This is essentially a USB drive, but with a lot more features than what we are used to. What I like about it is that it allows you to use one or up to four hard drives, but your computer will still see only one drive. This allows you to buy an additional hard drive when you need more storage capacity, pay-as-you-grow. This is much easier than putting together a NAS device (Network Attached Storage). I like Drobo for many reasons, but mostly because it is simple enough to use to recommend to my not-so-computer-savvy friends.

I am sure you have heard about file servers right? They come in handy when you want to backup your files and share your media across your home network. Setting up a file server is easy, if you have a spare machine. If you do not have an old PC lying around to convert into a file server, then Drobo may be a good solution for you. The cost is acceptable and it has everything you could ask from an external storage device and more; included are features such as RAID-5, dynamically add storage capacity pay-as-you-grow, and security encryption. It also works for Windows and Mac.

Drobo may not be of interest for do-it-yourselfers or advanced computer users, because we tend to build our own machines, so that we can customize them to offer exactly what we want. For other users, with no time to waste, Drobo may fit you just right. A few words of caution; Drobo uses USB 2.0, so your data transfer speed is limited. It is not a networked device; it needs to be connected to a computer before you can share files over your network. For most users a USB 2.0 connection is fast enough though. Once connected to a computer, there is nothing stopping you from using Drobo just like a NAS device.

Another reason why I like this product is that it offers a way for those of us who would like to backup our file servers. As we add storage capacity to our file servers, we have a need for larger external storage devices to make off-site backups. I am paranoid about fires, so I make bi-weekly backups of my 1.4TB file server to a large USB external hard drive. Then, I put that hard drive in a secret place away from my home. That way, even if my home burns down to the ground I still have all my files going back 20 years, music, media etc readily accessible. Consider that when you put together your own backup solution.

The cost of storage is something you want to consider as well. Consider that a 1TB HD cost about $300, compared to a 500GB HD that cost about $110. Drobo’s ability to mount four separate drives allows you to buy cheaper drives and use more slots. This may become a problem when you want to upgrade the storage capacity on the Drobo, because at some point you will run out of slots to use. If your backup capacity need will not change over time, you should buy more drives, for less money. Otherwise, consider buying larger drives, for more money, giving you the ability to keep a few slots open for future needs.

So know this! There is no longer a reason why you should be victim to data loss. If your laptop gets stolen at the local coffee shop, you still have your data safely stored at home. Personally, I have taken this concept a bit further. I converted an old XP Pro machine to a file server with a RAID-5 that provides 1.4 TB of effective storage. I backup my files of my networked machines to the file server weekly. In addition, I also backup my file server bi-weekly to a huge external hard drive, which is stored in a secret place away from my home. So, if my home burns down to the ground I still

There is no reason for me to write an in in-depth review of the Drobo when there are so many others already out there. Here is a list of some of them. Read them and decide for yourself.

• Engadget
• PC World
• CrunchGear
• Gizmodo
• Thomas Hawk Digital Connection

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