Intel's Braswell SoC has positively impacted the NAS market more than any other processor before it. Braswell is a powerful, low-power SoC that supports AES-NI encryption, 4K resolution video playback and hardware transcoding. Even though this has robust architecture, the SoC is also low cost. The low price allows NAS manufacturers to use the chip in large and small appliances.
Thecus' new N2810 NAS brings Braswell performance and features into a small manageable form factor that can sit with your home theater components or next to your PC. Thecus' App Center with over 700 applications makes this system a powerhouse for productivity. Users can run many applications, ranging from an email server to a media distribution hub that is the center of your digital content at home or on the go.
The N2810 is Thecus' first appliance to ship with the new Thecus OS 7 operating system. The new OS is a little more refined and friendly to new-to-NAS users. Beyond the surface of the interface rests powerful advanced features previously found only in large enterprise NAS systems.
The N2810 uses two drive bays and supports RAID 0, RAID 1 and JBOD (just a bunch of disks). The front USB 3.0 port features a one-touch-copy function that allows users to quickly and easily back up data from USB-connected devices. The back of the system features two gigabit Ethernet ports for high-speed connectivity to your network. More USB ports enable peripherals like printers that can be accessed by devices attached to the network.
HDMI with support for 4K content make this system a powerful media center. Kodi software has become very popular and is a standout package for casual users. Advanced users can dive into the advanced features and user-built customization that enable content over IP. We know several Kodi users that have cut the cord on cable TV but are still able to watch live content from the web.
Thecus lists this model with an MSRP of $319, but we should see the price slowly drop over time. The system ships with Acronis and Intel Security. Dropbox, Amazon S3 and ElephantDrive are also supported right out of the box.
Chris Ramseyer is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware, covering Storage. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Follow Tom's Hardware on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.
