Review: Shuttle Omninas KD20

Final thoughts and rating

It's too early to say whether or not Shuttle can use its expertise as a small-form-factor manufacturer to become a major player in the competitive NAS marketplace, but with the Omninas KD20, it's headed in the right direction.

Attractively designed with sufficient performance, this £120 solution covers most of the basics for the home or small-office user. RAID 1 redundancy, scheduled backups and a built-in media server make it adept at tackling two primary NAS functions; securing data and sharing content with multiple users.

It's easy to appreciate Shuttle's simple-to-navigate interface, and the ultra-low power consumption is a real plus point for users conscious of all-day running costs, but there's still a lot of work to be done. The KD20's aluminium chassis, while attractive, has a tendency to heighten the vibration of any internal hard disks, and, right now, the Linux-based software is severely limited in what it can do and lacks the polish of rival solutions.

Future firmware updates could and should improve the Shuttle proposition, but as it stands, it's hard to see the Omninas KD20 as anything more than what it really is; a solid first-generation product that's still rough around the edges.

The Good

Capable performance
Attractive, compact design
Ultra-low power consumption
USB 3.0 and SD card slot as standard

The Bad

Software offers limited functionality
Drive trays don't support 2.5in disks
Does little to dampen hard-disk vibration
BT client and Media Server can't run concurrently

HEXUS Rating

Shuttle Omninas KD20

HEXUS Where2Buy

The Shuttle Omninas KD20 is available to purchase from Amazon UK.
A wide range of Shuttle products are also available at Ebuyer.

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