Earlier today, Data Robotics released the new Drobo FS. Drobo is a hard disk RAID family that I like a lot. Last week, I had a chance to talk with Mark Fuccio, Senior Director of Business Development for Data Robotics about the new unit.
First, some background. I’ve been reviewing Drobo systems since they first released a FireWire-attached device about a year and a half ago. In fact, the Drobo FS will be the fifth unit I’ve looked at from them.
* You can read my review of the initial
FireWire Drobo here.* You can read my review of the Drobo Pro here.
* You can read my review of the Drobo S in the latest issue of my newsletter.
* And, I’m impressed enough with them that I asked Data Robotics to loan me a Drobo Elite to serve as the main storage system for all our NAB coverage which starts this Saturday. I’ll have a review of the unit in my next newsletter.
So, when Mark called to tell me about the Drobo FS, I was interested.
The reasons I like Drobo systems are that:
* They are expandable, without having to transfer all your data off the system first.
* They work with any number of differently sized drives, hard disk sizes don’t need to match.
* They provide full RAID 5 protection for your data, lose a disk and you don’t lose your data.
The reason I like what Mark told me about the Drobo FS is that it also:
* Attaches to your network via Ethernet
* Doesn’t require a server
* Is accessible to all the computers on that network
* Requires zero customization, plug it in and it’s done
* Has it’s own AppStore — called DroboApps — so you can customize what this does.
I’m hoping to get my hands on a review unit in May. In the meantime, I wanted to tell you about it. Click here for more information.
As always, let me know what you think.
Larry