Miscellaneous Products
This page contains information on other products that we use and resell.
DROBO Storage Robots
Drobo 2nd Generation FW 800 and USB 2.0 $845
We have one DROBO remaining at the original price of $735. Once this unit is gone we will revert to the current Recomended Retail Price.
DROBO storage robots are a new inovation in the area of RAID storage solutions. Data Robotics refer to their technology as BeyondRAID.
A RAID array (Redundant Array of Indepedent Disks) provides either a speed increase in access to data (striping) or security (mirroring) by spreading data accross multiple disks. In the event of a drive failure data can be recovered from the other disk(s). Traditional RAID requires matched pairs of disks and complex management.
The DROBO BeyondRAID system uses all of these underlying stratagies but packages them in a easy to setup and use system which provides speed and security with zero managment. It is a robot in the sense that it takes care of the maintenance and rebuilds when required.
The DROBO is also an easily scalable storage solution using easlity obtainable SATAII drives. Because it takes standard internal drives, you are not paying for power supplys and interface cards every time you buy a new storage unit. You can start with two drives of whatever capacity you initially require. As you need more storage you simply add another drive to the robot. DROBO will take up to 4 drives. You can mix and match drive sizes and brands. The blue lights on the bottom of the drive indicate the remaining capacity of the drive.
If a drive fails, DROBO allerts you and you simply pull out the failed drive and insert a new replacement drive. DROBO then rebuilds the data from the remaining disks. You can still have access to your data at all times.
DROBO can be used with Apple's Time Machine to turn it into a automatic backup system with redundancy.
DROBO use either USB 2.0 or Firewire 800 for data interface. Firewire 800 opperates at about twice the speed of USB 2 and Firewire 400.
Full details on the DROBO Website
Check out how much storage you will yield from different drive configurations using the DROBOlator.
This great demo allows you to choose different drive sizes and place them in the DROBO and then see what storage you end up with and the how the unit protects your data from drive failure.
We are still waiting for stock to arrive in Australia for these units. They should be available very soon.
DROBO Share $355
DroboShare turns your DROBO into a network attached storage device. Equipped with gigabit ethernet, your drob can be accessed by any computers on your network. Setup is automatic and is compatible with Mac OS, Windows and Linux.
Full details on the DROBO Website
inkAid
inkAID gives creative digital artists the opportunity to create unlimited types of surfaces on which to print including traditional fine art papers, metal, plastic and wood veneer. Printing on uncoated papers can result in ink bleeding into the fibres of the substrate resulting in poor saturation and unsharp images.
inkAid provides a site for the ink to bind to the surface of the sbstrate. You can obtain a sharp image and excellent colour saturation while still maintaining the texture and character of the underlying substrate.
inkAid opens up a whole range of media to inkjet printing. We have experimented with printing on timber veneers and handmade papers ffrom the Burnie Paper Mill. We are currently working on a project with The Wilderness Gallery to produce an exhibition on these papers using inkAid and an Epson 7800.
inkAid is available in a variety of precoats. We are stocking 3 of these but have access to the whole range.
White Matte Precoat
White matte precoat gives a beautiful very flat and bright white surface. It goes on clear and dries white. One coat is enough on smooth, hard surfaces like gesso; two coats may be needed on more porous surfaces, like paper. With pigmented inks it creates a water resistant finish which allows overpainting of acrylic based varnishes.
Clear Semi Gloss Precoat
A favorite for artists coating surfaces where they want to preserve the color or image beneath the precoat. One coat is usually sufficient if carefully applied to cover all areas evenly. Very porous surfaces may need more coats, or you can seal the surface with acrylic medium before applying the precoat.
Clear Gloss Precoat Type II
This new Clear Gloss Precoat Type II was specially formulated to eliminate the need for adhesive when applying to a non-absorbent surface like aluminum or Plexiglas. Use two coats, the second applied perpendicularly to the first when it is completely dry.
| Code | Product | Volume | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| IA-WMPC-1L | White Matte Precoat | 1L | $55 |
| IA-WMPC-500 | White Matte Precoat | 500ml | $30 |
| IA-SGP-1L | Semi Gloss Precoat | 1L | $55 |
| IA-SGP-500 | Semi Gloss Precoat | 500ml | $30 |
| IA-GPII-1L | Gloss Precoat Type II (with Adhesive) | 1L | $70 |
| IA-GPII-500 | Gloss Precoat Type II (with Adhesive) | 500ml | $40 |
4L containers are also available. Please call for prices.
See the inkAid web site for full product descriptions and usage notes.