Introducing DroboPro. A brand-new 8 bay storage system from Data Robotics. The new Drobo Pro looks amazing for those with heavy storage requirements. It holds up to eight drives instead of four, uses a dual core ARM microprocessor and has the ability to survive two simultaneous disk failures.
It supports multiple operating systems and file systems (including NTFS, HFS Plus, FAT32, and EXT3), and has FireWire800 and USB 2.0 ports as well as a gigabit ethernet port for an iSCSI connection.
While the regular 4-bay Drobo suits consumers with needs like mine perfectly, there are some users who found themselves stacking multiple Drobo units up around their office as one wasn’t sufficient enough to hold all of their media.
The new DroboPro is aimed at creative professionals and IT managers and starts at $1,299. Current Drobo owners will receive a $200 instant incentive to assist with upgrading to DroboPro through a loyalty program at drobostore.com.
Since I was first enlightened with news of the Drobo it appeared to me as the optimal storage solution for anyone working with digital media. It’s remained on my shopping list for some time – eventually I’l’ pick one up and turn it into my sole storage location for my images, music, and movies.
The DroboPro is going to change the outlook on the cost, scalability, and hassle or mass storage for individuals with large storage requirements and smaller studios alike. According to the Data Robotics press release they’ve sold 60,000 original Drobo units. I expect this product to gain as much traction as the original product did. Though the companies best asset in my eyes is its attention to listen to what its customers want and deliver, period.