Iomega Refreshes it's
StorCenter NAS
The New IX2-200 offers a lot of network storage in a compact package.
Storage stalwart Iomega is carving out a niche for itself by releasing
networked storage products with unexpectedly generous amounts of high-end
features. Back in August it announced the StorCenter IX4-200, a
four-bay
device. And now it's been joined by the two-bay StorCenter ix2-200,
available in 1TB ($269.99), 2TB ($369.99), and 4TB ($699.99) versions.
The ix2
packs Gigabit Ethernet and 3 USB ports; a feature
called QuikTransfer lets you copy files from the device to an external drive
by pressing a button-no PC required. It provides remote access to its
contents from any Internet-connected computer, and can talk directly to up
to five Axis surveillance cameras. It provides support for RAID 1 data
redundancy, supports the iSCSI storage network standard, and is certified by
VMware for virtualization applications.
As the above
specs suggest, the device is primarily aimed at small and medium-sized
business users. But it also has a bunch of features aimed at home users: It
supports DLNA and iTunes for streaming of media around a home, can be used
with Apple's Time Machine feature for networked Mac backups, and can
download torrents directly from the Internet. Oh, and it also has an
optional Bluetooth feature that lets you wirelessly back up photos,
contacts, and other information from your phone.
Iomega is also
pitching the ix2-200 as an eco-friendly storage product: It's got an Energy
Star-certified power supply and automatically spins down its drives when not
in use.
Unlike its
predecessor, the plain old StorCenter ix2, the ix2-200 has user-replaceable
hard drives, but there's no empty bay, and the drives aren't hot-swappable.
Iomega says that the 1GB and 2GB versions are available now, and the 4GB one
will show up later this month.