ENTERPRISE

Labs Briefs - November 2012

12/11/2012 3:16:46 PM

Western Digital Red Series

Standalone NAS boxes are easily found nowadays, but they will usually end up running hard drives designed for desktop PCs, which place very different stresses on hard drives than NAS devices do.

With this in mind Western Digital launched its new lineup of Red drives, which are specifically designed for use in NAS boxes from companies like Synology, Qnap and Thecus. They bring onboard features from enterprise drives, playing better in RAID arrays and offering a much greater MTBF (Mean Time Before Failure) than consumer drives do. In practice means they ran smoother and quieter in our test NAS, and thanks to self-balancing features will last longer than the consumer drives we usually use. They occupy a specific niche, but if you are looking for a drive for a NAS there is no better option.

Details

·         Price: $205 (3TB)

·         Ratings: 5/6

·         Website: www.wdc.com

 

Razer Naga (2012)

Razer Naga (2012)

There are now a few different manufacturers making mice with ludicrous numbers of thumb buttons, but Razer’s Naga stands as the first mouse to try and incorporate the myriad buttons used by your average MMO player.

The 2012 refresh of the Naga design doesn’t mess with the thumb buttons, which are still arranged in a grid on the left side of the mouse. What it does do is introduce interchangeable panels for the right side of the mouse, each of which is designed for a different type of grip. Surprisingly this is a noticeable addition to the design, with the choice of side grip leading directly to a better mousing experience. You still need to spend some time learning to manipulate the number buttons but being able to tailor your grip makes it an infinitely more comfortable experience. If you need a mouse laden with buttons, then this is a serious contender.

Details

·         Price: $110

·         Website: www.au.razerzone.com

·         Ratings: 5/6

TT Esports Chao Dracco Signature

TT Esports Chao Dracco Signature

The somewhat striking looks of Thermaltake’s new headsets have become somewhat of a talking point around the PC&TA labs. Subtle they aren’t, with shiny gold plastic highlights meaning you’ll stick out from all but the most colourful of crowds.

They deliver the sort of sound you’d expect, heavy on the bass. But the overall quality is belied by the somewhat garish design - as long as you like your noise skewed towards the bombastic you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what these cans are capable of. They really do deliver sound well above their price point. Not only that but they appear nigh on indestructible. We bent, beat and sat on them and they just kept bouncing back - considering some headphones break at the merest twist, this is a welcome feature. A great set of stereo headphones, if you can deal with the somewhat dubious aesthetics.

Details

·         Price: $125

·         Ratings: 5/6

·        Website: www.ttesports.com

 

Fractal Design Define R4

Fractal Design Define R4

The latest case from Fractal Design is an evolutionary upgrade of its remarkably silent Define series. The Define R4 is not only an elegant PC case on the outside, but it boasts striking looks on the inside, too.

What really sets this case apart, however, is the bitumen-based sound-proofing material built into the case panels. While does increase the case’s weight quite a lot (so if you like your PC a touch mobiel, this may not be the ideal case for you), it reduces the noise of fans and other moving parts so much that you can barely hear even a high- powered gaming machine.

If silent computing is your thing, there are few better cases on the market. And with an excellent internal design, this will please any system builder.

Details

·         Price: $160

·         Ratings: 6/6

·        Website: www.fractal-design.com

 

Gyration Air Mouse Mobile

Gyration Air Mouse Mobile

We’ve looked at Gyration’s gyroscopic mice before, and found the combination of standard operation and mid­air wrist twisting to be a flexible combination. The Air Mouse Mobile takes that idea and shrinks it down to a package small enough to sling in your briefcase. Placed on a desk it’s a comfortable, wireless mini-mouse; pick it up, hold down the trigger underneath, and its gyroscopes kick into action, allowing you to rotate your wrist in mid-air to control the mouse pointer. It’s remarkably accurate, and installing the accompanying software opens up all sorts of powerful options, from highlighting an onscreen pointer to motion gestures for opening up applications. There’s also a cluster of three customisable buttons on top of the mouse. It’s an ideal companion for travelling professionals giving frequent presentations, and also serves well as a controller for media-centre PCs. The only problem is price - $90 is steep for a laptop mouse, no matter how good it is.

Details

·         Price: $90

·         Ratings: 4/6

·        Website: www.gyration.com

 

Libratone Live

Libratone Live

Apple’s Airplay technology is a great way to get your ¡tunes collection streaming around your home, as long as you have the right speakers.

Libratone’s Live speakers are such a set, designed to work hand in hand with airplay.

To this end they have few controls or ports, there is power and a sole 3.5mm input jack on the back and a large button on the front that is used to connect to Libratone’s App, which handles most of the heavy lifting with audio playback.

Audio quality itself is decent, coping admirably with medium sized rooms. Bass is a little overpowering but mid and high ranges come across crisp and clear. Our big concern is that this is a product where you pay a premium for style, from the hefty construction to the carpet like fabric surrounds. We just aren’t convinced that the sound quality is worth the $899 price tag that the unit commands, there are plenty of other ways to access your audio without paying such a premium. One for those who value style and substance in equal amounts.

Details

·         Price: $899

·         Ratings: 4/6

·         Website: www.libratone.com

 

WD MyNet N900 Central

WD MyNet N900 Central

Western Digital has been doing networked storage for some time now but it has only recently expanded its reach into router hardware.The MyNet Central N900 combines several functions. It is a dual band 802.lln router, capable of simultaneous 2.4GNz and 5GHz operation. It has four Gigabit Ethernet ports and comes with a sole USB port that can be used for printers or to add external storage. This single port is largely compensated for by building a hard drive into the unit itself. This comes in either 1TB or 2TB options, and means that the router is a great solution for those who don’t need massive amounts of internal storage. The drive in the router acts like a NAS, making it a great solution for those who don’t want a full size NAS in their lives, but still want an easy solution for network backup and storage. It is just a shame that it comes with a huge pricetag, and we worry that building the drive into the router means too many points of failure in a single device.

Details

·         Price: $499 (2TB)

·         Ratings: 4/6

·         Website: www.wdc.com

 

Gigabyte Aivia M9 Ice

Gigabyte Aivia M9 Ice

Many wireless mice designed for mobile use are small in form factor, which, for some people, just makes for very uncomfortable computing.

GIGABYTE’S latest Aivia mouse, the M9 ICE is a full- sizem ergonomically designed mouse, with on the fly DPI control, comfortable right-handed contours, and rubberised surfaces.

It’s big claim, however, is that it can work on almost any surface, from rough textures like cloth, to ultra-smooth surfaces, such as glass... or even ice! While we did not test the latter, this is certainly a comfortable wireless mouse, though it would be even better if it didn’t rely on old-fashioned batteries.

Still, it’s an elegant design and particularly great for people who like to game on the go.

Details

·         Price: $59

·         Ratings: 4/6

·         Website: www.gigabyte.com

 

 

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