Sheesh. I thought Linux devices were supposed to be cheaper…
Engadget writes about the Niveus A/V Storage Server which is basically just a Linux based NAS box with 1TB of RAID 5 storage in it. I can’t even tell if it actually supports SMB or not. Sure it’s pretty and fanless but why does it cost $3K?
If you think this box sounds cool to you, I suggest you instead consider what you could do with a Windows Small Business Server 2003 based Home Server:
From DELL buy their entry level (loss-leader) server box; the 420SC that I wrote about yesterday. Roughly $300.
From NewEgg buy the following:
- LSI 64-bit PCI to SATA RAID adapter; $283 for the 6 drive model.
- 4 Maxtor 300GB 7200RPM SATA drives for $204 each ($816).
- SBS 2003 OEM for $437
You’ll spend $1836+shipping and you’ll have an infinitely more capable solution.
The 420SC case is not fanless, but it is quiet. Yes, you’ll have to set this up, but with all the money you save you could actually pay someone to do it for you!
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i looooooooooooove this web site
If you build it yourself it would be cheaper either way (linux or windows) so I don’t really see your point (this one: ,,I thought Linux devices were supposed to be cheaper…”). 😉
The point is, if it’s Linux based and they have no OS royalty, why do they charge a 200% markup?
Probably because they are lame 😉
So….
If we’re already building it ourselves, why not put Linux on it ourselves and save the $400 for Windows too?
See? Cheaper. 😛
Many enthusiasts who would build their own home server don’t have the time, nor patience, to deal with Linux.
" Many enthusiasts who would build their own home server don’t have the time, nor patience, to deal with Linux. "
erm, i think you just described most of the linux DIY community – do you really believe this? 🙂
This is striping RAID right ? Uck. I’d use Linux, of course, and a motherboard with IDE RAID (6 ports) and software RAID5. Even cheaper. Or a RAID5 board… And it would deserve 5 or 6 drives to amortize the RAID5 loss of capacity.
Soft RAID is slower (esp. RAID5) but it will have no prob saturating a slow 100Mb Ethernet. It has another advantage, that there is no RAID board to fail, and you can change all the components wihtout having to re-buy exactly the same RAID board for compatibility if something dies.
The Windows price here is outrageous. Why would I pay that for something slower and less secure ? Nowadays there are linux distros which install in a breeze.