New Computers! Anyone have any preferred vendors?

[synergy_jim]

I really like storing files on a high quality NAS device and share them across the network, independent of any one production computer.

There are many other advantages of this solution, including RAID 1,5, or 10 for data redundancy. You can back up the NAS both locally and offsite, with local backup rotation for a great disaster recovery solution.

Just be sure that your network is up to snuff and everything is moving at gigabit speeds. Over a good network, even the big files transfer in a timely manner.

I love our terastation with one exception. If the computer running it's software shuts down, it sleeps the terastation also… Can you recommend a unit that doesn't require driver software running on a computer? Or maybe there is a setting I can shut off to remedy that..

 

[WildWestDesigns]

I love our terastation with one exception. If the computer running it's software shuts down, it sleeps the terastation also… Can you recommend a unit that doesn't require driver software running on a computer? Or maybe there is a setting I can shut off to remedy that..

We use Qnap as our NAS device and it has it's own OS. No need for locally installed programs.

 

[bob]

I need a solid design station (preferably PC... I know, I know... but yeah, PC) and a solid RIP station. One will be for design exclusively. The other will handle RIPing, cutting, and that's it. Everything else... if I get my way, SignVOX and it won't matter.

I don't want a Dell. I don't want to go to WallyWorld and get some cheap Acer or HP. Want something to hold me over for at least a year or two. Any advice?

As a data point I have a Dell that's be banging away running Flexi and Corel as well as driving my printer and plotter for the last 12 years or so without any problem whatsoever. Ever.

Know that virtually all computer manufacturers are little more than integrators assembling pretty much the same parts. While some parts are no doubt better than others, at least marginally, there aren't a whole hell of a lot of choices for each individual component.

That being the case and despite the howls of pained outrage from custom builders, personal computers of any particular flavor are pretty much the same and the least of them will most certainly last for your required year or two.

 

[SignBurst PCs]

I love our terastation with one exception. If the computer running it's software shuts down, it sleeps the terastation also… Can you recommend a unit that doesn't require driver software running on a computer? Or maybe there is a setting I can shut off to remedy that..

You can either run the Buffalo software on all of your computers, so that anytime a computer boots, the NAS wakes up, or there is usually a small switch on the back that you can set to "on" instead of "auto".

 

[synergy_jim]

You can either run the Buffalo software on all of your computers, so that anytime a computer boots, the NAS wakes up, or there is usually a small switch on the back that you can set to "on" instead of "auto".

imagine that…. a neat little switch on the back…. Thanks for the info. Not reading the manual catches up with me from time to time….

 

[TyrantDesigner]

All my computers are networked, and while I store a great many files locally on my design computer, out of the 4 computers in my shop I have one I dedicate to backup (weekly), storage and sharing where all my finals go to live when I save. My network can transfer 100 megs per second so loading the files is never an issue since it usually takes more for software to buffer the files than the computer to download them from my server.

 

[bayviewsignworks]

We use Mac but run also XP on one which run VersaWorks (Parallels). I like it because Mac is so much easier to deal with as far as security and just day to day stuff. Saying that, in the future I may got with a dedicated PC for the VW side of things; as long as it "sees" my Apple server. I'm not a tech wiz but I can't even calculate how much we've saved in not having to get outside IT help if we'd had PCs. Macs were pretty much plug-n-play.