Manage updates with the Download AppDrobo (Second generation)
Manufacturer: Drobo Part number: DRO-4DD10
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The second-generation Drobo adds a FireWire 800 connection, but the original USB-only on the now discounted Drobo might be the best bet for Windows users until better FireWire 800 drivers arrive. The device remains the most automated and easy-to-use redundant backup product we've seen.
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CNET editors' review
Drobo (Second generation) price range: $1,010.42
- Reviewed by: Dong Ngo
- Edited by: Matthew Elliott
- Reviewed on: 08/21/2008
The good: Protects your data automatically; easily expandable with SATA hard drives of any size; features both USB 2.0 and FireWire 800 interfaces; faster processor than the original Drobo; works with DroboShare.
The bad: Subpar throughput on Windows XP; no eSATA; Ethernet can be added but costs $200; no bundled backup software; takes a long time to start; FireWire 800 doesn't work well with 64-bit Windows Vista; short one-year warranty; terrible phone tech support; relatively expensive.
The bottom line: The second-generation Drobo adds a FireWire 800 connection, but the original USB-only on the now discounted Drobo might be the best bet for Windows users until better FireWire 800 drivers arrive. The device remains the most automated and easy-to-use redundant backup product we've seen.
User reviews
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It's very fast - Review doesn't seem right
by daveschaffer on July 31, 2008
Pros: Fast and Simple to Use
Cons: It's the best desktop array I've tried
Summary: I've no idea what this reviewer was doing. Just in simple drag and drop tests I'm getting around 50MB/s (400Mb/s) on FW800 which is about the ...
Summary: I've no idea what this reviewer was doing. Just in simple drag and drop tests I'm getting around 50MB/s (400Mb/s) on FW800 which is about the best I'm seeing for a desktop array (obviously a little less than a single disk drive but that's normal for any RAID array from any vendor although it's not clear to the reviewer). It's also tricky to know what he means by finicky. I just plugged it in and it's worked fine ever since. On windows you need to ensure you have the right drivers to get good FW800 performance. My guess is that the reviewer had something set up wrong? Also true that every RAID array has a proprietary format and this isn't something unique to Drobo although apparently also unknown to the reviewer.
9 out of 13 users found this user opinion helpful.
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The Drobo Firewire performance is HOT!!
by lmorse532 on July 31, 2008
Pros: Firewire800 really improves the usefulness of the Drobo. I can now use it as the primary storage in doing my photoshop work.
Cons: A network option would be nice.
Summary: My experience with this second generation Drobo has been much different then this reviewer's. I have had a first generation Drobo for over 9 months. I really liked the '...
Summary: My experience with this second generation Drobo has been much different then this reviewer's. I have had a first generation Drobo for over 9 months. I really liked the 'simplicity' of management of the storage array. I have grown from 500 GB to almost 2TB with its brain-dead handling of inserting of new drives. This is by far the easist RAID array I have ever used.
The one draw back was it was rather slow on USB on my iMac and Vista systems. So, I purchased a DroboShare back in Feb and that has worked out well for backups.
Now I have just gotten my 2nd gen Drobo and on the iMac (Fw800) it just screams! I can open a raw photo in photoshop in 1/3 the time of the USB Drobo. It is fast enough to use for all my editing. I only have FW400 on my Vista box, but using IOmeter, I was still seeing read speeds of 44 MB/sec and write speeds of 32MB/sec.
This is a great improvement from Data Robotics!8 out of 12 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Caveat emptor ...
by Bobby_Pix on January 23, 2010
Pros: Does what it claims.... but slow, but proprietary,
Cons: Nothing can restore the data if there is a hardware failure. Guaranteed to loose your data, sooner, rather than later. There is no official recovery software. Takes DAYS to remap drives during failures . Better have a GOOD UPS.
Summary: Nice toy, minimally built with low spec for what some may consider a critical device. This should never EVER be a back up device, just a big pool to manage ...
Summary: Nice toy, minimally built with low spec for what some may consider a critical device. This should never EVER be a back up device, just a big pool to manage data SLOWLY and immediately back up... errr. SLOWLY.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Feels like a beta product.
by ajvigants on July 21, 2009
Pros: Looks good.
