Posted to Hard Drives 2009-10-21
One of Iomega's latest network hard drives is the external iomega StorCenter ix2 1TB Storage. Small enough for your home or small office, this versatile network drive is a great accessory to back-up your important data. It is flexible enough to support UPS, UPnP AV Media Server, and Vmware ESX, yet interface-friendly for the most basic users. There have been several complaints, especially regarding poor performance and reliability, so before making a purchase you should definitely consider one of the many other network drives available today. This model measures 3.2" x 4.9" 7.9" and weighs approximately 4.9 lbs. When viewing online, this network drive may appear big and bulky, but upon further inspection it is actually not too overwhelming as far as size goes. It fits great in your home or small office, and Iomega has targeted this model especially for home users. Unfortunately, even for home users, the drive seems to perform poorly and in some cases not at all. If you need to make the occasional data backup or just move files around, the one terabyte Iomega StorCenter ix2 works well. Otherwise, consider a different model.
FeaturesThe bright side of this external hard drive is its features. Compatibility is great, and this model can be operated using Windows, Mac, or Linux. There is also UPS support, meaning the drive can automatically and independent shut down upon power failure to prevent data loss. The network drive itself features the EMC LifeLine operating system, plus backup and recovery software. It operates at 400MHz and utilizes 128MB RAM. The storage capacity is 1TB (2TB model available), which consists of two SATAII (500GB) hard drives. This model supports a variety of protocols, but connectivity is limited to USB and Ethernet. PerformanceThe Iomega StorCenter ix2 NAS Network Storage drive has been designed specifically for small networks, such as home and small business settings, but performance is hindered. Even with gigabit Ethernet, data transfers are sluggish, and large files are time-consuming to move. If you have a lot of video, music, or pictures to transfer, then you may want to consider a different drive. But if you just need something that is small and power-efficient, and speed does not matter, then this model is still good to consider. SummaryThis model fails to meet expectations as far as reliability and performance, but exceeds expectations on security and ergonomics. The user interface is basic and easy to use. Setup is a breeze. Needless to say, purchasing this hard drive will be a difficult decision. If performance and product quality are absolutely top priorities for you, then the 1TB Iomega StorCenter ix2 is probably not for you. But if you want a relatively-inexpensive NAS drive that has been manufactured specifically for home and small office networks, then this drive does the job. Pros
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