Seagate BlackArmor NAS 440 12TB Storage Server
One Big NAS Drive
Network Accessible Storage used to be something only businesses needed to pay attention to. As the Napster turned BitTorrent generation continues to age though, the need to back up and maintain enormous libraries of digital photos, music, and videos has become much more of a mainstream consumer concern. That’s why storage brands like Seagate continue to expand their NAS offerings to hold more for less, all the while being easier to set up.
The top of the line BlackArmor NAS 440 ($1,899) may cost as much as a shiny new 27-inch iMac, but it’s still a relatively good deal considering its recent upgrade to a max capacity of four 3TB drives (each with a three-year warranty) giving users a total of 12TB of backup storage. Compatible with both Macs and PCs, setting it up to store and backup a large household full of computers is straightforward as long as you have some basic networking knowlege (no, Facebook doesn’t count). Its tool-less design and hot-swappable drives make it easy to add or upgrade storage at a later date too without going full Macgyver.
A replaceable and surprisingly quiet cooling fan is another useful feature that helps extend the lifetime of a box in the event the original gives out. Usage-wise, integrated iTunes server support makes it more than capable of dishing out your media library to a variety of devices on your network including computers, set-top boxes, and gaming systems like the PS3. Four USB ports allow additional storage to be attached and easily accessed, while an on board downloader can handle large downloads like torrents directly to the device, leaving your computer free to actually get work done. Topping it all off, SeaGate’s global access system allows users to access, copy, and transfer files from their NAS to any other computer online, meaning no matter where you are, you’re data and files can come too.
Buy Now: $1,899
