Promise Technology® Inc., a leading supplier of cutting edge RAID storage solutions for enterprise, SMB, SOHO and consumer customers has announced the SmartStor™ DS4600 High Performance Quad Interface 4 Drive RAID 5 Direct Attached Storage for Mac and Windows computers. The SmartStor™ DS4600 is Promise's first foray into Direct Attached Storage (DAS) for Consumer, SOHO and Small Business segments.
The SmartStor™ DS4600 features 4 interfaces which includes USB 2.0 (1x), eSATA 3G (1x), Firewire 400 (1x) and Firewire 800 (2x). Consumers and end-users will find a USB cable, eSATA cable, eSATA bracket, Firewire 400 cable and Firewire 800 cable in the "box" therefore there is no need to spend additional money on accessories. Consumers and end-users have the option to use RAID 5, RAID 0 or RAID 1 providing the ultimate in flexibility. When using four 2TB SATA 3G Hard Drives consumers and end-users can build a volume with a massive 5.7TB of usable space under RAID 5 or 7.2TB under RAID 0 (drives not included).
The SmartStor™ DS4600 features an ultra sleek aesthetic design with Blue LEDs and No Power Supply Fan. The internal Power Supply has been removed and replaced with an external Power Adapter that snaps into the bottom of the SmartStor™ DS4600 and is secured by a removable door. The SmartStor™ DS4600 is one of the quietest 4 Drive Direct Attached Storage Devices on the Market today.
"Consumers and end-users are rapidly transitioning to Notebooks and Netbooks as their primary computer in the home and in the office. Notebooks and Netbooks are limited in terms of internal storage leaving the average consumer or end-user scrambling to expand their storage for backup of valuable data and digital content," said Billy Harrison, Promise Technology's Product Manager for CE Products - NAS and DAS.
The SmartStor™ DS4600 is designed around EOU (Ease of Use) and is easily configurable via Promise's "One Touch Configuration" or with Promise's SmartNAVI Management GUI for Windows and Mac. SmartNAVI allows the consumer or end-user to configure the SmartStor™ DS4600 using "One Click Setup" or "Advanced Setup."
One Touch Configuration -- Consumers and end-users can setup the SmartStor™ DS4600 without installing any software onto their computer. Simply insert 2 or more hard drives, press the "One Touch Button" on the front of the SmartStor™ DS4600 and the SmartStor™ DS4600 will automatically create the RAID 1 or RAID 5 volume. Following creation of the volume the consumer or end-user only needs to format the volume under Disk Utility in Mac OS X or Disk Management in Windows.
Performance -- With four interfaces to choose from consumers and end-users have a variety of choices when it comes to performance. USB 2.0 delivers up to 40 MB/s, Firewire 400 delivers up to 50 MB/s, Firewire 800 delivers up to 80 MB/s and eSATA peaks out at a blazing 200 MB/s. The SmartStor™ DS4600 is suitable for simple storage expansion in the home or the demanding performance needs of Audio and Video Enthusiasts and Professionals.
SmartNAVI Management GUI -- Promise's SmartNAVI Management GUI is available for Mac and Windows allowing consumers and end-users to perform many tasks from the desktop. Upon first-time setup consumers and end-users can use SmartNAVI to configure their volume using "One Click Setup" or "Advanced Setup." "Advanced Setup" includes the option to choose your own RAID mode. Whether the consumer or end-user uses "One Click Setup" or "Advanced Setup," SmartNAVI will automatically format the volume using the appropriate file system after the volume has been created and initialized.
SmartNAVI also features Email Notification, Enclosure Management (reporting Fan Speed, Temperature and Voltage), Media Player, Photo Album, SmartSync Backup Tool with One Touch Backup and Volume Management.
Time Machine for Mac OS X -- Using any of the four interfaces Mac consumers and end-users can easily backup their Mac to the SmartStor™ DS4600.
Pricing and Availability -- SmartStor™ DS4600 will be available in late June. The SmartStor™ DS4600 will retail for $399.00 MSRP through Distribution Channels, DMRs, eCommerce stores, Retail Stores, System Integrators and VARs in North America, APAC Region, Europe, Japan, South America, New Zealand and Australia.
