Bit-tech.net has provided a four page comprehensive review of the Thecus N2800 NAS server. As the review says, the Thecus NAS interface is no match for the Synology interface, but it has improved significantly in recent years and is certainly functional for everyday NAS type tasks. Transfer speeds for NAS servers are also approaching the theoretical limits:
With transfer speeds approaching the Gigabit per second barrier (125MB/sec), there will soon be little more on offer in terms of performance, or ease of use and it will be features and price that are the main battlegrounds for NAS box manufacturers. This hypothesis is already starting to be proven too, with Synology taking huge strides into areas such as cloud storage and operating system-like interfaces.
This Thecus NAS runs a fast Intel Atom processor and has an HDMI port. As the review states, this NAS is pretty close to a PC in function:
Thecus, though, has come up with probably the most compelling argument yet for you to invest in a NAS box rather than a PC. The N2800 has an HDMI port and supports a keyboard and mouse. Combined with a 2.13GHz Intel Atom D2700 dual-core CPU and 2GB of DDR3, the N2800 is as close to a PC as we've ever seen a NAS box get.
Very unusually for a NAS server, the NAS comes with a version of XBMC (media center) installed for instant viewing pleasure if you hook it up to an HDMI monitor or TV.
Speed test results are here. Generally, this NAS runs quite fast - about in the middle of the pack for tested devices. Given its relatively low bargain price, this Thecus NAS is a contender if you are considering a two bay NAS.
Related articles
- Thecus vs. QNAP (nas-pro.com)
- Thecus updates home and SMB NASes (semiaccurate.com)
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