Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2007.06.08
Need access to your home or office Mac from another location?
Want a way to run Classic on your Intel Mac without messing with
SheepShaver? LogMeIn Free may be for you, as it provides free
access to a remote Mac over the Internet using your browser. I've
played with it a bit and can report that it works, albeit
slowly.
In other news, Parallels 3 adds graphics acceleration, which
should make an Intel Mac using virtualization a good gaming
platform - and perhaps eliminate the need to ever use Boot Camp and
boot into Windows.
PowerBook, iBook, MacBook, and other portable computing is
covered in The 'Book Review.
All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
News & Opinion
Software
Products
iPod News
News & Opinion
30 Days with Mac OS X
[H]Enthusiast's Brian Boyko says:
"It's supposedly the best of both worlds - the stability and
security of a Unix operating system with an easy end-user
interface. It's Mac OS X, and we spend 30 days using it to
find out what Apple has to offer over Windows. The '30 Days' saga
continues...
"By now you know the drill. We started with
30 Days with Linux, in which we examined the Ubuntu Linux
operating system (OS) from top to bottom to try to figure out how
far Linux had come for the power user. We got great feedback
directly from some of the Ubuntu bigwigs who were very interested
in our problems. In response, Ubuntu 7.04, the successor to the
construct that we used for the article, was almost completely
devoid of all of the problems and incompatibilities that we brought
up. Wow.
"Then we took a hard look at Windows Vista Home Premium in
30 Days with Vista to see if Microsoft's new incarnation was
palatable for the mainstream user, an improvement over XP, and
worth the cost.
"Even though we had to outlay the cost of the systems we used in
this editorial out-of-pocket, we just couldn't let the missing OS
go missing any longer. 'What about Mac?'
"Indeed, the original premise of '30 Days with Linux' was that
people were claiming, 'I'm just going to switch to Linux (or Mac),'
in response to the various Vista horror stories that were starting
to brew leading up to its retail release. We've done Linux and
Vista, so now it's Mac's turn at the plate."
Editor's note: This is a very long, multipage article,
but thorough, evenhanded, and quite interesting. It analyzes a lot
of stuff that I simply take for granted as a veteran Mac user.
cm
Link:
30 Days with Mac OS X - A Windows-User Checks Out Life on the
Mac
With Parallels 3, There's No Reason to Buy a
Windows Machine
GracefulFlavor's Jeff Ventura says:
"Following the trend first delivered by VMware's Fusion beta
product, Parallels has announced v3 of its virtualization software
for the Mac. This time around, the big gun unloads: Parallels
now
includes 3D support under Windows, which means the final holdout
under Windows has crossed over to the virtualized world:
gaming.
"Parallels v3 looks simply amazing, and I mean it when I say
there's really no reason on Earth to purchase a Windows-only
machine anymore - especially if you have any curiosity whatsoever
about the Mac or iLife. Under Parallels, you'll get its Coherence
2.0 mode, which allows Windows apps to live side-by-side with
OS X apps in separate windows. You get cross-OS file and
application support. Support for Vista's Aero Glass is coming soon.
And finally, you get 3D support, which means you can have a native
hardware experience for gaming, just as if you were booting into
Windows itself via Boot Camp."
Link:
No Reason on Earth to Buy a Windows Machine Anymore
Parallels 3.0 for Mac Adds 3D Accelerated
Graphics
APC's Dan Warne reports:
"Parallels has announced version 3.0 of its popular Mac
virtualisation package, offering long-anticipated emulation of 3D
accelerated GPUs, allowing high-end Windows games to run in
virtualisation.
"The company said it was just weeks away from the new release
and named several key selling points:
- Smartselect: the ability to associate a document on the OS X
file structure to open in a Windows program, and vice
versa....
- 3D GPU emulation: Parallels is also touting the ability to 'run
the hottest games and graphics applications' with 3D with support
for graphics software....
- Snapshot manager: Take a snapshot of your virtual machine and
roll back to it easily...."
Link:
Parallels 3.0 for Mac: 3D GPU Emulation Confirmed
New iMacs to Sport Brushed Metal
Enclosure?
