Aug 16 -- Newer Technology Inc. (NewerTech), a developer of PC, Macintosh and iPod performance upgrades and accessories, has announced the newest addition to its storage line, the miniStack NAS (Network Attached Storage) solution for storing and sharing music, videos, photos, and files at home or at the office. miniStack NAS connects to computers either through Ethernet or USB (universal serial bus) 2.0 ports for PnP (Plug and Play) storage, and sharing of up to 750GB (gigabytes) between up to 20 Windows or Mac users, NewerTech said on Tuesday.

miniStack NAS offers drag and drop shared storage up to 750GB for home or business at about six times faster performance, NewerTech said. The solution also offers extra security with NDAS (Network Direct Attached Storage) technology, the company said.

NewerTech of Woodstock, Illinois is a developer of performance upgrades for PowerBooks, desktop Macintosh computers, Intel Macs, iMacs, iPods and MacOS compatibles, the company said.

miniStack NAS addresses the growing trend of computers as the hub of home entertainment by offering a shared local drive for wired or wireless networked computers for drag-and-drop sharing and storage, NewerTech said. It is an ideal server for digital lifestyle, as it offers storage capacities up to 750GB, the company said. The solution also offers the ability to stream multimedia and HD (high-density) files to UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) compatible media players, and easy set-up by eliminating complicated network TCP/IP configurations, it said.

Adding the NewerTech miniStack NAS into a home or business network is a simple matter of installing the included software driver onto each computer that will share the miniStack NAS drive and connecting miniStack NAS to the network through the included Ethernet cable, NewerTech said.

miniStack NAS utilizes advanced network storage technology to enable direct storage and access by up to 20 users simultaneously, with up to six times faster performance than older PC file sharing-based technologies, NewerTech said. With both USB 2.0 and Ethernet connections, miniStack NAS offers the flexibility to be used either on the network or as a personal external high-speed storage solution, the company said.

miniStack NAS keeps sensitive data safe and secure with user-selectable levels of read/write privileges, including no access, read only, or full access options, NewerTech said. As the miniStack NAS uses NDAS technology, it eliminates the need for TCP/IP settings, which helps to keep the miniStack NAS is safe from external hackers, the company said.

The applications of the miniStack NAS include home network file sharing/storage, backup/archiving, and other shared external drive access needs, NewerTech said. The solution can also be used for small businesses as a primary or secondary network storage solution, the company said. The solution can be deployed in public office/facility like libraries and villages, for the backup, archiving and conservation of data, it said. The solution can be used as a multimedia storage device for MP3s, digital photos, and digital video, NewerTech added.

miniStack NAS solution features up to 750GB storage, up to 16MB (megabytes) of data cache, NewerTech said. The solution also features Ximeta NDAS 2011 network chipset for extra security, one RJ-45 10/100Base-TX auto switching MDI/MDI-X port, and one USB 2.0/1.1 port, the company said. The solution offers data transfer speed of up to 100Mb/s (megabits-per-second), it said. The solution can be used by up to 20 simultaneous Mac or PC users, NewerTech added.

miniStack NAS solution features front panel LED (light emitting diode) status lights, external auto-switching 100-240V 50-60Hz 3 amp UL listed power supply, with a small footprint of 6.5-inch x 6.50inch x 1.5-inch in size, NewerTech said. The solution offers auto-power on/off automatically with computer, thermal monitoring for minimal fan power consumption, and quiet operation, the company said. The solution also offers Kensington security slot, with Ethernet RJ-45 and USB 2.0 cables included and stackable design, the company added.

miniStack NAS is available in seven pre-configured 7200RPM (revolutions-per-minute) solutions, from 80GB to 750GB, priced starting at MSRP (manufacturers’ suggested retail price) of US$ 119.99 from NewerTech's exclusive distributor, Other World Computing, as well as through select resellers, NewerTech said. A 0GB "Add Your Own Drive" kit is also available for US$ 79.99 MSRP, the company said.

miniStack NAS is compatible with Macintosh computers running OS 8.6 and later with an available USB port, OS 10.2.8 and later required for network operation or Windows ME, Windows XP, Windows 2000 (Home or Professional), or Windows Vista with an available USB port or through network, NewerTech said. All pre-configured and certain OGB kit miniStack NAS models include a US$ 200 retail value utility software bundle comprised of ProSoft Engineering Data Backup 3, NovaStor NovaBACKUP, and Intech SpeedTools Utilities, the company said.