Will the QNAP TS-130 NAS Work For You?

The new Trendline Tensou USB NAS device from QNAP TS-130 NAS is the small sized, simple to use and expandable storage solution for just about everyone in the market for a small to medium sized NAS device. Although it lacks the big brother blade hard drive that is found in the original QNAP NAS systems, it still packs quite a punch. If you are looking for a small to medium size NAS that has all of the functionality and storage capabilities of the larger mainstream NAS systems without the size and weight that would normally accompany such a system, you should definitely check out the Trendlines. This review will look at some of the features of this nifty little system and what they can do for you.

The first thing I got to see when looking at the unit is just how small it is. At only a full 4.5 inches in height, it’s not too terribly heavy. And even though it doesn’t have the flash drive or hard drive that one would find in these systems, the fact that it utilizes a standard SD card for storing your data makes it quite pocket friendly. It also comes with a nice little card reader. All in all, this unit looks and operates just like other smaller NAS units that you’d find in the market today.

One of the biggest questions that I hear about these small to medium sized NAS devices is whether or not it is enough storage for most home user situations. To be honest, it isn’t going to be as powerful as a larger hard drive like that found in the QNAP Stratosphere IIx100. However, if you’re looking for a simple storage solution that will keep your movies, music and other files organized, then this might be just what you need. While it is lacking on the storage portion, it does pack a decent amount of memory.

The biggest complaint that I have personally heard about this NAS device is that the drive is a little slow. At times I have had to reboot the device just to get it to start up. Fortunately, this is an extremely rare occurrence. If you are running a lot of programs and many programs at the same time on this NAS device, you may experience this problem. But if you run your own backup programs, this shouldn’t be an issue for you.

Another gripe I have heard from users is that the hard drive lacks sufficient space to store large amounts of information. This is certainly an issue for some users, especially those who are creating a lot of video files. If you aren’t a video buff, then this probably won’t be an issue for you. If you’re a music buff or someone who does a lot of document keeping and similar things, then definitely look into this NAS device. It’s certainly one of the better ones on the market today.

The final gripe I have heard about the NAS device is that it is a little on the heavy side. It’s not all that heavy, but it could be heavier than some traditional hard drives. If you like to travel with your NAS device and don’t plan on being around it all that much, this may not be an issue for you. For others, it will be an issue. If you travel a lot and use your NAS frequently, you might want to consider another hard drive.

All things considered, the QNAP TS-130 NAS is certainly a very good hard drive. While it may not be the cheapest hard drive out there (that title currently belongs to the Seagate NAS), it certainly is one of the most durable. It has proven itself time again to be reliable. In fact, for the price that it comes with, it certainly is more affordable than some other NAS options out there. You will get a much cheaper price on this hard drive when compared to some of the other NAS options out there.

That being said, just because the QNAP TS-130 NAS is affordable doesn’t mean that you should skimp on your hard drive protection. You should always protect your NAS hard drive from damage, which can be easily done using NAS case covers or simply RAM disk enclosures. Don’t leave anything to chance and trust that your NAS device will be able to read the data that it needs. Take the time to purchase a good case or enclosure and protect your NAS from the elements if at all possible. You’ll be glad you did.