Ars
Technica's Jeff Smykil says:
"A new rumor about the alleged iMac redesign has emerged, and
this one may make us all cringe. 9to5Mac . . . states
that the redesigned iMacs will have a brushed metal
enclosure....
"The mere mention of brushed metal makes us a bit
queasy...."
Editor's note: Me too. I've had more than my fill of "brushed
metal" in various OS X and application user interfaces.
Indeed, I had had enough of it after the first three minutes. OTOH,
anodized aluminum, a la the MacBook Pros and Mac Pros, wouldn't be
hard to take. cm
Link:
New iMacs to Sport Brushed Metal Enclosure? We Hope Not
Apple Adding ZFS Support with Mac OS X
10.5
eWeek's Daniel Drew Turner reports:
"Sun Microsystems president and CEO Jonathan Schwartz, speaking
at a company event, said that Sun's ZFS file system will be 'the'
file system for Apple's upcoming Leopard version of Mac
OS X.
"Apple will announce this, he said, at Apple's Worldwide
Developers Conference June 11-15 in San Francisco."
Editor's note: Later in the week, many sites report that
Schwartz has changed his claim, stating that ZFS will be a
supported file system in Mac OS X 10.5, not the default file
system. dk
Source for OS 9 Install CDs
SheepShaver, the only way to run later versions of the Classic
Mac OS on Intel Macs, doesn't support Mac OS 9.2.2, the version
used for Classic Mode on PowerPC Macs. The most recent version it
supports is Mac OS 9.0.4.
OS 9 installer CDs are getting thinner and thinner on the
ground, but Beta Macs has a batch of Apple OS 9.0 System Software
CDs for the friendly price of $29.95.
The CD is bundled with Apple's update to OS 9.2.1 and works
with:
- Power Mac 7200-9600 (request 9.1 CD)
- Power Mac G3 units
- PowerBook G3 units
- iBook G3 units
- iMac G3 units
- Power Mac G4 units
- PowerBook G4 units
The disk installs full suite of Apple software, unlike some iMac
CDs selling on eBay.
You can download free updates from Apple's support site to
upgrade to 9.2.2.
Note that SheepShaver requires a ROM image, which can be
obtained from a Mac OS 8.5 or 8.6 CD, available from Beta Macs for
$19.99.
Software
Access Your Mac from Anywhere in the World with
LogMeIn Free
PR: Beginning immediately, Apple Macintosh users can
remotely access their computers using any other computer, including
a Windows PC, for free.
The preview release of LogMeIn Free for Mac <https://secure.logmein.com/products/mac/>
is the first remote access service that allows people to remotely
access and control their Apple Macintosh computers from any
Internet-connected device, including Windows, Macs, Linux PCs as
well as many handheld devices. For example: A user can sit at a PC
in New York and access a Mac in San Francisco - including all
software applications on the remote Mac. Customers can also connect
from a Mac to a PC and, of course, from a Mac to a Mac.
"LogMeIn certainly follows the Mac-mantra of being simple to use
and we are thrilled that Mac owners will now have the same ability
to access their digital lives as our PC users," said Michael Simon,
CEO, LogMeIn, Inc. "This further extends our position as the
leading provider of remote access products and builds on LogMeIn's
commitment to providing a platform on which businesses and
individuals can connect, work with and support all their digital
assets."
"As the mobile workforce increases, so does the need for them to
be able to access their work PC as well as personal PC from
wherever they may be," says Stacy Sudan, Research Analyst in IDC's
Mobile Enterprise Software program. "LogMeIn's support of Macintosh
is significant because it allows mobile workers (and consumers) to
be able to access all of their systems from anywhere."
With millions of users worldwide, LogMeIn's simple and secure
remote connectivity services have become the most widely used means
to connect to remote devices. LogMeIn's patent pending technology
ensures fast, SSL-secured connections through the company's
datacenters - no need for users to manually configure ports on
routers and firewalls. To achieve maximum performance, connections
are shifted to a secure peer-to-peer link as soon as possible.
