I strongly second the Drobo recommendation. J
-- Jason Kitcat http://www.jasonkitcat.com +44 7956 886 508 On 1 Aug 2009, at 09:32, Paul Owen <[email protected]> wrote: > > I would recommend you to look at the DROBO (www.drobo.com). You can > buy from > Amazon UK, with some disk drives, minimum I suggest is 2x 500GB > drives but > the whole device can take upto 16GB over 4 disk drives (when 4GB > drives > become available!). > > You can use USB or Firewire 800, (or Ethernet, to use as a NAS, if > you also > get the DROBOShare unit). > > The basic model can take up to 4 drives, which you just slot in, > (raw drives > - no sled required) you can add extra drives while it is running, > need two > drives minimum to start with, you choose the sizes, can be any size > you like > and the drives don't have to be the same size. It completely > duplicates the > data on the drives it has available and if one fails, it tells you > and you > then just replace the failed drive - again while the machine is > running - > and it sorts itself out and duplicates the data again. A very safe > system, > you could argue it is better than RAID. > > I have one in my office and it requires almost no attention. On the > other > hand I have a LaCie 750GB drive at home which is two years old and > is just > now making horrible noises and refusing to mount - aaaarrrrgggghhhh! > > Paul Owen > > >> From: Liam Kelly <[email protected]> >> Reply-To: <[email protected]> >> Date: Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:07:23 -0700 (PDT) >> To: Sussex Mac User Group <[email protected]> >> Subject: [sussex_mug] Networked Hard Drive for iTunes & a RAID for >> my office >> >> >> Hi guys I have two questions for you >> >> Firstly - I want to set up a RAID system in my office - it ill be >> linked to one machine - I would ideally have a 2TB RAID - I've looked >> at this one - http://www.lacie.com/uk/products/product.htm? >> pid=11140 - >> any thoughts even from those Lacie skeptics???? - I'd want it set up >> as RAID 1 - I'm using it to store files, photos and video and as a >> manageable backup combined in the same unit - I tend to not have any >> of my documents on my Mac and use it more like a workstation - I >> currently use a Lacie 500GB but am running out of space and want to >> have that piece of mind a RAID is supposed to offer... >> >> Secondly - I want to centralize my families iTunes, AVI library and >> iPhoto library in one place. We have an iMac, a Macbook Pro and am >> intending on getting a Mac Mini for direct connection to our TV. I >> want to be able to surf the web and work on simple domestic stuff on >> the TV, like accounts, photo sorting etc - hence the mac mini - >> thought maybe an older lower model one as it's only doing this - >> however does anyone know if I'd need a faster one - maybe one of the >> top end current ones, if I'm playing Movies through it - I want to >> connect a large capacity 1/2TB Drive to it and have is accessible by >> the other Macs in the house - primarily to access the iTunes and >> iPhoto librarys. On this Drive I want iTunes Library of about 300GB, >> iPhoto Library of about 20GB and our AVI library of about 5-750GB on >> it. SO it is TV connected to Mac Mini, connected to 1/2TB HD library >> and then the other Macs accessing the iTunes & iPhoto libraries >> wirelessly over our houses network - Question really is, is a >> Networked drive necessary - I would like to access the HD without the >> TV & Mac Mini on sometimes - I've looked at - >> http://www.lacie.com/uk/products/product.htm?pid=11089 - but Amazon >> has bad reviews saying it is slow - I don't want to wirelessly access >> Video with the other Macs and the Mini would be direct connected to >> it >> via Firewire or USB - maybe if I had a networked Drive I could attach >> a Ethernet Switch to it and then have the Mini Ethernet into it and >> have the network picking it up with something like this - >> http://www.amazon.co.uk/Netgear-5-Port-Gigabit-Ethernet-Unmanaged/dp/B0007SQEQ >> 4/ref=pd_bxgy_ce_text_b >> >> Any ideas on either issues would be greatly appreciated >> >> Cheers >> Liam >>> > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Sussex Mac User Group" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/smug?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
