(not the rapper)
So I've had to do about 6 hours of research into Network Attached Storage and I'm gonna sum it all up here in case anyone cares and also so it will just be somewhere.
The best site out there for NAS info is SmallNetBuilder.com.
NASs go way way up into the crazy $3000 enterprise level but for this project I have put an absolute ceiling around $500 with a desired price point in the $300-$350 range. Therefore I am only looking at 2 disk and 1 disk solutions.
You can either buy a NAS preconfig'd with HDDs or BYOD. Sometimes it is actually a better deal to go with the preconfig'd systems (usually because a 2TB system with 2 1TB HDDs is cheaper than a single 2TB drive) but beware as some preconfig'd NASs won't let you user replace drives (or upgrade).
SmallNetBuilder has quite in depth Benchmark Charts but for simplification's sake I've tried to stay away from the many different benchmarks that go into their tests, limiting my performance ratings to bad, ok, good, great. The $1000+ models have double the numbers but a great in my book is great for the <$500 price range.
NASs are basically small simple use PCs so I tried to track down the CPU/RAM info for each which has a very direct influence on performance. Most all of these models can do things like BT downloads and Media Shares but the more advanced models actually run web servers and more.
On to the devices:
SYNOLOGY - site
This ended up as the very top of my list. The company configures their NASs both with and without drives but the without models are the best deals. The specs are great and all models run the same amazing AJAX UI which actually allows for a whole slew of plugins. Most importantly for the client I am working for, the OS upgrade which literally came out yesterday adds share level encryption - a huge selling point for me. I also like the way Synology's different models sport differing specs (chart), but pretty much all have the same features. For this project it is worth it for me to save $70 with a slower CPU without sacrificing features. Awesome.
Synology 110j 800MHz Marvell Kirkwood (KW) CPU, 128MB, Single drive BYOD - $150
Synology 109 1.2GHz Marvell KW, 128MB, Single drive BYOD - $230 - Review
Synology 109+ 1.06GHz Freescale CPU, 512MB, Single drive BYOD - $350
Synology 210j 800MHz Marvell KW, 128MB, Dual drive BYOD - $230 *Personal Fave*
Synology 209 1.2GHz Marvell KW, 256MB, Dual drive BYOD - $300 - Review
Synology 209+II 1.06GHz Freescale, 512MB, Dual drive BYOD - $420
QNAP - site
QNAP seems to have a pretty similar strategy to Synology and therefore were another of my faves. They also sport a fancy AJAX UI but so far no support for encryption on their budget models. Their prices are just a bit higher though (more RAM) so I don't see too compelling of a reason to go with them over Synology. Here is their line comparison chart
QNAP TS110 800MHz Marvell KW, 256MB, Single drive BYOD - $180
QNAP TS119 1.2GHz Marvell KW, 512MB, Single drive BYOD - $280
QNAP TS210 800MHz Marvell KW, 256MB, Dual drive BYOD - $300
QNAP TS219 1.2GHz Marvell KW, 512MB, Dual drive BYOD - $400
SEAGATE - site
Seagate's BlackArmor line has a great price point, some cool features, and most importantly, supports encryption. However the only encryption is full volume encryption which means slowed down access for files you don't necessarily need encrypted. The UI also leaves a bit to be desired. Still with great prices and decent performance this is the best choice for getting 2TB in under $300. Like the others, the BlackArmors sport a Marvell Kirkwood proc running at 800MHz and 128MB of RAM.
The Seagate BlackArmor NAS220 configured with 2 1TB HDDs (rumor has it they can be upgraded relatively easily) is $280. Here is the review.
There are also 4 drive and 1 drive versions that come with various HDD configs.
IOMEGA - site
Iomega has a pretty decent offering in their 2bay IX2-200. It is equipped with a 1GHz Marvell KW and has 256MB. You must buy the NAS with drives and they CANNOT be self upgraded. But the prices aren't so bad (well not the 4TB). Here is the review
$231 1TB (2x500MB)
$323 2TB (2x1TB)
$560 4TB (2x2TB)
BUFFALO - site
Buff has a whole lot of horses in this race and it is a bit hard to sort them all out. Most come with drives and can't be easily upgraded. There are a few less features but the UI is supposed to be good. Here are the two models that stand out most:
Buffalo Linkstation Pro XHL 1.2GHz Marvell KW, 256MB, Single Drive - $260 (1.5TB), $315 (2TB) - review
Buffalo Linkstation Duo LS-WX Undisclosed Marvell KW cpu, 128MB, Dual drive - $220 (1TB=2x500MB), $300 (2TB=2x1TB), $370 (3TB=2x1.5TB)
NETGEAR - site
Definitely the worst thing about going with a Netgear ReadyNAS Duo is that your only option is to mirror the drives. Yep, no JBOD. The Duo has 256MB of RAM but I didn't catch the CPU. Judging by the so-so performance specs it might be weak. The UI doesn't look too hot either. This one didn't impress, even at the $190 sale price for BYOD.
