What is Network Attached Storage?

If you have ever connected an external USB hard disk to your computer, you will understand the benefit of instant additional file storage space, but this is limited because it is only practical for connection to one computer at a time and for use by one person at a time, even if the amount of available storage is sufficient for your whole family.

Network attached storage overcomes this limitation completely.

It sounds complicated, but in simple terms, it is an external hard drive that is attached to your broadband router. All of you use your router to connect to the internet, if you use Vista or Windows 7, you may already be sharing files easily between computers on your network (also Windows XP, but not quite as simple), the limitation is that sharing is only possible while the relevant PC is switched on and connected.

Network attached storage offers shared storage at all times. There are many other benefits too, such as secure storage (protect yourself against the failure of any device, whether PC or hard drive, or even the network attached storage device itself); a backup repository; a place to keep the family music and movie collection and more.

Consider your ultimate needs and you can even eliminate your reliance on a specific computer altogether, no more "can I borrow your PC please?" you simply grab the nearest computer and have immediate access to your files.

Space is limited here, but as always, if this is something that sparks your interest and you would like to know more, or would like some help deciding whether this is for you, you know where I am.

It seems that no sooner had we become accustomed to the new Windows 7, Microsoft announced Windows 8, but it's not just a minor update, Windows 8 is a very different operating system.

Microsoft have finally realised that if they are to survive, they need to get away from the keyboard and mouse philosophy and move towards the "poke and prod" method that most everyone has become accustomed to with smart mobile phones, iPads and the numerous other Android-based tablet PCs currently on the market.

So Windows 8 has adopted a more blocky interface (which was called "Metro" until a German lawsuit put a stop to it) that will work well with touchscreens and tablet PCs, but underneath it all you can still work quite happily with your keyboard and mouse - and like other versions of Windows, you will have widespread compatibility with printers and other external devices.

I would not recommend that you upgrade your existing PC unless you have a very new PC, but if you are planning on a new PC at some point after the official launch of Windows 8 on 25th October 2012, it is something that you need to be aware of.

The systems in the background have become much much more complex, in an effort to do what you want them to do in a much more simple way and after a brief learning curve, I think you will like the new version.