Drobo FS NAS Drive

At last! Data Robotics has finally released a genuine networked storage solution in the form of the Drobo FS. This Drobo NAS drive is a vast improvement on the DroboShare with the following features:

· Ethernet connectivity

· A new dual-core CPU

· Increased RAM

· A revised Linux kernel

· Lots of tweaks to make it perform 4x faster than the DroboShare.

Some more features include five drive bays to allow you to upgrade and swap drives as you like, same as with any other Drobo. Support is provided for both Mac and PC network backups. Mac users will also be able to use the Time Tamer app which is available from the DroboApps portal if they prefer that over the solution offered by Data Robotics. There is also a BitTorrent client that will keep transfers running even if your PC is turned off. It also handles iTunes, UPnP and DLNA streaming. Firmware can be upgraded via the network and more applications are available on the company website.

One app that stands out is the Oxygen Cloud which will enable users to access the Drobo NAS drive remotely. It feels very much like a corporate thing but is something not found on other NAS drives. One thing though, you’ll need to purchase a multi-user license if you’ve got more than one user connected to the drive.

According to Mark Fuccio, Senior Director of Products and Markets, users can expect file transfer speeds of between 30 and 40MB/sec, depending on transfer volumes. Prices for the units will be as follows:

· $699 for an empty unit

· $999 for a 4.5TB unit with 3 x 1.5TB drives

· $1149 for a 7.5TB unit with 5 x 1.5TB drives