Aztech builds a 12-speed

If faster is better, then Aztech leads in the CD-ROM speed race.

Aug. 21, 1996 5:45 p.m. PT

Is faster always better? Aztech, a manufacturer of CD-ROM drives, seems to thinks so.

Aztech unveiled a 12X CD-ROM drive today, upping the ante for manufacturers eager to attract consumer attention with the latest equipment, even though most CD-ROM titles can't take advantage of the faster transfer rates offered by the newest 12X, 10X, or 8X CD-ROM drives.

Aztech's new CD-ROM delivers data at a rate of 1,800K/sec and has an average access time of 145 milliseconds. The drive features a 128KB memory buffer and supports protocols that reduce the need to access the CPU by up to 50 percent, which speeds up data transfers.

Users shouldn't count on being able to get the new drives just yet. Aztech will be supplying drives starting in mid-September directly to PC manufacturers for inclusion in their products. The drives will probably appear in the consumer marketplace early next year.