Just as Linksys' venerable BEFSR41 "Linky" router marked the start of easy, affordable Internet sharing for the masses, I predict the NSLU2 will do the same for NAS. I haven't been this enthused about a product in a long time, let alone one from the networking equivalent of the Borg. But I have to say that the NSLU2 has restored my faith in Linksys' ability to shake the industry up a bit.

The NSLU2 is simply the cheapest and most flexible way yet to get Networked Storage added to your LAN. Not only do you get a kick-ass little SAMBA server with a friendly user interface, but you also get scheduled, automatic backup for all your LAN clients without having to buy or install anything on them!

Yes, I know rolling your own SAMBA server can be even cheaper if you happen to be handy with Linux, but for about $125 (using your own spare drive and a cheap USB 2.0 enclosure), why not just save yourself some time and keep your blood pressure where it should be?