LogMeIn Free is a free service that provides fast, secure, and
easy access to a remote computer from virtually any web-enabled PC
or Pocket PC with a high-speed Internet connection. Users obtain
on-demand access to their work and home computers - viewing
desktops, files and network resources - regardless of where they
are. Many users world wide use LogMeIn Free as both a professional
and personal remote computer support tool.
The fully functional preview of LogMeIn Free for the Mac is
available now at https://secure.logmein.com/products/mac/.
Because LogMeIn continually updates its services, end users will be
assured of always having the most up-to-date version available
automatically. LogMeIn will introduce additional products for the
Mac in the coming months. LogMeIn Free for the Mac is not a trial
version of a paid product - it is available free of charge.
Editor's note: This could be one way to have access to the
Classic Mac OS on an Intel Mac using Classic Mode on a remote
OS X PowerPC Mac. It's not fast, but it works. Note that the
free version doesn't allow file transfer between machines or local
printing from the remote computer. dk
Link: LogMeIn
MigliaTV 1.1 Drivers for the Miglia EvolutionTV
and TVMax+
PR: MigliaTV drivers for the Miglia EvolutionTV and
TVMax+. This software can also be used with the TVMax, but a
license key must be purchased.
TVMax+ - The fastest way to get Video onto your Apple TV or
iPod
System requirements: A Miglia EvolutionTV or TVMax+ hardware
device.
System support: PPC/Intel
Free
Link: Miglia
Google Gears Beta Available
PR: This is an early release of Google Gears (Beta).
After installation, please pay attention to the warning dialogs and
grant access only to websites that you trust.
Google Gears (Beta) is an open source browser extension that
enables web applications to provide offline functionality using
following JavaScript APIs:
- Store and serve application resources locally
- Store data locally in a fully-searchable relational
database
- Run asynchronous JavaScript to improve application
responsiveness
System requirements:
- Google Gears (BETA) is available for Windows, Mac, and
Linux
- Mac version requires OS X 10.2 or later and Firefox 1.5 or
later
Note: Google Gears is not compatible with the current final or
earlier versions of Safari, so you will need to download a recent
WebKit build from <http://nightly.webkit.org>.
Link: Google Gears
Beta
Blu-ray Device Driver for 'Tiger'
PR: Software Architects, Inc., developer of UDF file
system technology for computers and consumer electronics products,
has announced its release of BlueDisk Driver v1.0 for Apple systems
running OS X 10.4.
BlueDisk Driver enables both Intel and PowerPC based Apple
computer systems to format, read and write to rewritable Blu-ray
discs using the standard Mac Finder interface, including "drag
& drop" writing to disc. Discs are formatted in standard Apple
HFS+ format for readability on an any driver equipped Apple system.
The native Mac OS does not support Blu-ray disc drives or BD-RE
media.
Compact, Reliable & Portable Data Storage Now users can take
advantage of the Blu-ray disc drive's 25 GByte capacity rewritable
media for data storage applications. Ideal for file backup,
archival or large file data distribution, rewritable (BD-RE)
Blu-ray discs can now be used to store files written from any
application supporting OS 10.4.9.
Saves Time for Recorded Video Applications With 25 GBytes of
capacity available, video enthusiasts no longer have to spend time
compressing their favorite video files into MPEG-2 to fit on a
single optical disc. Record video files in any Apple
QuickTime™ compatible video format and play them using
Apple's QuickTime Movie Player. The BD-RE disc is formatted as a
data disc so users do not have to go through the time consuming
process of creating a DVD Video format disc for play back on their
Mac systems.
Key Benefits:
- Easy to use: simply drag & drop files to the disc.
- Versatile: supports writing from any Mac application.
- Compatible: HFS format is readable on any Mac system.
- High Capacity: 25 GByte discs hold more than six times the data
of a standard DVD-R/W disc.
System Requirements:
- Supports all Apple Mac™ Intel and PowerPC based systems
running Mac OS 10.4.x or later.
- 512 MB of RAM.
