Need some advice please...possible purchase

[Tripper11]

I saw these things in best buy earlier today and really like the concept.



It's a http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Seagate+-+Free+Agent+GoFlex+Net+Media+Sharing+Device/9940646.p?id=1218198434849&skuId=9940646
">docking station and then you add portable external drives to.

These - Goflex media sharing.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Seagate+-+FreeAgent+GoFlex+1TB+External+USB+2.0+Portable+Hard+Drive+-+Black/9929122.p?id=1218196480733&skuId=9929122
">Seagate Portable Drive
According to the box, you connect the bay to your router with the included ethernet cable and then up to 3 computers can store, back up and save on the drives.

Has anyone had any experience with these or something like these?
With the kids making movies, music and pictures I need more space and the convenience is very enticing.

The reviews aren't terrific, but I I was hoping for a second opinion.

[struggle4progress]

1. What would you use the docking station for?

I might buy one if I had 5 - 10 (or more) terabyte harddrives of (say) media files that I regularly needed to access and change; if I only needed access to the files, I might burn them to DVD instead. Or I might get one if I regularly needed to recover data from harddrives pulled from troubled machines

You have lots of options for docks or external enclosures. What connectivity you want (USB? eSATA? firewire? ethernet?) and other features (cooling? hot swappability?) will determine cost. If you're planning to use it with a specific drive (say, one you pulled from an older machine) be sure it's compatible with the new toy

I have a network drive that I mainly use as an extra backup. You have lots of options with network drives, too

Some online sellers post customer reviews of various products, which can be useful to read

[Tripper11]

2. Bascially....

Using an ethernet cable, connect a main large capacity drive to use to back up both the kids laptops and my main computer.
Also a place to store all the kids videos they are making.
So one central stroage area for everyone. And of course, I am hoping to keep it fairly simple and relatively cheap.

[canetoad]

3. I have one of these

Plugged into the router, files shared by as many computers as the router has ports. Takes two standard hard drives of whatever size you like. No wires, no need to connect drives, just put them into the carrier and slide in. No need to power it down to change hard drives. You can also plug a printer or USB hard drive into it to share on the network. I'm very happy with it.