For smaller firms where digital video production, streaming media and sophisticated graphics can devour large chunks of storage, MicroNet is offering its SR4 external SATA RAID array, a DAS system made to sit at a user's desk. Weighing 12 pounds, the appliance is smaller than a half-sheet of paper. The absence of network overhead lets the SR4 deliver up to 240MB/sec of read performance and 200MB/sec of write performance.

"It's a much faster model than what you typically would be getting for this price range," says Joe Trupiano, MicroNet's director of marketing.

Pricing for a 1TB capacity configuration starts at $599 and scales up to a maximum capacity of 4TB. Its closest competitor, according to Trupiano, is Buffalo Technology's DriveStation SATA USB 2.0 external hard drive, which in its maximum 750GB configuration is priced between $300 and $500. The DriveStation also offers data transfer rates of from 12Mb/sec (full speed) to 480Mb/sec (high speed).

--Trina MacDonald