW/CDRW that is 100% compatible with any Windows or Mac system with an available IDE/ATAPI bay port (for internal drives), or any FireWire or USB 2.0 system port (for external drives).
The OWC Blu-ray Drive Solutions feature:
- Burn up to 50GB of data or high-definition video per Blu-ray disc or up to 8.5GB using standard DVDs.
- True Plug & Play, it’s never been easier to get started creating your own DVDs.
- Supports FireWire and USB 2.0 (USB 1.1 backwards compatible) ports!
- Includes two 25GB Blu-ray media discs.
- Available bundled with full retail version of Toast 8 DVD/CD Authoring software.
Priced at $499.99 for OWC Mercury Blu-ray Internal Drives (with standard IDE/ATAPI interface) and $599.99 for External Drives, these solutions are available with the full retail version of Toast 8 DVD/CD Authoring software (with Blu-Ray Support), two 25GB Blu-ray media discs, and are covered under a 1 year warranty. All External drive solutions also include all required connecting cables. The OWC Blu-ray drive solutions are available immediately from OWC.