Price: $49.95.
Version 1.0 is available 15 June 2007
Link: Software Architects,
Inc.
Products
OWC Doubles Mac Pro Memory to 32 GB
PR: Other World Computing (OWC) has announced that it is
offering double the Apple Mac Pro
memory vs. factory installed to up to 32 GB, twice the 16 GB Apple
is currently supporting via factory installed.
OWC offers memory modules for Mac Pro 8-core/Quad-core Xeon
systems at capacities of 2 GB for up to 16 GB priced as low as
$86.19 per GB and 1 GB memory modules up to 8 GB for as
low as $96.13 per GB. 4 GB modules up to 32 GB are available
at $205.59 per GB for customers employing high-memory intensive
applications, such as audio/video, photo, 3D modeling, and other
applications where the extra memory really makes a difference in
their computer's performance.
OWC Memory Upgrade Modules are fully tested premium quality,
meeting and/or exceed all Apple specifications. Utilizing superior
components, including true Apple-Qualified heat spreaders, the
modules provide a lifetime of high-performance, reliable operation
backed by a Money Back Guarantee and OWC's Lifetime Advance
Replacement Warranty.
"The new OWC memory options are another example of Other World
Computing reaching out to give our customers all the available
options for best memory, just as we have done with the up to
3 GB memory we support in the MacBook, which is 50% more than
the Apple factory offered configs," said Lawrence O'Connor, CEO,
OWC.
Link: Mac Pro
8-core / Quad-core Memory up to 32 GB
MacCuff mini: 'Poor Man's iMac' Mounting
System for Mac mini
PR:
Sonnet Technologies announces MacCuff mini, the back-of-monitor
mounting system for Mac mini computers. MacCuff mini provides users
with a practical way to mount their computer to the back of an LCD
display (or under a desk or table) while retaining full access to
all of its ports and the disc slot.
In spite of its small size, the Mac mini can be inconvenient to
place. On a small desk, the Mac mini takes up valuable space, a
problem compounded by cable clutter. MacCuff mini moves a Mac mini
and video cable off the desktop and behind the monitor.
Most LCD monitors have open VESA mounting holes on the back that
provide an ideal spot to attach a MacCuff mini. Mounted securely on
the back of a display, a Mac mini disappears. Sonnet helps cut the
clutter by providing a 12-inch DVI-to-VGA monitor cable that
connects the Mac mini to the monitor, without ever touching the
desk. An included cable tie secures the power cable to the bracket
to prevent accidental disconnects. MacCuff mini can just as easily
be installed under a desk or shelf. Regardless the mounting method,
MacCuff mini's open-frame design allows normal WiFi and Bluetooth
operation.
MacCuff
mini is constructed of rugged steel, and its refined platinum
finish with a durable plastic coating won't mar the computer's
finish. Installation is easy. For back-of-monitor mounting, just
locate the empty VESA mount screw holes on the back of the monitor,
and then use the supplied machine screws to secure the MacCuff
mini. For under-desk mounting, simply tape the included drill
template to the surface, drill pilot holes, and attach the bracket
using the supplied wood screws. Mac mini simply slides into the
MacCuff mini.
MacCuff mini Benefits
- MacCuff mini + Mac mini + inexpensive, third-party LCD display
= "poor man's iMac"
- Eliminates monitor cable clutter with included 0.3m (12-inch)
DVI-to-VGA cable
- Secures power cable; prevents accidental unplugging
MacCuff mini (part number CUFF-MINI) is available now for the
retail price of $49.95.
Link: MacCuff
mini
Video Import for the Mac Moves to a New
Level - at $89
PR: Daystar Technology, a leader in real-time video
capture, is delivering more advances in Mac based multimedia
creation. It is announcing the expansion of features and a new
lower price on its XLR8 XtraView USB, the video-in solution for Mac
OS X.
Since its introduction last year, this simple USB 2.0 device has
provided easy to use, plug and play video on the Mac. Now, with its
new features and price, XtraView USB is fully Mac Universal,
supports over 30 third-party add-ons, and is able to work as a
high-performance security system, TV viewer/recorder, video
digitizer, or game console monitor.
