Buying Network-Attached Storage Drives Annandale VA

A network-attached storage (NAS) drive is a dedicated storage device that uses its own operating system and software to provide centralized storage and file sharing over a computer network. NAS prices have come down to almost standard external hard-drive levels, so if you’ve thought about sharing one hard drive among multiple Macs or buying an external drive for each, a NAS drive may be more convenient and cost-effective.

If you don’t have a wireless network but want one, consider Apple’s Time Capsule , which combines the speedy 802.11n Wi-Fi base station capabilities of an AirPort Extreme with the mass storage capabilities of an external hard drive. Additionally, Time Capsule is Time Machine-compatible, so all OS X Leopard users on your network can take advantage of automated backups without having to connect a drive.

[Writer, music composer, photographer, and pack rat Kris Fong has archived tens of thousands of files. Now if she could only remember what’s stored where...]