Great concept.Cons: Does not behave as advertised and so far is not reliable.
Support folks are trying but struggling.Summary: Mine is unstable (1) spontaneous uncommanded shutdowns (2) often refuses to go into standby mode which is required for safe power down (3) speeds never exceed 12-13 MB/s with ...
Summary: Mine is unstable (1) spontaneous uncommanded shutdowns (2) often refuses to go into standby mode which is required for safe power down (3) speeds never exceed 12-13 MB/s with USB2 and usually drop over time with a large transfers,
DRI support folks have a positive attitude, but seem to struggle. (1) the firmware downloads and Dashboard downloads from the site are hit and mis - sometimes they just don't work (2) a number of links they have sent me were to things other than what was being referred to (3) they just don't sound surprised that it is flaky.
I bought this (at a premium to competetive products) because it was to be easy and reliable. So far it has been neither. I'll give DRI the rest of this week to sort it out, but running as it is I cannot justify keeping it because (1) it is a pain right now and (2) I don't trust it.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Was Nervous... Now Happy.
by douganmilne on September 24, 2008
Pros: Fast, Quiet, No-Brainer
Cons: would like an activity light + activity alert in the Drobo Dashboard (DataRobotics... if you're listening...?)
Summary: I wrote this review in the Drobo 4tb section... but have moved it here.
I pre-ordered the Drobo II in Zurich a couple weeks ago, and paid about $650 for ...Summary: I wrote this review in the Drobo 4tb section... but have moved it here.
I pre-ordered the Drobo II in Zurich a couple weeks ago, and paid about $650 for it. I was nervous... actually very nervous.... because the reviews for the 1st Gen Drobo were a bit Hit-or-Miss.... and the reviews for the 2nd Gen were spotty as well. I read and re-read the CNET review.... hoping there would be a third iteration to it that said, "despite our 1st and 2nd attempts with the Drobo... our 3rd attempt reveals that it is the most amazing, lightning-fast, whisper-quiet, energy-efficient, super-secure piece of hardware we have ever tested".
That review never came.... and I was constantly bothered that they hadn't reviewed the Drobo with a Mac / OS X.
I am a storage junkie, and so this is my Drobo experience (thus far) in so many words:
Performance....
With iMac 2.8Ghz, 4gb RAM, OS X 10.5.5 - ONLY TESTED FIREWIRE 800 - Drobo II with 4tb (4 x 1tb) Seagate Barracuda ES.2
Transfer speeds are not lightning-fast..... but they are certainly AS Fast - if not faster - than the CNET tests. I transfered 100gb of small data files and music, with an average transfer/write speed of 260Mbps. I then transfered 1tb of larger files with an average write speed of 310Mbps. I can't be certain why there is such a significant difference here... but I think it has to do with the file structures.
In Comparison.... I have a 2Tb WD drive that runs at roughly the same speed.
Frankly... to me... this is fast enough. And, the Drobo feels more stable than the WD, as it doesn't go to sleep after 5 minutes, and then completely freeze my operations for the 3 minutes it requires to wake itself up.
Sound...
I have bad ears from a childhood and adult/childhood spent on/in/around motorcycles. But, I swear.... I cannot here the Drobo from 2ft away. In comparison, I can hear my WD 2tb from up-to 10 feet away. The Drobo is Whisper Quiet.
Setup....
Took a total of about 7 minutes, once I had inserted the drives (literally, like CNET says... "just like putting a CD into a CD-ROM drive"..... there are no cartridges to assemble!!!) and installed the Drobo Dashboard. The Software tells you that it needs to "initialize" the drives, and then within a couple minutes (maybe 3-4), you have the Drobo sitting on the left of your finder window. Really Easy.
Use....
I have moved my iTunes folder over to the Drobo, and I am streaming from my iMac in the den (where the Drobo resides), to my AppleTV in the living room. Strage is currently at 1.9tb. No hiccups... perfect stream.
Design....
