NASLite Network Attached Storage

A little sneak peek of the installer.

The first peek of NASlite hdd version.
I can hardly wait for release

sneak peeks are ok - but when, how much - can exixting users who bought other versions of version 2 because the HDD version was not available upgrade for free

a few facts would be useful

NASLite-2 HDD will be released in the following week or so. It will be priced at $29.95, on par with the CDD and USB versions. HDD is a separate product and will not be available as a free upgrade to CDD or USB, however existing users of Server Elements products can use the product discount page.

NASlite-2 HDD will install to IDE and SATA hard disks as well as solid state IDE devices such as Compact Flash with IDE adapter, IDE Flash disks, Disk-On-Module, etc. NASLite-2 HDD will install itself in the first 16M of the device with the rest made available for storage. That way drive space utilization is maximized.

Configuration of the storage portion of a boot disk is done via the NASLite-2 HDD admin interface in a way no different than dedicated storage is administered now.

Aside from convenience, the HDD version will allow older machines that are not capable of booting from CD or USB to run NASLite-2 HDD. Machines that are build in compact enclosures with limited number of drive bays will also benefit. The only prerequisite in the case of the boot device is the BIOS must be able to identify the drive geometry in order to boot, so older machines will need a smaller drive to boot from.

Hope that's the info you were looking for...



EDIT: We are also looking at providing DOC (Disk on Chip) support, however that may not be possible due to driver licensing. The results however will be pretty slick since one will be able to use devices such as the Neoware Thin Cliens in a way similar to Linksys NSLU2 for a fraction of the cost. That functionality is still pending and may be available at a later date if people are interested.

answers i am looking for - well not all the answers i hoped for

yes its a new product - but i certainly would have bought that as the Naslite version of preference had it been available - the USB version is good but installed to a compact flash card [in my experience] is not reliable as at times the bios does not see it

Narlite is cheap [relatively] so upgrading is not something that is not possible for a small outlay BUT in my mind the upgrade to the HDD version should be a better deal that via the product discount page for existing users - maybe not free - that was tongue in cheap - but better than a second version of Naslite as in my case [and others i would guess] it would not be that - it would be replacing my USB version

but thats my opinion - you certainly disagree - others may or may not - their choice - but i will not purchase the HDD version - so no sale - where as an upgrade path gives some return to you

but since when did customer opinion matter

I do take great offense to that comment. Perhaps we should have withheld release of CDD and USB until now in order to avoid your situation. Will that be better approach?

no offence meant - customer service is not a high priority these days - if you subscribe to it then you are in a minority - and all the better for wanting to give good customer service

however i stick to my main point that some of us who are using the cd version or usb version would had the HDD version been around have bought that - buying the HDD version now will mean two licences - ok not a lot of money - but some gesture from yourselves over and above the multi purchase discount would imo be good customer service - and may infact sell more copies of Naslite than if you simply hope people buy the HDD version

I take offense to the customer service remark as well.

I for one am looking forward to hdd and will gladly spend the 20 bucks for the ability to install on a hard drive.

tony a,

If you don't consider hdd worth $20, then you don't have to buy it. No one is forcing you into a purchase. You make your own choices.

I would have preferred XP over 2K and 2K over NT and NT over 98 and 98 over 95 and 95 over 3.1 blah blah. I've payed multiple times for all of them. I really hate this cheap-ass attitude. It's not the $20 bucks but why wouldn't you give it to me fet free? WTF!

each to their own opinion - yours is as valid as mine dimension - as to taking offence - you read into comments what you want - but customer service for this product is what you want it to be - i and others have posted questions here that had it not been for other users would not have been answered - they may seem stupid questions to informed users but look at the number of threads with zero replies - do those customers/potential buyers think customer service is wonderful???

i have pm'ed server elements people and not had a reply - is that good customer service - you decide

as to wanting it for free - if you read above i say it was tongue in cheek - so why the 'WTF' - i suggest that the take up could be higher if existing users were offered a better discount

as a commercial product surely it is better to sell more at smaller amount

Tony / Ralph ... glad to read that HDD is almost ready. Sounds like a great addition to the NASlite "family". Will this version also support the use of USB and Firewire attached drives? Thanks.

Tony / Ralph ... another question: What happens to the "install hard drive" during installation of HDD? Is it formatted? Must you start with a "clean drive" - no files? Thanks.

Typical bail out, your customer service sucks. Search the forums and find the same accusation from people who can't get their way.

We've received quite a few emails regarding this, here's an example.

Grumpa ;

Yes, you'll need to format the drive, HDD will create a boot partition and also allow you to create a shareable partition as well.

It will support all the existing features of NASLite-2, however boot partitions are limited to IDE or SATA interfaces. You can use a IDE flash adapter as well.

tell ya what i just got the oem windows home server, spent 178.00
its ok, will i keep it, probably not because im running 5 naslite machines.
Maybe i should complain to microsoft....lol.

anyway as far as cost for any program...we pay because we like the way a program works, and naslite is far better product than the amount of money we pay for it...and for us that think its to high a price, go make your own software, I know i cant.

so anyway keep up the good work, and naslite rocks, it keeps me from buying expensive machines to do small tasks, im up to 5 terrabytes of dvd movies....for under 1200.00 bucks

lets see Microsoft pull that one off. LOL

thanks again tony and ralph