Backups of all data and configuration information for the five machines in my environment come in at less than 30GB (According to Seagate the typical business user has less than 50GB of data). I don't plan to do full system backups, which would require more space. So for this household, even the 160 GB NetCenter ($199) would do fine today. That said, my teenage daughter's video and audio files are building up rapidly. My best choice is to split the difference and go with the 320GB NetCenter, which retails for $249 and sells online for about $220. With the backup software upgrade that puts the total cost just under $350.

Home NAS for content sharing

Seagate Technology LLC's Mirra Sync and Share Personal Server is a different class of product from rest of the devices I tested in a review of network-attached storage (NAS) for your home. While it backs up data from Windows and Macintosh computers, the Mirra Sync's primary purpose is to let you publish that content so that it is accessible to other users on your local network or to users over the public Internet. A classic application for the Mirra Sync would be for sharing a library of photos with family or a group of friends. It also provides a way to remotely access and update your files when you are on the road or as a way to share documents with a select group of people.

Not surprisingly, the Mirra Sync costs a bit more than the other shared-storage devices in this group. The 500GB model lists for $599.99; a 320GB model sells for $499.99. The unit itself is heftier than a simple shared-storage device (it measures 4' in. wide by 8 in. tall by 8' in. deep), and it has a relatively noisy fan that you won't want near your desktop.

For Computerworld's story on how to set up storage networks at home, see "Hands-on: Setting up a storage network in your home."