"XtraView USB is the only device under $200 that can connect
full-screen, real-time, raw uncompressed video to the Mac," said
Gary Dailey, president of Daystar. "It stands alone as a high
quality, pro device . . . without the sync glitches seen
using competitive compression based devices costing up to three
times more!"
New Features and Price:
- Game Console support in real-time, uncompressed.
- PowerPC and Intel Universal.
- Full-screen TV viewing from any tuner or player.
- Perfectly synched recording to QuickTime.
- Now only $89!
Everything you need.
- XtraView includes everything users need to capture, edit and
create:
- Both audio and video connect via the single USB 2.0
device.
- XtraView Capture software with a simple "click and record"
interface to transform any S-Video or RCA audio/video source into
QuickTime movies.
- XtraView Exporter software enables full QuickTime Pro export
capabilities.
- ArcSoft's VideoImpression 2.0 capture / editing software allows
capture / editing at any size (iMovie requires large DV
Streams).
Supported Systems: XtraView is designed to work with all modern
Apple systems. It requires only USB 2.0, and Mac OS X 10.3.8 or
later.
Link:
XtraView USB
Addonics Diamond Hard Drive Kit Features
Built-in eSATA/SATA
PR: Addonics Technologies has announced a hard drive kit
with built-in eSATA and SATA connectors, which allow users to
easily connect an external SATA hard drive to a system or use any
SATA hard drive as a removable cartridge drive.
Addonics' Diamond Hard Drive Kit is the first enclosure to
feature built-in eSATA/SATA connectors as well as provide the first
direct bridge design, which connects the SATA hard drive to the
computer in native SATA mode.
The Diamond Hard Drive Kit can be easily attached to any
computer externally via the high performance eSATA port or used
like a drive cartridge in the Diamond drive cradle mounted inside a
standard 5-1Ú4" drive bay.
The SATA direct bridge in the Diamond drive enclosure also
isolates the SATA hard drive power and data connectors from the
wear and tear that most removable SATA hard drive systems are
subjected to. The hard drive inside the Diamond enclosure can also
be accessed by any computer via eSATA or USB connection using the
Addonics USB - eSATA adapter. Users can also install any 2.5" SATA
hard drive into the Diamond drive enclosure using an optional hard
drive mounting bracket.
Addonics offers a wide assortment of I/O converters, cables and
accessories to give the Diamond drive enclosure and cradle
unlimited connection and installation possibilities.
For example, a user who wants the combined features of an
external eSATA hard drive and removable hard drive would order the
Diamond Combo hard drive, a bundled kit that includes an enclosure;
cradle with SATA interface; a eSATA data cable; and a power
adapter. The MSRP for this configuration would be $49.95.
Constructed in heavy gauge aluminum, the Diamond drive kit is
built to last while at the same time providing excellent heat
dissipation for the hard drive.
Operating system support in external hard drive mode includes
eSATA - DOS, Windows 95, NT(SP6), 98SE, Me, 2000, XP, Vista, Mac,
Linux and Solaris. USB support is provided for Windows 98SE, Me,
2000, XP, Vista, Mac, Linux and Solaris. Internal hard drive
support includes all the previously mentioned operating systems as
well as optional interface support for IDE or SCSI.
The Diamond Hard Drive kit is available through the Addonics
online store, major catalog companies, resellers, VARs, and
distributors, including Amazon.com, PC
Connection, CDW,
Buy.com,
Provantage.com, Insight, and Ingram Micro.
Link: Addonics Diamond Hard
Drive Kit
NitroAV eSATA 3 Gb/s 4-Port PCIe Host
Adapter
PR:
NitroAV 'SATAStar Series' again delivers the latest 3G/sec SATA II
performance and tremendous value with the versatile 4-Port PCIe
Host Adapter. The latest SATAStar Series member is specifically
designed for the ultra fast PCIe bus on Windows, Linux and perfect
with Apple's latest PCIe based Mac
Pro or G5 Dual-core desktop computers.
