Prior to next week’s launch of new 3.5 disk drives, Maxtor Corp called a meeting to highlight its third quarter figures profits up 618% at $5.5m, sales up 36% at $124m (CI No 1,344). Maxtor’s existing LXT-200 range of 3.5 drives consists of a 207Mb formatted version with embedded SCSI or AT controller, and a 96Mb or 48Mb drive, also with embedded AT, SCSI, or Macintosh-compatible controllers. Maxtor refuses to preview the new drive before the official launch, but says that it will represent a significant improvement and that will be compounded by a further release before the end of 1990. Maxtor has expanded its operations over the past few years and in May 1987, acquired San Jose-based Storage Dimensions Inc. The company specialises in the manufacture of subsystems, optical storage systems, and MacinStor for Apple computers. It has grown by $4m in three years, turning over around $7m per annum, and it now incorporates the Lanham, Maryland-based US Design Corp, also acquired by Maxtor in May 1987. One of Maxtor’s more interesting collaborations is with Kubota Ltd of Japan. The two companies announced a joint agreement in March 1989 to form Maxoptix Corp, 75% owned by Maxtor the remainder by Kubota. The company specialises in optical products, and conducts its manufacturing operations in Japan. Kubota is to manufacture erasable optical storage products at another location yet to be revealed, but Maxtor has retained worldwide marketing rights except in Japan. Maxtor is to market the optical products to manufacturers, and Storage Dimensions will target value-added-resellers, distributors, and system integrators. Maxtor claims that its current offering, the Tahiti 5.25 optical disk drive with 1.2Gb or 650Mb capacity and 35mS access time, is the most advanced model on the market. Maxtor refuses to confirm that it is negotiating with Miniscribe to buy the 1 thick 3.5 drive or to take a stake in the company, as was suggested in November, after it terminated its pact with Matsushita on 40Mb to 100Mb 3.5 drives (CI No 1,314).
