Taking Netdisk For a Ride

By Andy Patrizio

December 15, 2003

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For some time, the storage sector has been trying to create networked devices that can serve as a storage server, without having to build a dedicated PC. I can recall a few years back, CompUSA was selling a network storage device about the size of a skinny mini-tower that was simply plug-and-play mass storage (and damned if I can remember its name or manufacturer).

At the same time, there's USB-connected storage, which usually comes in a smaller package. Most of the USB hard drives on the market are around the size of an old Jaz drive, if you remember those.

With USB 2.0's 480 Mbit per second throughput, USB drives certainly seemed competitive with IDE. These things are not cheap, however. A 120 GB USB/FireWire hard drive can fetch $269, more than $100 more than the cost of a standard IDE drive.

So, how about a device that does both? Network accessible storage and a USB interface, with the small footprint of a USB drive? Ximeta Inc. has done that with its NetDisk. It appeared out of nowhere at the local Fry's and certainly piqued my interest.

NetDisk is essentially a portable hard drive with both a USB 2.0 port and a 100 Mbps Ethernet port and is recognized as a Network Attached Storage (NAS) drive. It comes in three storage configurations: $199 for the 80GB unit, a 120GB unit for $229.00 and a 160GB version for $299. All three use a 7200 RPM drive.

The NetDisk drive is nice and small, measuring 4.7 inches wide, 8 inches long and 1.4 inches tall. They have different colors for the cases for each capacity. The 80 GB version has a blue case, the 120 GB has a white case and the 160 GB version is red.

The NetDisk drive comes preformatted for Microsoft Windows 2000 and XP. Mac or Linux users are out of luck for now. This is due to the NetDisk's software package used to access the drive, especially if you are accessing it from the network and not through the USB port. Word has it that Ximeta has Mac and Linux drivers in the works, so check their Web site for the news.

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