CES 2008

Netgear's ReadyNAS Duo systems are a new but still expensive attempt to bring networked storage to the home.

(Credit: Netgear)

Innumerable technology companies are trying to grab their share of consumer gadget spending, and storage makers are no exception. On Monday, Seagate, Toshiba, and Netgear all unveiled new products for the market at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

One of the bolder products, in my opinion, is from Netgear, which moved its ReadyNAS line, acquired from start-up InFrant, more in the consumer direction with the introduction of the ReadyNAS Duo 500GB, 750GB, and 1TB network-attached storage (NAS) devices.

These systems attach to computers over a local network rather than a USB, Firewire, or eSATA port, meaning that multiple computers can share access. But connecting over Ethernet is a new challenge for home computer users who already have enough trouble being sysadmins and might not want to advance their network admin skills, too.

The systems support two hard drives, the optional second one mirroring data for greater protection. Like most NAS devices, though, they aren't cheap, though: a model with a single 500GB drive costs $500.

Toshiba has given a new look to its external drives.

(Credit: Toshiba)

The ReadyNAS Duo products will ship late in the first quarter, Netgear said. The products include the NTI Shadow backup software tool.

These aren't just low-end business-oriented devices in a shiny enclosure. For one thing, customers can plug cameras into the included USB port, and the devices will automatically copy photos. For another, they support a number of streaming media protocols, including UPnP AV, iTunes, and Logitech Squeezecenter, for sending video and audio over the network.

Seagate aims for the security-conscious
Seagate had a plethora of announcements. First is the Maxtor BlackArmor external USB drive, which has built-in encryption and will cost $150 for a 160GB drive when it ships in the second quarter.

Seagate's DAVE storage device can connect wirelessly to share data.

(Credit: Seagate)

Next from Seagate is its PipelineHD series of hard drives, which have features such as low noise, low power consumption, and high capacity and are specifically geared for digital video recorders. Initial capacity will be 320GB when the products start shipping in the first half of the year, with later capacities planned to reach 1 terabyte.

Most unconventional is the Digital Audio Video Experience (DAVE) products, a 60GB storage system that connects wirelessly through Bluetooth and 80211.b/g, as well as with a USB connection. The systems can be customized and extended, and partners that will offer DAVE-based devices include Sanyo, PortoMedia, and HarmanBecker, Seagate said.

Seagate's Maxtor BlackArmor drive has built-in encryption.

(Credit: Seagate)

Toshiba's tiny external drive
Toshiba announced that it's built its 1.8-inch hard drives into an external USB-connected storage system with 60GB, 80GB, and 120GB capacities. The company plans to include encryption and backup software with the devices, which will go on sale this spring. Toshiba didn't announce a price.

A larger 2.5-inch drive will be available sooner: Toshiba announced a 320GB, $200 model that will ship in January. It includes NTI Shadow backup software. Toshiba's personal storage products (the 2.5-inch drive line also includes 250GB and 160GB models) also sport a new glossy finish and colors including gray, red, and green.

Pared-down NAS for the home: the ReadyNAS Duo RND2150.

(Credit: Netgear, Inc.)

Netgear's ReadyNAS line of network-attached storage devices has probably sounded like a good idea to home users looking for an easy and secure way to back up and access their files over their home network, but the drives' high prices have probably scared off many would-be purchasers. With its new ReadyNAS Duo line, Netgear is wooing home users. The company announced three ReadyNAS Duo models at CES: ReadyNAS Duo 500GB (RND2150), ReadyNAS Duo 750GB (RND2175), and ReadyNAS Duo 1TB (RND2110).

The drives feature only two SATA drive bays to the four bays found in Netgear's ReadyNAS NV+ line that primarily targets small business (we recently reviewed the RND4425). Each of the three ReadyNAS Duo drives features one hard drive with the other bay empty. According to Netgear, the 500GB RND2150 model will be priced at $499 when it starts shipping in March. Pricing for the other two models has not been released. The $500 price for the entry-level model, however, represents a significant discount when compared with the entry-level model in the ReadyNAS NV+ line, which costs $900 and doesn't include a drive in any of its four bays.

The ReadyNAS Duo drives support Gigabit Ethernet and supply three USB 2.0 ports so you can pop your media files directly onto the drive to share with the various PCs in your home. The drives work with both PCs and Macs, as well as other devices such as Netgear's EVA8000 Digital Entertainer HD, Sonos Digital Music System, Logitech Squeezebox, Apple iTunes clients, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. An embedded BitTorrent client lets you download files directly to the drive.

The drives ship with Netgear's X-RAID software for managing and mirroring your data across multiple drives, should you choose to add a second hard drive. Integrated backup software helps automate that process, and a setup wizard should ease the burden of getting the drive configured and running.