QPS Inc. (www.qps-inc.com) announced today that its Que! USB 2.0 8x8x32 external CD-RW drive, for USB 2.0-equipped PCs, is now shipping.

The fast, new drive is also backward compatible with USB 1.1 (for USB 1.1-equipped PCs) at speeds of 4x4x8. The Que! USB 2.0 allows users to utilize the high-speed capabilities of USB 2.0 (Hi-Speed USB) to easily and quickly record, erase and rewrite CDs -- and is ideal for archiving and exchanging any kind of data including MP3 audio.

Que! is the first USB 2.0 CD-RW drive for PCs to arrive at major retailers such as CompUSA and Fry's Electronics.

``Our new Que! USB 2.0 drive capitalizes on the new Hi-Speed USB format, which supports transfer rates up to 480Mbps, allowing use of devices that demand much higher bandwidth, such as fast CD-RW drives and hard drives,'' said Pierre Abboud, vice president of QPS. ``This unique ability gives consumers more choices and the option of using our faster CD-RW drive, now with a USB 1.1-equipped computer, and to use the same drive at even faster speeds when they upgrade to USB 2.0 or buy a new computer equipped with the Hi-Speed USB 2.0 interface.''

In addition to 8x write and rewrite speeds, the Que! offers up to 32x read performance on both CD-R and CD-RW media. Complete and ready to install, the plug-and-play drive comes with 2MB of buffer RAM for application flexibility. It also includes CD mastering software, CD-R and CD-RW media, a protective carrying bag and all necessary accessories. The U.S. price is $249 MSRP.