QNAP has always managed to stay in the forefront of NAS technology. Whenever there’s a new processor that is capable of doing more while costing less and taking up less power, QNAP jumps on the technology to create a new model. The new QNAP TS-259 Pro with the Intel Atom processor is a snappy little beast with a very big bite.

We often read about NAS devices that cost several hundreds of dollars. Let’s face the fact; most of us can’t afford that. So where does this leave us? Let’s introduce the Synology DS210j, a crossover breed that brings power and performance without the high price tag.

Not everyone will need a four or eight drive NAS device, but a two drive NAS is certainly something nice to have at home. It’s big enough to store several terabytes of data and meets the bare minimum to create a mirrored setup for ultimate reliability.

There are few times when I don’t think a NAS would come in handy at my house. I have 3 notebooks, 2 computers, a PDA and an iPhone in the house. Being able to access all my files anywhere in the house is a blessing. While I could file share it all off a single PC, a powerful NAS offers better speed and more features than your PC.

Synology has been in the network attached storage business for nearly a decade and they are often regarded as one of the best at what they do. Don’t let the simple look of the DS209 fool you, this baby packs a very powerful punch. She doesn’t have all the bells and whistles for the more expensive models but what she does, she does very well.

“Bigger isn’t always better” is a statement QNAP must not like to hear with their TS-809 Pro now being the largest Turbo NAS in their fleet. With space for 8 drives, this behemoth will make sure you’re network doesn’t ever run out of storage space.

QNAP is making its presence felt in the NAS industry with solutions for everyone. The QNAP TS-209 Pro II fits the bill for anyone looking for a small, flexible and powerful NAS. It provides 2 drives configurable as a bunch of disks, RAID 0 or 1 and offer a download management interface and doubles as a webserver, media & iTunes servers.