I've long been a fan of the concept of a Network-attached Storage (NAS) drive, that being a device which attaches to your network and provides both storage and network-centric services beyond just simple file sharing. I've tried nearly everything out there, and it wasn't until I used the Synology DiskStation units that I finally felt someone got it right. Yes, they're "network attached storage" units, but they also easily provide additional services like an iTunes server, the ability to stream audio/video to dedicated iOS apps (even across the Internet), their own private cloud called Cloud Station (i.e. your own Dropbox), and more. In fact, third parties have created (unsupported) packages you can install to let your DiskStation become a Minecraft Server, a CrashPlan client and server, and much, much more. It's too cool, and I highly recommend these to everyone looking to add functionality to their existing network.
Yesterday Synology added the DS1513+ to their line-up of DiskStation NAS units, and the DS1513+ has a few things that prosumers will find attractive. First is the 2GB of RAM that is (finally!) user-upgradable (to 4GB) – this makes running lots of packages feasible. It's also got a dual core processors, necessary for doing on-the-fly video transcoding, and more. The DS1513+ also has 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports (admittedly overkill for us home users), and the ability to expand beyond the five drive bays included. Cool Stuff Found, indeed!
Check It Out: Synology DS1513+ Added to Already-Awesome NAS Line-up
