For Immediate Release: November 30, 1999
X L R 8 P R E S S R E L E A S E
XLR8 INTRODUCES THE ICEVIEW HUB WITH USB LOADMETER
4-port Multi-powered USB expansion;
XLR8's USB Loadmeter ensures optimal USB performance
Atlanta, GA -Today, XLR8, the award-wining leader in Macintosh performance
and peripherals, announced the latest addition to their USB peripheral
device product line, the IceView Hub. In addition to adding four
multi-powered USB ports, this "ice" colored hub offers an exclusive USB
Loadmeter for monitoring port usage. The USB Loadmeter ensures that users
get optimum performance from their USB devices, by providing valuable
feedback that protects the user from overloading their USB controller.
About The XLR8 IceView USB Hub
The IceView Hub is a clear, USB device that offers an additional four USB
ports. Key advantages of the IceView Hub include:
- Mac USB 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, iBook and iMac compatible.
- 4 USB expansion ports - users are able to expand the system
ports four-fold.
- High-power expansion support - allows device expansion with
devices that require additional power through the USB port, such
as scanners, digital cameras, video capture and printers.
- USB load monitoring - USB Loadmeter protects against
intermittent USB performance by providing interactive feedback on
USB usage
- Ice Color - "Cool" ice color coordinates nicely with all
Macintosh systems
- Compact form factor - fits neatly on desk top, top of
mini-tower, or under most displays.
- Portable - small form factor includes a removable "weight"
making the IceView extremely light and portable.
About XLR8's USB Loadmeter
The USB Loadmeter monitors USB usage, with a series of green, yellow and
red lights, to provide feedback on the amount of USB bandwidth in use. This
has two benefits - the first benefit being that the USB Loadmeter allows
the user to confirm that their devices are actually transferring
information to the system, the second benefit is that the user can avoid
overloading the system's USB capacity.
For example, each USB controller with system transfer overhead is limited
to 8 or 9 Mbps (Megabits Per Second) of actual USB bandwidth capacity. This
limitation can create problems for users with devices that require large
amounts of USB bandwidth. A common USB chain includes a printer, a scanner,
a mouse and floppy drive. But since the combined USB bandwidth of all of
these devices exceeds the available USB capacity, the simultaneous use of
these devices will create problems. The problems can range from a loss of
capture quality, to interruption or inconsistent device performance. The
IceView's USB Loadmeter monitors available USB bandwidth and provides
feedback via colored lights that alert the user when they approach USB peak
or overload conditions. The user can then adjust or expand as needed.
About USB
USB (Universal Serial Bus) is a multi-platform standard in connectivity.
First developed by a consortium of personal computing and telecommunication
companies, USB offers several advantages over previous Mac based
connectivity methods (ADB-Apple Desktop Bus and Serial connections). These
advantages include:
- Hot swappable-computer does not need to be restarted when
adding new devices
- Simple to connect - "plug and play" no need for terminators,
memory address or ID numbers. Easy, one time installation of USB
drivers
- Higher Performance - USB delivers data transfer at 12 Mbps
(megabits per second) 1,000 times faster than ADB, 50 times
faster than serial ports
- Expandability - connect up to 127 USB devices (via USB Hub
which add additional USB ports)
- Cross Platform - devices can be supported on both PCs and Macs
- Greater number of peripheral choices - a wide array of USB
devices are available such as keyboards, mice, digital cameras,
printers, joysticks, game pads, scanners, printers, video capture
devices and removable storage devices.
Availability
The XLR8 IceView USB Hub will begin shipping early December and is
available for order through authorized resellers at a suggested retail
price of $39.95 An in-box coupon is included for an optional power supply.
For more information on XLR8's IceView Hub w/ USB Loadmeter, other USB
devices or CPU upgrades, please visit our information resource at
www.xlr8.com.
INTEREX, INC. www.interexinc.com www.xlr8.com
Wichita: 8447 E35th North, Wichita, KS 67226
Phone: 316-636-5544, fax 316-636-4616
Atlanta: One Meca Way, Norcross, GA 30093
Phone: 770-564-5682, fax 770-564-5675
Chicago: 1000 Tower Lane, 385, Bensenville, IL 60106
Phone: 630-238-9095, fax 630-238-9240
Europe : Abbot House, Primrose Hill, Kings Langley,
Hertfordshire, WD4 8HY, UK
Phone: 44-0-1923-290401, fax 44-0-1923-290402
