ICY DOCK MB561-S4-1 Review

We have reviewed external drive enclosures before, they are a really good way to increase capacity if you have no space left in your server. But the Icy Dock MB561 is a little different; why? Because it’s not ugly and it’s not finished in shiny gloss black paint, so is it a good enclosure or just a pretty box?

The enclosure

Right from the minute you hold the packaging, you know this isn’t going to be your typical PC peripheral. ICY DOCK know they have created an unusually attractive design, and have even cut a hole in the box to give you a glimpse of what awaits inside.

And what’s inside is a quad bay external enclosure finished off with a solid aluminum alloy outer case and white end panels, offering connection to your data via USB 2.0 or eSATA connections.

The aluminum outer casing makes this enclosure feel incredibly solid and strong, and the silver and white theme even extends to the white LED activity lights for each drive caddy. The ICY DOCK web page lists the MB561-S4-1 as having a ‘Mac Mini design concept’, which I can sort of see, but the reality of it is simply an attractive modern design that will look good partnering any server and not just with a Mac Mini.

HP MediaSmart VGA/PS2/Serial Debug Board

The MediaSmart VGA/PS2/Serial debug board from VOV Technology is very useful gadget which allows you to add a screen, or optionally a keyboard and mouse or even a serial device to your HP MediaSmart server to convert it from a headless appliance back to a fully functional PC.

In addition to the HP MediaSmart and DataVault server families,  the debug board is also supported on the Acer Aspire easyStore H340.

VOV Technology lists the reasons you would want this device as:
– You want to play with the BIOS settings or re-flash your BIOS
– You want to boot from a USB stick to install another OS (Vail, Linux, Windows Server 2008, OpenSolaris)
– You are a software/kernel/addons developer
– You want to tinker but not risk shorting your MediaSmart Server
– You don’t have the time to build your own custom cable
– You don’t want to buy expensive tools for a one time project
– You want the ability to troubleshoot any bootup problems without running a recovery that will destroy existing data
– Buying is cheaper than building!

Tranquil PC Safe Server Module Review

I have to confess to being a little puzzled when I was first handed the Tranquil Safe Server Module. From the brief I was given, I had assumed it was some sort of backup device to keep server data safe, used like an external hard disk.

But no, after visiting Tranquil PC product page for the Safe Server Module (SSM), I fully understood what this device is and what it is supposed to do. What we have here is a replacement system hard disk, one with dual 500gb hard disks, configured in a RAID 1 mirror, in the shape and size of a single SATA hard disk. Total WHS system disk protection.

Hardware

Although primarily intended for Tranquil PC’s SQA-5H range of servers, in reality the SSM should fit in all shapes and sizes of home servers and will protect them all equally. The SSM body is constructed from a brushed metal alloy, with plastic front and rear and feels strong and robust in the hand.

Up front are the drive bay doors and a couple of status lights. Accidental opening of the doors is prevented by the use of locking switches. The status lights normally blink green but will change to red in the event of a problem with a drive. If you have the SSM mounted out of sight inside a server, management software is supplied supplied to let you know what is going on.

ASUS TS mini Review

ASUS have taken a rather different path for their home server, forgoing the traditional four bay caddy design favored by other manufacturers for a sealed case that can hold two internal disks. So this is only a small capacity server then, aimed at users who don’t want to store a great deal of information? Well no, because if you spin the TS mini around and look at its rear, you will find six x USB 2.0 and two x eSATA connections meaning that you can expand the storage of this little server far beyond the limitations that its two internal drive capacity suggests.

Hardware

Finished in shiny black with a silver top grill, the TS mini is an attractive little server which takes up no more space than a couple of hardback books, 245mm (h) x 96mm (w) x 204mm (d) to be exact.

The power button is on top, and the front panel has four status LEDs to let you know what’s going on. Having no hard disk caddies to slide in and out means it has no doors to open, which this gives things a nice clean and uncluttered look and a decidedly solid feel.

Around back you find the afore mentioned USB 2.0 and eSATA connections along with a gigabit Ethernet port.

The HP StorageWorks X300 Data Vault

HP have announced the HP StorageWorks X300 Data Vault.

Following on from its big brother with the X500 range, the X300 comes in at under $600 for the 1TB capacity model and is powered by the Intel Atom Dual Core processor running at 1.6 GHz.

The HP StorageWorks X310 1TB Data Vault will be shipping from HP from the 9th June at $549 (shipping and tax not included).

Its great to see Home Server being targeted more towards the small business owner as well as to end users.

More details are available from here.

Sans Digital TowerRAID TR5UT-B Review

So you have your Windows Home Server, with its four built-in drive bays already maxed out with storage. How are you going to expand it so you can rip the rest of your movie collection or store all of that TV you record on the Media Center?

Perhaps you can expand by connecting standalone external USB hard disks, but the thought of all of the cables and power bricks put you off. Instead why not look at using a five drive expansion case, and good start would be to consider the Sans Digital TowerRAID TR5UT-B.

I will start off by saying that this device is a little bit over specified for a Windows Home Server, because it has a very comprehensive RAID capability. I know there is debate over whether a WHS server should or shouldn’t have a RAID array connected to it, but for the purposes of this review, I am going to leave the RAID off and review it as a simple Port Multiplier eSATA controller connected to an HP MediaSmart server.