This is the only area where I believe some of the other manufacturers get higher marks for "Quality". The Drobo looks sweet...!! Don't get me wrong... it looks awesome sitting next to my computer and speakers, and if I could upload a photo to this review, I would. But, my only complaint is the general fit+finish doesn't quite have the same feel as the Netgear, or Lacie..... probably more on par with Western Digital. The drive "trays" feel thin and plastiquey...... and the front panel is a little lightweight. Not a Deal-Breaker.
Conclusion....
I don't know how it works. I don't really wanna know how it works. In fact... I don't really care how it works. But, it does.... and it works well. Its fast enough that I would never have any complaints... quiet enough that I can't hear it.... and smart enough that I know not to ask questions. I realize its not RAID..... but it still feels safe, and frankly, it should after eating 1.3 of my Terabytes with its backup function.
Great Product, Highly Recommended for media freaks and storage geeks who aren't geeky enough to know better.
dougan.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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reliable and fast
by strentman on August 28, 2008
Pros: Fast, super easy to manage, grows as your storage needs grow.
Cons: no integrated backup
Summary: My experience with the generation2 drobo has been wonderful. The unit is perfect for managing today's endless growth of media storage we all require today. I started out with ...
Summary: My experience with the generation2 drobo has been wonderful. The unit is perfect for managing today's endless growth of media storage we all require today. I started out with two 500GB hard drives and just added two more. As I was moving some home movie files to the unit one of the slots started blinking red. That means the disk in that slot has gone bad!! The drobo stopped using that drive and all my data was still available. I returned that drive for a refund and replace it with no data loss. What a great tool! I now have nearly 2TB of capacity and can feel good about the fact that the drobo will protect me from shoddy drives. Nothing short of brilliant.
And performance is great. I did some stop watch comparisons with a single disk iomega firewire drive I was using previously and the drobo is actually faster when reading data from it. About the same when writing. I am also able to do movie editing directly with files on the drobo, so it can work as a primary storage device. Nice!
My only knock is that it would be nice if the drobo management application had an integrated backup capability built in. However, I am using a filesync app I downloaded from the web and it works well with the drobo.
In summary, I find the drobo fast, reliable and the ability to increase (or decrease) your storage pool on the fly is great for managing day to day storage needs. Sweet product.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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wonderful, flexible and fast
by gfranke42 on August 29, 2008
Pros: nothing else like it and that is a good thing. you will fall in love with how easy it is to use and how useful it is to pool a large capacity storage device that protects your data from bad disks.
Cons: Their update mechanism isn't pretty, but it works. Also wish the activity light was visible through the front panel.
Summary: A great product. I never would have thought of using a product like this until the drobo came out. It is disruptive in that what was once only something highly ...
Summary: A great product. I never would have thought of using a product like this until the drobo came out. It is disruptive in that what was once only something highly technical people would be able to use is now available to the non-technical masses like myself.
As for the performance and reliability, I've had no problems with either yet. With copies it feels as fast as any external hard drive and I know all my data is safe, so it has lots of peace of mind. Besides, it is cool looking on my desk and I get a lot of people asking me about it. I think this is going to be a very popular device.2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Lot's of hype about a bad product
by KenCarr on July 11, 2010
Pros: If you lose a drive you can replace it and not lose your data.
Cons: If the device fails there is no recovery - your data is gone!
Summary: I would not recommend this product. If you lose a drive you can replace it and not lose your data. You'll spend days on the phone with tech support. ...
Summary: I would not recommend this product. If you lose a drive you can replace it and not lose your data. You'll spend days on the phone with tech support. In the end they won't be able to help you recover your data. It takes a long time to boot up and I hold my breath hoping to see data on every reboot. Must and I repeat MUST be on a power backup or you are asking for disaster. The fans are noisy. I hate this product.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Device, but potentially misleading
by brantf on March 20, 2009
Pros: From what I can tell, it does everything they claim when it comes to protecting against a drive failure IF it's a hardware problem. Yes, it's very cool that you can hot swap volumes and easily, big plus.
Cons: Major issue:The Drobo Dashboard can and will report it's self as "I am Healthy" and say nothing else while it is actually having problems. This requires a chkdsk to be run (by a person, not via robot). Corruption can occur while "Healthy".
