Have you taken a digital photo lately? Or maybe a high definition video on your camcorder? If you have, you're like most of us - your world has gone digital.

We're all experiencing it in many ways - the "rapid proliferation" of digital media. Most likely, you have a growing collection of music, photos, and even high definition video stored on one or multilple PC's in your home.

In addition, digital media has experienced quantum leaps in performance, quality, and also in size. Back in the day, 1.2 megapixel cameras were the talk of the town. Now, 10 megapixels or more are common, and the size of the photos has increased as well. Many folks have multiple computers in the home linked up to broadband Internet, compared to the astronomically slower dial-up connections of yesterday. The popularity of HD video and streaming of that video is on the rise.

A recent study by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) reveals that a surprising number of Americans are not backing up their digital files. Almost 33% of folks surveyed stated they didn't see the need to back up their files, and 22% stated that they do not back up their files because it is too time-consuming. The average American adult has about 1,800 digital files, with more and more being added to that figure each year. Those are some pretty staggering statistics, and certainly a lot of photos and music that could be lost. (CEA SmartBrief, 03/18/2008)

The question is this: Is your collection organized, and easy to share with your family and friends? In addition, is your collection backed up and protected? If not, then you need to take a look at the ReadyNAS Duo Personal Home Media Server from NETGEAR. This versatile sharing and backup system offers ease fo use and setup, protection and backup of data, and a variety of serving and sharing options.

Ease of Use

Like many others, you may have dismissed or put off backing up your media because you thought that it would be difficult, or take a very long time. And with how complicated everything can be sometimes, no wonder you may have felt that way! The ReadyNAS Duo, however, has a lot of features that can make your life easier.

Browser Based Interface and Quick Setup

The ReadyNAS Duo uses an innovative and easy to use browser-based interface - which means it will work on PC, Macintosh, and Linux based computers. All configuration of the device is done through this interface, and the average user can set up the device in under 5 minutes!

ReadyNAS Duo Firmware Updates

The firmware of the ReadyNAS Duo can be upgraded with two mouse clicks, and its "plug-in" architecture allows new technologies to be added by NETGEAR as they become available.

Now that we've explained how easy to use it is, why don't we go ahead and give you the full report on how the ReadyNAS Duo protects your data!

X-RAID System in the ReadyNAS Duo

The X-RAID system employed by the ReadyNAS Duo will protect you in the even of hard drive failure - and it's super easy to get up and running. You can add an additional hard drive to the ReadyNAS Duo that has equal or greater capacity to the existing drive, and fits the normal 3.5" SATA I / II requirements. This drive can be added without the need to power down the unit, which ensures uninterrupted operation. the ReadyNAS Duo will automatically detect that you've put another drive in, and mirror the data on the additional drive. This protect you in the event that one of the drives fails, pretty cool, huh! The Duo will even send you an email to alert you in case that you do have a hard drive failure.

Integrated Backup Manager

For further data protection, the ReadyNAS Duo will allow you to copy your data to a remote server, and create a schedule to do so, so you won't have to remember on your own!

I can hear you, you're wondering when we're going to get to the really fun stuff... here it is! The ReadyNAS Duo is fully equipped to help you view and share your media across your home network.

Multiple Device and Platform Support

The ReadyNAS Duo supports PC, Macintosh, and Linux platforms all natively, employing the SMB/CFS, AFP, and NFS support methods. In addition, you can connect many of your media devices without the need for a PC. You'll find support for uPnP AV, iTunes, and Logitech Squeezecenter.

Digital Devices You Can Use with the ReadyNAS Duo

• NETGEAR Digital Entertainer HD
• Microsoft XBOX 360
• Sony PlayStation 3
• Roku Soundbridge
• Sonos Zoneplayer
• Logitech Squeezebox

ReadyNAS Duo is Macintosh Friendly!

As if that weren't cool enough, the ReadyNAS Duo has extended Macintosh support, including the Apple AFP protocol, Bonjour Auto-Discovery, built-in iTunes support, and even a Dashboard Widget for system monitoring! Mac lovers, this is the media server solution for you!

Built-In BitTorrent Client

The ReadyNAS Duo also has a BitTorrent client built into the device, that will allow you to download from BitTorrent - without the need for a PC! It uses a browser-based interface, and you can remotely add and remove downloads from any computer using a standard web browser. Advanced BitTorrent features are also included, such as DHT, peer exchange, and HTTP seed support.

ReadyNAS Duo Photos

Finally, we've gotten to the picture support, a very exciting feature of this media server. You may have used an online photo service in the past, or perhaps simply printed your photos and sent them to friends or relatives. Now, there's a much easier way to share your memories.

With the ReadyNAS Duo, you'll be able to share your photos over the Internet with your family and friends. Since your photos are stored on the media server, no lengthy or painful uploading process is necessary. There won't be any tricky router or other configuration settings to mess with, either!

Hardware Specs of the ReadyNAS Duo

• Serviceable Hot-Swap Disk Drives Class-leading throughput performance
• 2 Serial ATA channels
• 1 Gigabit Ethernet port(s) (w/Jumbo Frame Support)
• 3 USB 2.0 ports
• Support for external HDD, flash drives, printers, UPS monitoring
• Available in 500GB, 750GB, and 1TB models

Conclusion

To wrap things up, the ReadyNAS Duo is full of innovative and useful features that you can use to organize, protect, and share your rapidly growing collection of digital media. With its easy to use browser interface, you can access the ReadyNAS Duo's features via any standard web browser, and can be used by Mac, Linux, and Windows users alike. There's a dedicated photo sharing feature, along with an embedded BitTorrent Client and extended Apple and iTunes support. Finally, all of this is protected by the easy to use X-RAID feature, which backs up and mirrors your data in the event of a hard drive failure.

So, you don't want to be one of the 33% of folks who may lose their data, do you? Check out the ReadyNAS Duo, and solve all your home media serving needs!

Data Sheet: ReadyNAS Duo | Other NETGEAR Storage Products | Purchase a ReadyNAS Duo

Build Your Vast Cache of Digital Media