What do you get?

2TB Hard Drive Roundup

Computer hardware review site HotHardware has a roundup of 2TB hard drives from Samsung, Seagate and Western Digital (WD).

Its a great 11 page review which looks at general purpose hard drives, performance drives and those designed for the enterprise.

Loads of benchmarks are included plus cost per GB and bang-for-the-buck graphs, which you can find here.

Tranquil SQA-5H-2000-S2 and the Safe Server Module (SSM)

The Tranquil’s SQA-5H-2000 Home Server looks just like the original design released approximately 2 years ago, and therefore retains the quirky design of the original unit. It’s not an unattractive unit which will fit in any home/small office environment and you do have the option of specifying a white or black case.

What’s in the box?

Inside the box there is the usual ensemble of a power supply, UK kettle lead, ethernet cable, information pack and a DVD case with the 3 discs required for a WHS setup. The DVD case also includes a rather neat bootable USB flash drive that can be used to restore the OS should other routes fail. Obviously the unit doesn’t have a DVD drive built in so the bootable USB device is the next best thing, and frankly should be the default install methodology for other OS’s such as Windows 7 but I digress!

Technical Specification

	Tranquil SQA-5H
Processor	Intel Atom D510
Memory	4 GB RAM in review unit (extra cost), standard RAM 2 GB
Included capacity	3 x 1TB SATA drives in review unit (extra cost) standard 1TB
Expandability	5 SATA caddies
Ethernet Port	10/100/1000 Mbps
Ports	6 x USB 2.0 (4 rear, 2 front)
	1 x ESATA (rear)
Dimensions	214 mm W x 220 mm D x 193 mm H
Supported OSs	Windows XP, Vista, 7

Acer Aspire Revo R3610 review

Today we have a bit of a departure over previous hardware reviews, as the Acer Revo R3610 isn’t specifically designed or sold as a Windows Home Server. We thought that as it was such a neat and compact box, with good spec hardware it might make a handy and capable little server.

The Acer Revo R3610’s day job when it isn’t moonlighting as a Windows Home Server is what I can only describe as a netbook without a screen; not the fastest PC you can buy, but small and capable of allowing its users to surf the Internet and know that it will run most of the things they will want.

It is designed to either sit on top of a desk, or by using the supplied VESA mount, hide itself around the back of your LCD TV, giving your TV the power of the Internet. This internet enabling of an existing TV is made even easier with the supplied wireless keyboard and mouse.

Hardware

At its heart, the R3610 has an Intel Atom N330 running at 1.6Ghz and an NVIDIA ION chipset providing the graphics. Storage options vary depending on model, but RAM at 2Gb or 4GB and hard disk at 250gb or 500gb seems to be the order of business if you look around online stores for one. Finally we also have built in wireless networking.

Tranquil PC Series 2 Home Servers

Tranquil PC are now offering a new line up of Series 2 Home Servers which are similar to the original series 1 but based on new low power Intel CPUs and equipped with the new D510 powered main board and extendable RAM (up to 4GB of 800MHz). Providing higher performance, at new reduced prices as well as lower prices for optional parts.

There are 3 models to choose from – the Harmony T7, the Harmony T2 and the SQA-5H.

Harmony T7 – Series 2

The Harmony T7 – Series 2 Home Server is an ideal, affordable starter unit. Powered by the latest Intel Atom D510 Dual core CPU, this Home Server delivers outstanding performance, coupled with low power consumption. This high quality unit will be at home anywhere, similar in size to a typical hard back dictionary. With wall mount option, it can be secured out of sight and out of mind. Supporting 4x external HDDs, this is an excellent Server start up option. Why not couple it with the slot on T7-HDx units (and have up to 9TBs of storage)

Harmony T2 – Series 2

The Harmony T2 – Series 2 Home Server for mid range users. Powered by the latest Intel Atom D510 Dual Core CPU, this Home Server delivers outstanding performance, coupled with low power consumption. This slim server supports 2x internal high capacity HDDs, 4x high speed USB HDD ports, and optional 4x eSATA ports. With numerous professional mounting options, this server can sit on your desk, fit in a 19" rack, sit on the floor, or even be secured to a wall.

SQA-5H – Series 2

 
Tranquil PC’s flagship Home Server, the SQA-5H, powered by the latest 64 bit ready Intel Atom D510 (2×1.66GHz) Dual Core and running Microsoft Windows Home Server. This server provides high capacity, quick installation storage, and a long list of new features. The power consumption is still very low, and it’s still a very quiet server too!
With new accessories such as the SQA-Ex (additional 5x HDDs) and the SQA-HDD1 (HDD carrier) along with a 3 year warranty, this is the Home Server for the discerning buyer.

All models have the following features in common:

• Windows Home Server (PP3) Operating system
• Powerful Intel 64 bit D510 CPU (Dual 1.66GHz)
• High Speed Network – Gigabit LAN
• High Speed 800MHz RAM (up to 4GB)
• Silent and reliable Fanless CPU cooling
• Power efficient and cool HDDs
• Designed and manufactured in UK
• AVA CD ripping engine + various Media servers
• 24 month warranty (Except SQA-5H which is 36 months)
• Prices range from £249+VAT for the basic Harmony T7, up to £399+VAT for the SQA-5H-1000

More information and a comparison chart comparing all 3 models is available here.