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Most Innovative External Storage: Data Robotics Drobo

The slick design and easy setup of Drobo make this USB appliance a strong choice for expanding your system's storage. The company's innovative approach to data handling distinguishes Drobo from the sea of multidrive external enclosures currently available, and Drobo's ease of use and flexibility make it a great fit for environments that lack a dedicated IT person to decipher the complexities of typical RAID storage options. Drobo is a direct-attached USB 2.0 storage appliance for PC and Mac that sells for $499. The streamlined, attractive device is a bring-your-own-hard-drive affair: The price includes only the chassis, which has four empty Serial ATA drive bays that can handle drives with capacities of up to 1 terabyte each. This actually adds to Drobo's appeal, since its storage capacity can grow to suit your needs. (Full See the company's site for a look at how you can mix and match hard-drive capacities.) Full Review | Latest Prices