Thanks to our good friends at Basco HK, we take a quick look at the Drobo 5C – DAS (Direct Attached Storage). This Drobo features their patented BeyondRAID technology and this time … it comes with the latest USB Type-C connector.
Last month we reviewed the Drobo 5Dt (Thunderbolt version), and we were hugely impressed with the read/write speed of the device. This is all thanks to its super fast Thunderbolt connection. However, the high cost of the Drobo 5Dt may deter some users. Thunderbolt technology is no doubt very fast, and it’s the choice for hardcore video/photo editing professionals, so the high cost can be justified.
So any cheaper alternatives? Yes, meet the Drobo 5C, featuring the latest USB Type-C connector. It’s a hassle-free storage device that is expandable and can be easily configured, without having to worry about the make and model, or the size of the hard drives. A true plug-and-forget storage device with all the benefits of data protection/redundancy. The Drobo 5C features BeyondRAID technology which allows you mix and match drive brands, capacities and speeds. Excellent!
Here’s a little more about Drobo taken from their website …
Overview
Drobo makes award-winning data storage products for Small and Medium Businesses and Individual Professionals that provide an unprecedented combination of sophisticated data protection and management features, affordable capacity, and ease-of-use. With over 50 industry awards and hundreds of thousands of customers worldwide, Drobo has demonstrated success solving the three major storage challenges in one device – data protection, capacity adjustment, and application service-level optimization – through patented BeyondRAID™, Thin Provisioning / Reclamation, and the breakthrough Automated Data-Aware Tiering technology. WIRED Magazine recently named Drobo as one of The 10 Silicon Valley Companies You Wish You Worked for (or Started) so check out our job openings here. It’s not too late to join Drobo!
Innovative Storage Solutions
Unlike other storage options, Drobo lets users hot-swap drives, mix and match drives of different capacities, speeds, and types (SATA / SAS), and perform zero-support drive pack migration. This means that customers can optimize storage economies without worrying about drive order, data loss, downtime, or compatibility. They can swap in drives as needed, while the Drobo is running.
In terms of read/write speeds, I’m expecting the Drobo 5C to give us some good results. It should give us 2x or 3x the speed of your average external USB 3.0 hard drive.
Now let’s take a closer look at the specifications and features of the Drobo 5C.