Review
LG - site
The interesting thing about the very attractive boxes from LG is that they all come with an optical drive (choose either DVDRW or BluRay+RW). Unfortunately you are a bit limited in how you can use them. See this full review for more details. The systems have another 800MHz Marvell CPU and 128MB of RAM so paired with an optical drive they are actually a pretty damn good deal. But the so-so performance marks and general 1.0 feel are detractors.
LG N2R1D BYOD+DVD $210
LG N2R1DD1 1TBx1+DVD $270
LG N2R1DD2 1TBx2+DVD $340
LG N2B1D BYOD+BDR $300
LG N2B1DD1 1TBx1+BDR $360
LG N2B1DD2 1TBx2+BDR $430
WESTERN DIGITAL - site
Simply put, there are better options for the money. The WD My Book World Editions (MBWE) aren't bad, but the 367MHz Oxford CPUs lead to some pretty underwhelming performance numbers. The drives can be replaced, but only with other WD Green drives. Here is the review
1bay 1TB $170
1bay 1.5TB $215
1bay 2TB $250
2bay 2TB (2x1TB) $260
2bay 4TB (2x2TB) $480
PATRIOT - site
Patriot actually sells a Dual BYOD NAS called the Valkyrie and it ain't such a bad model. It only has a 500MHz CPU with 128MB of RAM but it has decent performance and is very very cheap. You can actually find this guy online for $125. It seems to have quite a few features but the UI looks really lame. Here are a couple reviews.
DLINK - site
The final Dual BYOD is this cheapo DLink 321 with a 400MHz Marvell CPU and a paltry 64MB of RAM. This thing is slow but works according to this review. But at $120 you are better off going with the Patriot.
Lemme know if you have any questions.
Everything you've ever wanted to know about NAS
Moderator: enderzero
You're pick sounds about right, and if you save that extra 70 bucks on CPU speed you can spend it on a spare drive for when one fails.
Most importantly, Bixa Muda approves.
http://funnyvideos.todaysbigthing.com/2010/02/12
Most importantly, Bixa Muda approves.
http://funnyvideos.todaysbigthing.com/2010/02/12
Now hold a symposium on SAN!!!!
Do it!!!
Coupla NASes linked via fiberchannel, and you can officially reverse your letters!!! Weeeehoooooooooo!!!
I want a SAN in my house. I want media storage, game storage, and plain old fashioned data storage, linked by fast connections, yet still discrete, so they can be tailored to the application. I also want virtualization of every OS, ancient computer, and game system a click away. From Bally Astrocade to Windows XP... Now that's what I'm talkin' about! (you know... the Windows XP part...)
Do it!!!
Coupla NASes linked via fiberchannel, and you can officially reverse your letters!!! Weeeehoooooooooo!!!
I want a SAN in my house. I want media storage, game storage, and plain old fashioned data storage, linked by fast connections, yet still discrete, so they can be tailored to the application. I also want virtualization of every OS, ancient computer, and game system a click away. From Bally Astrocade to Windows XP... Now that's what I'm talkin' about! (you know... the Windows XP part...)
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spidermonkey
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Well... ...as long as it was rollicking... 
It seems most, if not all movies made from short stories are rollicking... in a bad way...
I would love it if an independently wealthy studio owner with some design and storytelling sense made a Neuromancer movie. I just see it being ripped to shreds though by most available studios with the kind of budgets it would require from a visual standpoint.
That's a big problem these days. There are studios with budgets and visuals, and studios with imagination. Usually they don't overlap.
It seems most, if not all movies made from short stories are rollicking... in a bad way...
I would love it if an independently wealthy studio owner with some design and storytelling sense made a Neuromancer movie. I just see it being ripped to shreds though by most available studios with the kind of budgets it would require from a visual standpoint.
That's a big problem these days. There are studios with budgets and visuals, and studios with imagination. Usually they don't overlap.