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Exabyte announces availability of VXA-2 with firewall for Mac users

Announcement posted by XSI Data Solutions 09 Jan 2003

VXA-2 Tape Drives Offer 160 GB of Compressed Capacity and 6 MB/s Maximum Sustained Transfer Meet the Demanding Storage Needs of Apple Computer Users
Exabyte Corporation (NASDAQ: EXBT), a performance and value leader in tape backup systems, today announced the availability of VXA-2 with FireWire, a new version of its VXA-2 tape drive specifically designed for Mac users intensive multimedia storage needs. The release of VXA-2 with FireWire affirms Exabytes commitment to provide high-performance, high-value storage products to the Apple market. Exabyte is unveiling its newest product at the Macworld Conference & Expo 2003, where storage trends will be among the hottest topics.

VXA-2 is the next-generation of Exabytes VXA tape drives, which have been popular among Mac users since the release of VXA-1 with FireWire in early 2001. VXA-2 with FireWire provides a faster data transfer rate and larger capacity than the previous version, making it an even more powerful storage solution and a greater value for Mac users. The VXA-2 tape drive is designed to deliver a native capacity of up to 80 GB and a compressed capacity of up to 160 GB, while maintaining full read and write compatibility with the first generation VXA-1 tape drive.

These characteristics make VXA-2 with FireWire a more convenient and cost-effective storage solution than CDs and DVDs, which have limitations in providing adequate data backup and retrieval for data-intensive applications in an Apple environment. For users of data-intensive applications such as Digidesign Pro Tools or Final Cut Pro on powerful Apple systems such as the G4 workstation, The VXA-2 with FireWire is the ultimate storage solution.

VXA-2 with FireWire is the best storage solution on the market for Mac users who want impeccable reliability when backing up data from digital video, audio tracks, multimedia graphics and other storage-intensive applications, said Tom Ward, president and CEO of Exabyte. VXA-2 with FireWire combines the capacity and reliability of Exabytes proven VXA tape drive technology with the flexibility of a FireWire connection. Its a great storage product for the Mac community, and our demos at Macworld will show off its tremendous speed and its unmatched ease of use. Mac users have very specific, demanding storage needs, and Exabyte is proud to have such a strong reputation among the discriminating customers in this market.

There is a clear need for more powerful storage solutions in the Apple market, where there is such a concentration of professionals using data-intensive applications, continued Ward. Data storage on media such as CDs and DVDs are no longer ideal for many of these applications, creating a need for solutions like Exabytes VXA-2 tape drive. The VXA tape drive provides the reliability that Mac users demand, along with speed and capacity that provide optimal storage for the sizable data files that are utilized in Apple applications.
Pricing & Availability
The VXA-2 with FireWire has an MSRP of $1693 VXA-2 with FireWire includes support for Jaguar, and is available through all the major distributor and reseller channels.
About VXA Tape Technology
First introduced in 1999, award-winning VXA tape products offer a unique combination of reliability, performance, and value. VXA drives are the ideal replacement for drives based on the popular DDS tape technology, which has reached the end of its product roadmap. With the DDS product cycle ending, millions of DDS users must migrate to alternative tape backup technologies. VXA offers them the ideal solution with higher capacity and performance at the same price point as DDS. VXA also offers superior reliability, based on an innovative read/write architecture with a highly reliable Internet-like packet format, designed for 100% data restore. The published VXA roadmap extends through successive generations into VXA-4, ensuring long-term protection of users investments in drives and media.
About Exabyte Corporation
Exabyte Corporation (NASDAQ: EXBT) provides innovative tape storage solutions to customers whose top buying criteria is value maximum performance, quality and ease-of-use at a price they can afford. Exabyte is the recognized value-leader in tape storage and automation solutions for workstations, midrange servers and enterprise storage networks, and has been an industry innovator since 1987. Exabytes high-performance Mammoth-2 (M2) tape drives for the mid-range market have a strong performance-price ratio, Exabytes VXA-2 tape drive technology provides DDS users with significantly higher capacity and performance at a similar price point, and Exabytes storage automation products are rugged, reliable automation solutions for users of VXAtape, MammothTape and LTO (Ultrium). Exabyte has a worldwide network of OEMs, distributors and resellers that share Exabytes commitment to value and customer service, including partners such as IBM, Compaq, Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Bull, Toshiba, Apple Computer, Tech Data, Digital Storage Inc., Ingram Micro and Arrow Electronics.

For additional information, call +65-6271 6331 or visit www.exabyte-asiapacific.com. For investor relations inquiries, e-mail investor@exabyte.com.
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Data capacities and transfer rates for VXA drives assume a compression ratio of two-to-one. Actual compression will vary depending on the nature of the data and the drive and media quality.
The foregoing contains forward-looking statements related to the companys products and business prospects. Such statements are subject to one or more risks. The actual results that the company achieves may differ materially from such forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties related to customer dependence, competition, product development, market demand, management of business and product transitions and other such risks as noted in the companys 2001 Form10-K. Please refer to the companys Form 10-K and Forms 10-Q for a description of such risks.
Exabyte, VXA and M2 are registered trademarks, and, MammothTape is a trademark of Exabyte Corp. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.