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Plug-n-Play Server And Network

Posted by timothy on from the all-in-one dept.

shyster writes: "The IMASS is a server for the technophobes. Built on a Linux OS, it autodetects network segments in less than 5 minutes, and sets up DHCP, DNS, FTP, Email, file sharing, firewall, NAT, internet access, dial-up, etc. almost automagically. Pluses include a solid state drive for the OS, so the hard drive is only used for file storage and backup (seperate 120GB hard drive for backups.) seems to be just what some of my clients need to finally convince them that Linux CAN be easier to use than Windows, and they can, for the most part, manage the network themselves! Check out a review from PCMagazine."

4 of 171 comments (clear)

  1. Security? by ymgve · · Score: 5, Insightful

    How's the security on such a device that automagically sets up everything and then some?

    (Remember, it was the automatic detection of network services (UPNP) that compromised WinXP..)

  2. Almost by squaretorus · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "sets up DHCP, DNS, FTP, Email, file sharing, firewall, NAT, internet access, dial-up, etc. almost automagically"

    As we all know - that can be more annoying than not doing anything at all. Do what microsoft etc do - just miss out the almost.

    It's not Plug and (mostly) Play is it?

  3. Nice price comparison by Whafro · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's nice to see that they have under the traditional listing a server with every possible expensive option, while the opposite is true for the iMass.

    Honestly, if you're going to have an IDE disk in the iMass, then clearly the "traditional" server you're comparing it to should also have an IDE disk. And what network of 2-150 users needs 25 mail servers? Clearly having a tape backup and a hard drive backup are vastly different in scope as well. They don't seem to be providing a way to keep the last year of daily backups on a shelf; or even the last week of backups plus the monthly.

    They're just looking for the idiots who don't know what a CAL is or maybe once have seen the IBM linux commercials and look solely at the provided bottom-line.

  4. Uh, no by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful
    [S]eems to be just what some of my clients need to finally convince them that Linux CAN be easier to use than Windows

    Sorry, but this product does not demonstrate any such thing. Using any OS in this kind of device makes it an embedded OS and therefore invisible to the end user. If it's invisible then by definition it has no usability, good or otherwise.

    I'm sure Linux was a good choice for the OS in this product, as it's cheap and infinitely configurable. But the OS's inherent ease of use to the customer is not on the list.