LaCie unveils 2TB RAID storage system for small businesses
LaCie Biggest F800
The product: LaCie joins the ranks of companies offering megastorage to home and small businesses with its latest offering, the Biggest F800, a RAID subsystem that holds up to 2 terabytes (TB) of data. The aluminum enclosure houses four arrayed disks that support RAID levels 0, 0+1, 5, and 5+ hot spare. RAID 5 allows for fast disk performance as well as redundant backup via striping. Setting the various RAID levels is as simple as adjusting the RAID-level jumper setting.

Additional features include:

• Automatic online rebuilding with RAID 5
• Hot-swappable fan
• Event notification through audible alarm or e-mail
• LCD panel for operation-status display

The price: The LaCie Biggest F800 will begin shipping in the spring. The 1TB version is $1,499; the 1.6TB version is $2,299; and the 2TB version is $2,999.

The prospects: Though a terabyte of data sounds ridiculously large to most people right now, the growing popularity of Media Center PCs and high-definition programming will soon render this kind of capacity the norm. For the time being, only small businesses will need a device such as the Biggest F800, but look for products like this to move into the home space in the next few years.

By Felisa Yang, associate editor, CNET Reviews