QNAP Intros the First 2.5-inch SATA, 8-bay, Intel Atom-based NAS – QNAP Press Release
HEXUS.Net article, EHomeUpgrade article
My comments on this 2.5” hard-disk NAS
Initially, the use of a 2.5” hard disk in a NAS would have been simply considered as a “toy” but there are more “business-class” multi-disk NAS units like this one come on the scene that use these disks. This QNAP unit – the SS-839 Pro – impressed me because of the fact that there is a NAS fit for the business or “muscle-NAS” market that give respect to this low-power small form factor.
It also can hold 8 of the disks in the same footprint as a typical 5-bay “muscle NAS”, with support for sophisticated RAID and “business server” functionalities available in this class of device. Another benefit that I also like is the ability to have less power consumption than a NAS of this class and can provide for more expandability as one’s data needs grow.
Once the 1 Tb 2.5” hard disk comes on the scene, this will certainly wipe the 3.5” form factor off the map as far as hard disks are concerned and make that size only for certain removeable media.
A-DATA launches XPG Dual SSD RAID enclosure – Engadget
A-DATA launches XPG Dual SSD RAID enclosure – Engadget
My Comments
This enclosure could be useful for two applications where size is important.
One would be to create an SSD + hard disk hybrid disk array for a computer’s main secondary storage. This could allow for an SSD that is small enough for the operating environment (operating system, main applications, etc) and any so-called “work files” (virtual memory, print queue, hibernate image, system registry, etc)while a 2.5” hard disk can work as a data store.
Another application for this cage would be to set up a 2.5” dual-hard-disk RAID array that can fit inside a 3.5” drive bay. This unit would also please anyone who is building a custom Windows Home Server or Linux network storage system.
The main issue with these enclosures, like MiniITX motherboards, is that they need to be available to the computer hobbyist market. This means having them for general sale through electronics and computer retailers and for sale at computer fairs. This is more so in Melbourne, Australia where the Sunday computer fair is becoming part of the hobbyist computer scene.
