Synology is thought for making the finest residence NAS servers, however the Taiwanese model is branching out its portfolio with the introduction of the BeeDrive and BeeStation. The BeeDrive was unveiled again in June 2023, and it’s mainly an exterior SSD that you simply hook up with a Home windows or macOS machine, and it then backs up information from that gadget in addition to any telephones.
The concept is that as an alternative of shopping for a full-fledged NAS, you need to use the BeeDrive to again up essential information. Whereas I wasn’t initially satisfied, I used the backup resolution for over a month earlier than writing the BeeDrive evaluation, and in that point, I got here to comprehend its utility. It does a terrific job backing up information, however the perfect half is that you simply needn’t do something after setting it up — after it is configured, it continues to again up information robotically, and that is an enormous differentiator over an ordinary SSD.
The one quibble I had with the BeeDrive was that it got here with restricted storage. The bottom model has 1TB of storage and retails for $119, and there is a 2TB mannequin that prices $199. I wished a 4TB mannequin as that might be better-suited to my information wants, and Synology clearly paid consideration, as there’s now a 4TB model of the BeeDrive, out there for $299.
I switched out the 1TB BeeDrive — which was already 70% full — and slotted within the 4TB mannequin a number of weeks in the past, and it has been terrific. The launch of the 4TB BeeDrive is fascinating as a result of it goes up towards the newest BeeStation, which is geared toward an analogous viewers however is an all-in-one resolution that has Ethernet out and would not have to be plugged in to a Home windows machine.
In my BeeStation evaluation, I famous that it’s the supreme alternative if you need a centralized resolution to again up your information, and it does a terrific job in that space. It comes with a 4TB mechanical arduous drive, makes use of the identical nice utility because the BeeDrive — and the perfect Synology NAS servers — to again up images and movies out of your telephones, and there is a native Home windows shopper that permits you to again up your laptop.
The BeeStation hasn’t launched globally simply but, however it is going to retail for $199 when it does, and gross sales are slated to start beginning March 6. It is extra reasonably priced than the BeeDrive whereas that includes an all-in-one design as a result of it makes use of a tough drive; the BeeStation has an SSD inside.
The best way I see it, each of those merchandise are an important resolution for those who simply want a hassle-free approach to retailer your information. The BeeStation has an inherent benefit in that you simply needn’t plug it into one other gadget for it to work, and you may even again up the info in your cloud storage — akin to Google Drive and OneDrive — to the system with ease. It’s being marketed as a non-public cloud resolution, and it’s a good selection for those who do not wish to put money into a full-fledged NAS.
That mentioned, nothing beats the portability of the BeeDrive. It’s the measurement of an SSD, and that makes it simple to take round wherever. Whereas it would not have as many options, the comfort and the truth that you get SSD storage make it a terrific alternative in its personal proper, and now you get a 4TB model.
The BeeDrive now goes as much as 4TB, offering greater than sufficient storage to again up all your images and movies. For those who do not wish to purchase a full-fledged NAS and wish an easy-to-use storage resolution, that is the only option.
