Scaleo NAS
with FlatHED, for Intel :: 2006/07
Network Attached Storage unit, originally designed for Intel as the SS4200x NAS. The server is aimed at the Small Office / Home Office market, with potential application to future home demand as a media server. My role included material and trend research, sketch concept development, and 2D rendering. Some early sketch concepts:
Early buzz about the design included strong notice for its clean lines and elegant, restrained styling.
Gizmodo:
First Glimpse of Sexy Windows Home Server From Velocity Micro
Intel To Sell Its Home Server Reference Design for $500
Windows Home Server Lineup
Wired: Intel’s Bare-Bones Box is Cayce Pollard’s Home Server
Engadget: Intel’s Entry Storage System SS4200 series of digital storage appliances
The server was release by Fujitsu-Siemens as the Scaleo Home Server, to some decent positive acclaim.
From AutomatedHome.co.uk:
The system also looks like it comes with a stand so it can be displayed horizontally or vertically, for easy storage out of sight (but as it looks this good, you may want it on display!)
From PCPro.com:
…tastefully designed, in thick black plastic with a clean aluminium trim and a small logo on the top – or on the side, depending on which way round you fit the sturdy metal legs.
And TrustedReviews.com:
Build quality is to the same high standard we’ve seen with this manufacturer’s servers and workstations and design looks good as well with the chassis sporting a smart steel mesh waistband that functions admirably as an air grill.
All three sites make a point of the unit’s unusually large size–it’s nearly as big as a mid-sized PC tower–which was a major consideration in FlatHED’s original exploration. Knowing something this large would need to be both flexible and unobtrusive influenced the design considerably, as did the need for plenty of airflow to keep it quiet and cool. Always nice to have such considerations noticed, even if they’re a footnote to things like bitrate and latency.