Servers & Storage - Reviews

HP EX490 MediaSmart Server

HP's EX490 MediaSmart Server is a reasonably priced network-attached storage device that runs Windows rather than the Linux-based operating systems most competitors use. This makes it easy to share videos and music over your home network, as well as ...

USB 3.0: The new speed limit

Have you spent too much time waiting for large files to crawl between a computer and an external hard drive? Don't fret -- USB 3.0 has arrived. Not only can it move data faster and provide more power, but it's compatible with USB 2.0 devices.

Thecus N4200 NAS device

The Thecus N4200 network-attached storage (NAS) device provides up to eight terabytes of storage over four drive bays. It also boasts a DHCP server and some innovative features like ISO mounting, but lacks the refinement and flexibility of competing ...

Buffalo DriveStation External USB 3.0 Hard Drive

After a long wait, we're now starting to see real USB 3.0 products in the wild, like this Buffalo DriveStation HD-UX3 1TB USB 3.0 hard drive. It's not a moment too soon.

Verbatim SSD ExpressCard 64GB

Many laptops keep a secret that doesn't get attention as much as it deserves. We're talking about the under-utilised ExpressCard slot, a multi-purpose expansion bay that has fantastic potential for expanding connectivity, storage and more.

Small business storage finds a new gear

I continue to be very impressed with Synology's small business storage products, and the new DS1010+ is no exception. In fact, it elevates my opinion even more. This feature-packed, speedy, and remarkably affordable five-bay storage array supports ju...

iStorage diskGenie external hard drive

The iStorage diskGenie is a USB hard drive offering up to 500GB of storage. It features secure AES-256 encryption and is unlocked by a number keypad.

QNAP TS-659 Pro Turbo NAS device

QNAP's TS-659 Pro Turbo NAS packs six drive bays and up to 12 terabytes of storage into a compact, energy-efficient box. Armed with Intel's Atom D510 processor and QNAP's latest firmware, this network-attached storage (NAS) device is a competent serv...

Western Digital My Book 3.0 (1TB) external hard drive

Western Digital's My Book 3.0 is its first external hard drive with a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface, making it one of the fastest direct-attached storage devices around. The benefits of the interface are certainly noticeable, though the premium price ...

Review: Kingston's new USB drive offers public and encrypted partitions

Kingston announced a new DataTraveler Locker USB Flash Drive that offered partitioning capability.

QNAP TS-459 Pro Turbo NAS device

QNAP's latest network-attached storage (NAS) devices might not look much different from their predecessors, but there's a lot more power packed underneath the hood. Armed with Intel's latest dual-core Atom processor, the TS-459 Pro Turbo is blazingly...

Ionics Plug Computer 3.0 (preview)

The first unit based on Marvell’s Sheevaplug always-on microserver platform, the Plug Computer 3.0 looks bulky, but impressive.

Synology DiskStation DS509+ NAS device

Synology's DiskStation DS509+ is a great value network-attached storage (NAS) device with five drive bays — letting you store up to 10 terabytes of data, though you'll have to supply your own drives. It offers fast file transfers and a wealth o...

Seagate BlackArmor WS 110 (2TB) DAS device

Seagate calls its BlackArmor WS 110 a direct-attached storage (DAS) device, but in most respects it's a fairly standard external hard drive. Aimed at businesses looking to back up individual computers, the BlackArmor WS 110 provides AES 256-bit hardw...

Synology DiskStation DS209+II NAS device

Synology's DiskStation DS209+II network-attached storage (NAS) device provides up to 4TB of storage over two hard drives. The lack of hot-swapping and volume encryption features are disappointing, but fast file transfers and easy-to-use media streami...