DroboPro, HP MediaSmart, Mac Mini Server or DIY? Need your help...
Hi!
I've been looking (and wanting) for a while to buy a server for home and the above mentioned models are the ones on my mind at the moment. But the problem is that i do not know which one to go for....
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They all do have their good and bad sides, so i'm writing here to see if somebody/anybody can share their experiences with me to help me out and get me on the right track.
Background:
I live in a multiple computer and multiple OS environment (Mac, Win), so i am not really familiar how well the above mentioned products will work. What i would like to have is my files accessible from any computer or device (phone, N810, iPod) and a bonus is of course if they could be remotely accessed. The server would be mostly used for my private things, but i'm just starting up a company, so it would be really cool to be able to use it for that too (thus the remote access).
My take on the
DroboPro:
A cool thing, lots of expandability and smart SW seems to be getting good reviews. In my opinion rather pricey though. On the other hand, i have also been hearing some controversial reviews about it...
- Is it worth it's money, and how does it run in multiple OS environments + remote access?
MediaSmart:
Also a cool thing, looks good and seems to be priceworthy. HP and MS seem to have sorted out the bugs they had problems with on the earlier models. The latest models seem to have improved the Mac side too on the SW, which is good + WHS seems to be quite robust (what i've read). Only negative about this device is it's expandability. Yes, i know that it has USB's and eSata, but i'm not so hot about at some point having to start building "around" the device with different peripherals...
- Any feedback on this would be appreciated, pref if somebody uses multiple OS's
Mac Mini Server:
I know this device is very new and there are probably not many reviews and/or experiences about this device, but nevertheless, it interests me genuinely. The device itself is rather pricey + has expandability "issues", even worse than above. Maybe somebody can change my perspective about this and inform me how this can be solved?
- How does the OSX Server SW hold up? Apple do usually have easy-to-use SW. Remote access? Multiple OS?
DIY:
I could always build one my self and make one that fits my needs. Only negative is the risk of need to "tweak" everything, although it does interest me greatly as there are some really cool looking stuff on the market at the moment. I would most likely go with WHS, as OSX Server is too pricey and i have no experience with Linux. With DIY there is of course the biggest freedom of choosing whether it should be rack or not etc...
For some it might seem that i might have already answered my questions, and maybe i have, but i'm always open for some insight from people who have more experience in storage systems than me (and that's not much).
I appreciate any help, hints and tips! So thank you beforehand!
I've been looking (and wanting) for a while to buy a server for home and the above mentioned models are the ones on my mind at the moment. But the problem is that i do not know which one to go for....
\They all do have their good and bad sides, so i'm writing here to see if somebody/anybody can share their experiences with me to help me out and get me on the right track.
Background:
I live in a multiple computer and multiple OS environment (Mac, Win), so i am not really familiar how well the above mentioned products will work. What i would like to have is my files accessible from any computer or device (phone, N810, iPod) and a bonus is of course if they could be remotely accessed. The server would be mostly used for my private things, but i'm just starting up a company, so it would be really cool to be able to use it for that too (thus the remote access).
My take on the
DroboPro:
A cool thing, lots of expandability and smart SW seems to be getting good reviews. In my opinion rather pricey though. On the other hand, i have also been hearing some controversial reviews about it...
- Is it worth it's money, and how does it run in multiple OS environments + remote access?
MediaSmart:
Also a cool thing, looks good and seems to be priceworthy. HP and MS seem to have sorted out the bugs they had problems with on the earlier models. The latest models seem to have improved the Mac side too on the SW, which is good + WHS seems to be quite robust (what i've read). Only negative about this device is it's expandability. Yes, i know that it has USB's and eSata, but i'm not so hot about at some point having to start building "around" the device with different peripherals...
- Any feedback on this would be appreciated, pref if somebody uses multiple OS's
Mac Mini Server:
I know this device is very new and there are probably not many reviews and/or experiences about this device, but nevertheless, it interests me genuinely. The device itself is rather pricey + has expandability "issues", even worse than above. Maybe somebody can change my perspective about this and inform me how this can be solved?
- How does the OSX Server SW hold up? Apple do usually have easy-to-use SW. Remote access? Multiple OS?
DIY:
I could always build one my self and make one that fits my needs. Only negative is the risk of need to "tweak" everything, although it does interest me greatly as there are some really cool looking stuff on the market at the moment. I would most likely go with WHS, as OSX Server is too pricey and i have no experience with Linux. With DIY there is of course the biggest freedom of choosing whether it should be rack or not etc...
For some it might seem that i might have already answered my questions, and maybe i have, but i'm always open for some insight from people who have more experience in storage systems than me (and that's not much).
I appreciate any help, hints and tips! So thank you beforehand!
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