For a long time I had resisted converting my DVD and Blu-Ray disks into any other format because I didn’t want to lose any quality. I had lived by this rule for a long time, and thankfully companies like QNAP and Thecus came to my storage rescue. However, the day has come where the cost of storing all the extra garbage that comes along with these movies has opened my eyes to benefits conversions. With that, I have began converting my movie collection to a format that allows me to lose all the excess fat, but keep my movie loss-less. Read More…
Thecus has been on a winning streak lately with the introduction of some new products in their lineup. The N4200PRO proved to be a very competitive product and the introduction of the N8900 gave us power hungry enthusiasts with something to salivate over. Although the four bay N4200PRO delivered top notch performance and incorporated a built-in mini UPS, it was still missing something... another drive bay! Enter the Thecus N5200XXX.
QNAP is no stranger to the storage world and with the introduction of their latest 8 bay NAS, QNAP is also hoping to be no stranger to your server room. The TS-879U-RP, much like other QNAP offerings, serves as both an IP-SAN (iSCSI) and a NAS. QNAP had already impressed us with their home or SOHO NAS, the TS-419P+. Let's see if they can keep the magic going with their SMB NAS, the TS-879U-RP.
Recently, I had the opportunity to look at two NAS devices from two different manufacturers, QNAP and Drobo. Both devices received high praise and Thecus thinks that their N4200PRO can steal the thunder. NAS storage is nothing new and it is becoming harder and harder for manufacturers to differentiate themselves from one another. Thecus thinks they can not only outperform the competition, but do things they haven't thought of yet.
We, at computingondemand.com, had been looking for a way to benchmark a NAS in a repeatable form without the need to buy additional software. For us, we had been performing a test in our NAS reviews that benchmarks the speed at which you can transfer the Avatar ISO to and from a NAS. This was a drag and drop process that proved to be a hassle to run more than one time. It was even more of a hassle waiting for the test to near completion to document the transfer speed at that time, and then average the results. Because of this, I created a simple batch file that can perform the test repeatedly and calculate the results, allowing me to walk away while the test was running and perform other duties. Now, I am releasing this repeatable test to our readers so they can directly compare the results they get with ours. (more...)
We all love our NAS. If you don't have one yet, you will love your NAS. Sometimes picking the right one for you may be difficult. Really, it all boils down to what you need. In this NAS Showdown, we are going to pit QNAP against Drobo in a cage match to help you determine who deserves your money.
I have a lot of data. So much so, that there are servers and multiple NAS on my network. Not all people are like me, but if you are and you have a lot of important data, then backing it up may have become an issue. Until recently, I had been using a bunch of external disks to do my backups, but when we got our hands on the QNAP TS-419P+, everything changed. QNAP has bundled a featured called RTRR (real-time remote replication) into their firmware and it allows you to have your QNAP NAS schedule a sync or a backup either from an RTRR servers or through FTP.
If you are running out of space on your home computer, or you want to easily store files on a networked device that makes sharing them easy, a NAS may be the right option for you. The thing about NAS though is that they are not as simple as they once were. The choices are many and configuring some of these can make it somewhat of a daunting idea. This is where the line needs to be drawn between simple network attached storage and a feature rich solution that offers probably more than most people need. Drobo claims that their FS model is the best storage experience ever for simple file sharing and network backup for home and home office users.
Recently at C.O.D., we reviewed the QNAP TS-419P+ and were impressed with the products construction and software options. There were a couple of things that we would have liked to have seen incorporated in the system's firmware like Anti Virus and a redesigned interface. Well, QNAP is releasing an update to the Turbo NAS firmware and have incremented the version number to 3.5!
The days of using thumb drives and floppy disks to store your valuable data are gone. Today the options are many and for those of us looking for an easy to use storage solution, QNAP thinks they have the answer. The idea of a home server is nothing new and Microsoft has been trying to attack this market with their Windows Home Server operating system. What users may not know about is that companies that have been producing NAS systems for business recognized your needs and are starting to release products that fit very well in the home office or small office. These systems are small, use very little power, pack a ton of features, and are easy to use.
