We doubt that the LaCie 5big Network storage array will one day spontaneously become self-aware and take over your office, but the visual nod to HAL is unmistakable nevertheless. And on purpose. Designer Neil Poulton said he created the array thanks to inspiration from the supercomputer at the heart of 2001: A Space Odyssey. However, aside from that all seeing eye thing on the front, this beast is all about affordable storage, not ending your life.
At the LaCie web site, we learn the 5big has five hot-swappable Serial ATA drive bays that, when fully loaded, can hold up to 7.5 terabytes of information. There's some leeway on config options too, as the drives can be configured into RAID 5, RAID 5+Spare, RAID 6, RAID 10 and RAID 0. Additional external drives connect with USB 2.0 or SATA ports. The 5big works with Windows, Mac and Linux at three different price points. The 2.5TB version is $899; 5.0TB clocks in at $1399; and 7.5TB will set you back $1899. Keep it away from airlocks, just in case.[Technabob]