Summary: I?m overjoyed by a company making an effort to automate what are tedious and annoying chores. The device does many of the things that Data Robotics claims.
However, the ...Summary: I?m overjoyed by a company making an effort to automate what are tedious and annoying chores. The device does many of the things that Data Robotics claims.
However, the hype that the company puts forth portrays a device that?s practicly bullet proof due to its proprietary software and functions. and the software can mislead a customer to loose data even when the software is all smiles and sunshine -"I am healthy". Not only should the mis-reported health issue be fixed, but the 'data robot' should, in theory, be able to monitor the volumes in this fashion along with its other duties so as to provide a more complete service. Who is this product for? It should match all of the hype that the company is generating about their product, or regretably, speak just as loudly about this weakness.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Pray you never need to contact this company!
by bcdouglas on January 24, 2009
Pros: <Can't think of any>
Cons: 1) The device is still slow, even the 2nd generation.
2) It took the Drobo people 5 day to respond to my LAST support request.
3) Support and yearly licensing is insane!Summary: You will have a better expereince if you buy from one of the big boys, Data Robotics needs to bake a bit longer. Save yourself the trouble.
Summary: You will have a better expereince if you buy from one of the big boys, Data Robotics needs to bake a bit longer. Save yourself the trouble.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Drobo
- Part number: DRO-4DD10
- Description: Drobo utilizes a revolutionary storage technology that makes it simple for anyone to use, yet is powerful enough for business. Once you experience the power of Drobo, the idea of keeping multiple external drives or a RAID 5 arrays will seem as antiquated as that 28.8 Kbps modem in the back of your closet. Your library of data grows every moment. Now, your storage solution expands in seconds, too. Drobo holds up to four hard drives, can expand at any time, and supports up to 16 TB on a single volume as disk sizes increase. Choose how big you want your Drobo today with any combination of drives capacities. Why compromise? Safety and accessibility now go hand in hand. Experience Drobo with both FireWire 800 and USB 2.0. It's the data protection and peace of mind you need with the performance and interface you want.
General
- Packaged Quantity 1
- Device Type Hard drive array
- Width 6 in
- Depth 10.7 in
- Height 6.3 in
Chassis
- Installed Devices / Modules Qty 0
- Supported Devices / Modules Qty 4
Storage
- Max Supported Capacity 16 TB
- HDD Array External Interface Hi-Speed USB,
FireWire 800 - Optical Storage None
Processor
- Type None
Storage Controller
- Type Serial ATA - Integrated ( IEEE 1394b (FireWire 800) / Hi-Speed USB )
- Supported Devices Hard drive
Storage Controller (2nd)
- Type None
Hard Drive
- Type Hot-swap - Plug-in module
- Capacity 0 x 0 GB
- Interface Type Serial ATA-I,
Serial ATA-II - Features BeyondRAID technology,
Drive reordering,
Mixed drive capacity utilization,
Self-healing,
Status lights,
Email warnings,
Storage pooling,
Storage virtualization Hard Drive (2nd)
- Type None
Expansion / Connectivity
- Expansion Bays 4 (total) / 4 (free) x Internal - 3.5" x 1/2H
- Expansion Slot(s) None
- Interfaces 1 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type B,
1 x IEEE 1394b (FireWire 800) - Connections 1
Miscellaneous
- Cables Included 1 x USB cable - 6 ft,
1 x IEEE 1394b cable - 6 ft - Software Included Drivers & Utilities
- Compliant Standards FCC Part 15 B,
UL Power
- Power Device Power adapter - External
- Voltage Required AC 100/200 V
- Power Consumption Operational 40 Watt
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year
Product series
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Manufacturer: Drobo
Specs:
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Drobo (second generation, 2TB)
Manufacturer: Drobo
Specs:
-
Drobo (Second generation, 4TB)
Manufacturer: Drobo
Specs:
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Drobo products on Shopper.com
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- Manufacturer:Drobo
- Address:
2460 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95131 - Phone: 1.866.997.6268
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