Imation With 2.5-Inch SSD Upgrade Kit for PCs

Imation Corp. announced availability of its next-generation Solid State Drive (SSD) Upgrade Kit, simplifying migration from a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) to SSD in just three easy steps for the road warrior, laptop aficionado or home user wanting to get the most out of their systems.

Unlike other SSDs on the market, only Imation’s SSD Upgrade Kit provides a specially designed case that enables users to repurpose an existing drive and turn it into an external USB drive for additional storage, further leveraging their hardware investment. Designed based on its award-winning predecessor, Imation’s 2.5” M-Class SSD Upgrade Kit includes an all-in-one solution that offers a performance-enhancing solid state drive replacement for a traditional spinning hard disk drive.

Install in ‘1-2-3’
The Imation SSD Upgrade Kit enables users to easily install a new SSD drive into their current computer system in just three easy steps:

1. Copy – transfer existing files from an HDD to the new SSD;
2. Swap – install the new SSD into the laptop; and
3. Convert – unique design with a SATA-USB bonus case repurposes the existing hard drive into an external, yet portable USB drive for additional backup and storage.

Improved Reliability and Endurance
Imation’s M-Class SSDs use sophisticated error detection and correction techniques. Unlike other SSDs that typically use up to 10 bits of Error Correction Code (ECC) in 512 user bytes for the detection and correction of corrupted data, Imation includes a 20 percent boost in its M-Class SSD and uses 48 bits in 2k user bytes to guarantee extreme data reliability, while still showing increases in application speed and boot times – something the user experiences every day. Boost in sequential read and write performance is to 230MB/second and 170MB/second, respectively.

In addition, Imation M-Class SSDs now utilize the most recent advances in Global Wear Leveling to uniformly distribute P/E (Program/Erase) cycles across all cells in the SSD, increasing overall endurance of the drives. Sophisticated algorithms are employed to manage any bad blocks that might develop over time and replace with spare blocks as needed. Through stringent testing, Imation confirmed the improved drives are able to withstand continuous writing to the drive with spare blocks still remaining after 10,000 P/E cycles. Each Imation M-Class SSD also now comes with an extended five-year warranty.

All-in-One Solution
The new 2.5” M-Class SSD Upgrade Kit provides an all-in-one cable-free and universal solution. No additional power brick is required, generating less waste. Underscoring the product’s intuitive design is an easy-to-use hinge case with LED-indicator for in-use identification and, unlike any other product on the market, a unique case enables the user to convert the remaining hard drive into a portable USB external drive.

“With our improved M-Class SSD Upgrade Kit, only Imation has provided users with an unique case and method to upgrade to SSD and convert the remaining HDD drive into a portable USB drive, while taking full advantage of the benefits inherent in solid state technology,” said Subodh Kulkarni, senior vice president, global commercial business, Imation. “We have simplified the migration path for all those who wish to get the most out of their systems using SSD.”

Pricing and Availability The M-Class SSD Upgrade Kit is available in a 2.5-inch form factor in capacities of 64GB and 128GB. Products are available for a starting MSRP of $110.99 for the M-class drive and $194.99 for the M-Class Upgrade Kit through authorized Imation distributors, wholesalers, resellers and e-tailers in the U.S. and Europe.