And the Winner Is...
POTPOURRI
The Home Server
architecture includes a
powerful API that encour-
ages the development
of compatible third-party
tools and applications. In
fact, end users are already
enjoying Home Server
support for their favorite
services and devices. For
example, add-ins let you
sync your photo collection
with Flickr and share your
media with TiVo boxes.
What’s more, Home
Server monitors the health
of all the PCs on your net-
work, alerting you when
a machine hasn’t been
backed up, lacks recent
virus definitions, or has
a failing hard drive. NAS
boxes simply don’t do
that. When you factor in
Home Server’s per-folder
configurable data redun-
dancy, these devices just
look sweeter.
WINNER: HOME
SERVERNAS BOX
QNAP TS-109 Pro
$330 (w/o drive), http://www.qnap.comA
NAS box, for the most part, simply sits there. While it may include
ANAS box, for the most part, simply sits there. While it may include
A A A features like media streaming or a BitTorrent client, it’s primarily a data features like media streaming or a BitTorrent client, it’s primarily a data
bucket that sits on your network. A Home ServerHome ServerHome Server device offers the same device offers the same
functionality as a garden-variety NAS, and it’s available at a comparable
price—but it also includes seamless backups, integrated media streaming,
and idiot-proof data redundancy, making it our preferred solution.Keep in mind, however, that the emergence of Home Server
devices will push down the price of NAS boxes in the coming months.
While a decent NAS device with 1TB of storage costs close to $
today, we’d be shocked if prices remain that high a year from now,
and that could completely change the value proposition for the whole
network storage category.round^5
http://www.maximumpc.com | MAR 08 | MAMAMAXIMXIMXIMXIMUUUUMMPPPCC 15
FEATURES
While we’ve tested some NAS devices that
include aftermarket backup software, it can’t compare to Home
Server’s rich feature set. Home Server’s backup process is seam-
less: Simply install a small Terminate and Stay Resident (TSR) on
your PC, and the server will automatically wake it up for backups
every night. Media sharing is even simpler: Dump your music,
videos, and photos into the appropriate folders, and Home Server
will automatically stream them to any UPnP-enabled device, such
as a dedicated streaming box, an Xbox 360, or a PS3. And Home
Server includes its own dynamic-DNS-compatible service, which
makes it easy for you to connect to your Home Server even when
you’re not at home. While some NAS boxes include similar func-
tionality, there’s almost always some sort of caveat.
WINNER: HOME SERVERround 4
POWER USAGE
By using a low-power
embedded processor
instead of a power-thirsty
desktop CPU, even the
speediest NAS box con-
sumes much less juice than
a Home Server. In our test-
ing, the MediaSmart drew
about 80W, while the QNAP
device pulled just 12W
when performing the same
sorts of activities.
WINNER: NAS BOXround 3