INTRODUCTION

   Roughly a week ago some friends visited our testing grounds (lab as some people like to call it) to see how we do things and from all the things they saw in here what really piqued their interest was the QNAP TS-469U-RP rackmount NAS Server which has taken a permanent role as our download server, DVB-T server and surveillance station. Of course the moment our friends learned of the price tag that specific mode has (or had since it's not widely available anymore) they were slightly disappointed since they too are looking to purchase NAS servers mainly for use as download servers and media players. Personally i also think that a NAS server used for media playback (thus placed close to your TV set) also has to be small in size and not just cost-effective something which obviously most NAS servers we've tested/used over the years are not. Thecus is trying to change that by introducing the latest N2560 2-Bay NAS Server which we've been testing for roughly a week now.

   In 2004, Thecus Technology was founded to design, manufacture, and market digital storage products. Now, 10 products and over 100 awards later, Thecus is recognized as a global leader of digital storage solutions. With decades of R&D experience, the Thecus team has developed an entire range of state-of-the-art storage products for consumers and enterprises alike. With its global sales channel development, quality Thecus products are now distributed in over 30 countries and territories across the globe. Thecus products are designed not only to be powerful and flexible, but easy-to-use. Users have increasingly growing digital libraries, and they need to access their digital media as quickly as possible Thecus storage solutions consistently deliver top-notch performance, able to deliver digital media at an impressive clip. To keep data completely safe, Thecus products are designed with data security in mind, each coming with numerous security options for the user to select. Thecus storage products also have the unique ability to support third-party software modules, making Thecus products infinitely customizable. And to make sure our products are accessible to both novices and experts alike, Thecus makes sure that each of its products can be easily installed and used. Secure and flexible storage products that simply work. That is the Thecus guarantee.

   The first thing that surprised us with the N2560 was its size which for a 2-Bay solution it's quite small however Thecus didn't stop there so they also equipped it with an Intel Atom CE5335 1.6GHz Dual Core CPU (SoC model combined with the Intel GMA3600 based on the PowerVR SGX 545 IGP) and 2GB DDR3 (soldered, not upgradable). Strangely enough the unit only supports 3.5" drives (JBOD/RAID0/RAID1 modes) but on the bright side it has both HDMI and SPDIF outputs at the rear something i haven't seen in the past at least not from a home oriented solution. The housing is also not very sturdy since it's made out of hard plastic but for home use i don't think most people will consider that as being an issue. So specs-wise at least the N2560 seems to be on par with devices that cost almost twice as much however there are many things that make a NAS server so lets keep going to see if Thecus has succeeded in launching the ideal home NAS server.