Rack ’em or display them proudly—Iomega’s new NAS servers are designed to work as
needed. If you want to rack-mount a storage solution, Iomega has two four-drive models: the
StorCenter Pro NAS 200r 1TB Server and the StorCenter Pro NAS 200r 1TB Server with
print serving capability. For the desktop, the StorCenter Pro NAS 150d 3TB Server has Active Directory support and plenty of room in case there’s a need for more storage later. Both
use a Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000Mbps) port to connect to the network and come with
four SATA-II drives that can be configured for RAID 0 (striping), RAID 1 (mirroring), or RAID
5 (striping plus parity) operation. Each supports Microsoft, Linux/Unix, Apple, Internet, and
FTP protocols. Prices range from $1,699 to $2,499. www.iomega.com
HP mv2040 MEDIA VAULT PRO
HP wants to vault your client’s business beyond up-and-comer status. The mv2040
Media Vault Pro enables users to share files both in and out of the office. Perfect for
sharing data with vendors or coworkers, the unit even backs up important files every
time you make changes. The mv2040 also comes with two 500GB hard drives, which
can mirror one another in case one hard drive fails. USB ports allow for increased capacity, up to 1.2TB. There’s also an additional 2GB of remote online storage for one
or two users for three years; from there, you’ll need a subscription. Price: $749.
www.hp.com
HYBRID STORAGE POWERS UP SAVINGS
Offering the service of two technologies, this emerging breed of disk drive adds nonvolatile flash memory to cache data during normal use.
This hybrid approach proves to be more reliable, while also saving power and time.
SAMSUNG MH80
The MH80 offers 160GB of disk space and
256MB of flash memory in this 2.5-inch
hard drive. Designed to work with Windows
Vista-capable notebook PCs, the $299 drive
boasts faster boot and resume times, better battery life, and more reliability than
your typical storage technology. The flash
is also a nice bonus, enabling the HDD
motor to take a break on occasion.
www.samsung.com
SEAGATE MOMENTUS 5400 PSD
Seagate makes a nice compromise with its
5400 PSD (Power Savings Drive): It has
256MB of flash storage, but the bulk of the
device is an old-school 160GB hard drive.
The flash could be a little more impressive,
but it’s nice to see these two technologies
come together to store data in an energy-efficient way. According to Seagate, in addition to its efficiency, the $190 5400 PSD
reduces power draw by up to 50 percent.
www.seagate.com
SANDISK VAULTER DISK
Not content to follow the crowd, SanDisk’s
Vaulter Disk isn’t really a hybrid, but it offers
the same functionality. This solid-state storage
solution attaches to a PC’s hard drive and lightens the storage load on overburdened office
laptops or desktops. With 8GB to 16GB available, the flash-based PCI Express module
stores and runs any computer’s current operating system. The average workday may drag, but
this unit provides an overall speedier experience with applications, data retrieval, and file
access. Price is not yet announced.
www.sandisk.com