The 4-Port PCIe provides huge bandwidth for data throughput with
its eight (8x) physical lane, 4x/8x electrical PCIe host
connection, compatible with 4x, 8x, and 16x PCIe slots. This 4-Port
PCIe host adapter is designed for optimum performance and
reliability required for large data storage needs as well as
digital audio, digital video and graphic professionals alike. For
video professionals this SATAStar adapter supports 10-bit
uncompressed HD, 8-bit uncompressed HD, DV, HDV, DVPRO HD, 8-bit
and 10-bit SD video workflow.
The 4-Port NitroAV 'SATAStar Series' eSATA II 3 Gb/s
Professional PCIe Host Adapter offers the best performance and
value on the market, at $189.95, many competing products are almost
twice the price for the exact same thing. The 4-Port PCIe also
supports multiple RAID levels as well as this Silicon Image 3124A
based card supports SiI3726 and SiI4726 SATA port multipliers.
Regardless if you are just using this card for hard drive
storage/raids, backups or serious digital audio, video or graphics
this card is the perfect solution for PCIe based computers.
Product Features:
- 4 eSATA ports for super-fast SATA II performance
- Hot-plug capability
- Supports SATA II transfer rate of 3.0 Gbps
- Supports First-party DMA commands for Native Command Queuing
(NCQ)
- Drivers for Mac OS X 10.4, Linux 32-bit, Linux 64-bit, Windows
2000, XP, XP Pro, Vista, and 2003 Server
- Fully RoHS compliant
- Fully compliant with SATA II and SATA 1.0 standard
The The 4-Port NitroAV 'SATAStar Series' eSATA II 3 Gb/s
Professional PCIe Host Adapter is available for $189.95. All
NitroAV products are sold through Partners, Resellers or through
the online website.
Link: 4-Port
NitroAV SATAStar
WD Caviar SE16 SATA Hard Drives
PR: WD Caviar SE16 drives combine 16 MB cache with 3 Gb/s
transfer rate for lightning-fast performance in demanding desktop
and workstation applications. Technologically advanced acoustics
minimize noise and cool drive operation and enhanced reliability
features help protect the drive and the data stored on it.
Key Features
- 16 MB Cache - Bigger cache means faster performance. A massive
16 MB cache combined with advanced acoustic and power-reducing
technologies make these ultra-fast drives the perfect solution for
the fully loaded PC.
- Perpendicular Magnetic Recording (PMR) - The latest generation
of WD Caviar SE16 drives employs PMR technology to achieve even
greater areal density.(750 GB only)
- IntelliSeek - Calculates optimum seek speeds to lower power
consumption, noise and vibration.
- SecurePark - Parks the recording heads off the disk surface
during spin up, spin down and when the drive is off. This ensures
the recording head never touches the disk surface resulting in
improved long term reliability due to less head wear, and improved
non- operational shock tolerance.
- StableTrac - The motor shaft is secured at both ends to reduce
system-induced vibration and stabilize platters for accurate
tracking, during read and write operations.(750 GB only)
Designed for use in the fastest PCs on the market, including
high-performance business computers and multimedia or gaming
systems. Perfect for Windows Vista.
How this WD hard drive protects your data
- Data Lifeguard is an exclusive set of data protection features,
including shock protection, an environmental protection system and
real-time embedded error detection and repair. WD's Data Lifeguard
technology automatically finds, isolates, and repairs problems that
may develop over the life of a hard drive.
- Data Lifeguard Tools are software utilities designed for WD
hard drives that work with the embedded Data Lifeguard features to
make hard drive installation,diagnostics and repair both simple and
worry-free. (Download Data Lifeguard Tools)
- ShockGuard instantaneously protects the hard drive against
damage from bumps and vibrations while it is running. This
technology enables WD Caviar drives to achieve industry-leading
shock specifications.
