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[Ian]

X-Bit labs take a look at the excellent QNAP TS-439 Pro Turbo NAS, a mini storage server that is ideal for small businesses:

Network Attached Storage devices are developing along the well-established guidelines set by other computer components – towards higher processor speeds, broader software functionality, and larger storage space. Popular models of early NASes used to have a Power or ARM processor clocked at 266 to 800MHz but now this speed is already not enough and it is not a wonder to see the dominating netbook platform come to the world of NASes. Besides x86 compatibility (which is not exactly critical since NASes’ firmware successfully transitioned to the Power and ARM architectures long ago), the performance/price factor may prove to be important for NASes just as it is for netbooks and mini-PCs. One of the earliest products of the new wave is a four-disk NAS from the market’s veteran QNAP. The model is called TS-439 Pro, and it is a top-end offering in the brand’s product range.

Read more here.