- Rotational Speed: 7,200 RPM (nominal)
- Buffer Size: 16 MB
- Formatted Capacity: 750,156 MB
- Capacity: 750 GB
- Interface: SATA 3 Gb/s
Physical Dimensions
- Height: 1.028 Inches (Max)
- Length: 5.787 Inches (Max)
- Width: 4.00 Inches (+/- 0.010 inch)
- Weight: 1.39 Pounds
You can purchase Western Digital products at the following
stores or online. Be sure to check individual stores for
information on availability and rebate offers.
Link: WD Caviar
SE16 SATA Hard Drives
MicroNet 5 TB Platinum RAID Pro eSATA
Disk Array
PR: MicroNet Technology, an innovator in storage
solutions for small and medium businesses (SMBs), today introduced
the Platinum RAID Pro, a multi-terabyte eSATA RAID solution that
transcends the capacity limitations of SATA disk arrays and the
performance bottlenecks of USB and FireWire storage with a compact
transportable unit that provides simplicity and ease-of-use,
allowing SMB users to focus on their business and not on data
storage.
MicroNet's new 5 terabyte Platinum RAID Pro combines the highest
capacity of any eSATA disk array on the market with a new
performance-focused design built around a 64-bit Intel XScale
processor to accelerate I/O throughput, and eSATA connectivity that
provides more data bandwidth and eliminates the performance
penalties of USB and FireWire bridging. Designed for small and
medium businesses who need high-capacity and high-performance
storage but not high-complexity storage, the Platinum RAID Pro
delivers extraordinary ease-of-use. It is completely operating
system independent and requires no drivers to be installed. The
unit is factory-configured for RAID 5 so users can simply plug it
in and immediately enjoy the benefits of huge capacity expansion
and parity RAID data protection.
The capacity breakthrough achieved by MicroNet is the result of
design innovations in the eSATA host bus adapter and RAID
controller to eliminate the 2 terabyte volume size limitation that
restricts the available capacity of alternative eSATA-based disk
arrays, allowing customers to access the full 5 TB capacity
potential of the Platinum RAID Pro. To take advantage of this
unprecedented capacity, host computers must be running a modern
operating system, including Windows Server 2003 and above, Windows
Vista, recent Linux releases and Mac OS X, that is not burdened
with older ATA address limitations.
"Because of the growing storage demands present in the SMB
space, more customers are seeking greater capacity at affordable
price points," said Behzad Eshghieh, CEO of MicroNet.
"Specifically, organizations with storage-intensive digital media
applications with a need for ready-to-use solutions to protect,
transport and secure their irreplaceable files. The Platinum RAID
Pro was created to meet the mammoth capacity and performance
demands of these customers while maintaining MicroNet's reputation
for storage products that are simple to install, manage and
scale."
At the heart of the Platinum RAID Pro is the 64-bit Intel
processor matched with 128 MB of error-correcting cache, providing
the robust performance to easily handle the most intensive SMB RAID
applications, including digital video, HD audio, digital imaging
and streaming backup. Five 3 Gbps SATA-2 drives can be configured
for RAID 0, 1, 3, 5, 0+1 and JBOD operation. eSATA connectivity
ensures that users can quickly address the mammoth available
capacity, providing more than a 200 percent raw data rate
improvement compared to FireWire- and USB-based external storage
solutions. Performance is further improved with the pure SATA
environment that bypasses the throughput hits imposed by having to
convert SATA drive protocols to FireWire and USB signals.
The Platinum RAID Pro enclosure is a durable yet lightweight
aluminum and Plexiglas design that includes a built-in handle to
enhance portability. In addition to standard primary storage
applications for SMBs, the convenient enclosure design makes the
unit ideal for a variety of applications, including backup of
multiple departmental systems and distribution of high-capacity
digital content across multiple locations.
MicroNet's Platinum RAID Pro is currently available with pricing
starting at $2,349 for a 2.5 terabyte array, $2,999 for a 3.75 TB
configuration and $4,499 for the high-end 5 TB model.
Customers can configure the array with appropriate eSATA HBA based
on their host system requirements, either a two-port PCIe HBA or a
four-port PCI-X adapter.
Link:
MicroNet Platinum RAID Pro
Desktop Mac
Deals
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