Review: Verbatim MediaShare

Anyone living in a house with more than one Mac will know how hard it can be to share content. With ever increasing amounts of music, movies and documents, it’s often a case of yearning for a central hub where all users can upload and then access each other’s media, even through iTunes. Luckily, the thought of setting up a home server needn’t fill you with dread. There are plenty of simple options out there and this very competent effort from Verbatim is one you should definitely consider. To start with, it’s very easy to use. Plug it in using Ethernet so it’s on your home network and all of the Macs in the

house will be able to see it and communicate with it. You can plug a printer into it using USB and you can also add other drives to increase its capacity beyond the standard 1TB. There are two USB ports on the back and an eSATA port as well. The software that runs the MediaShare is a little clunky, but has a number of benefits that make it worth the effort. It’ll help you manage your photos, music and movies and will then give you access through iTunes so you need only stream media from the drive rather than constant dragging, dropping and waiting. It can talk to other devices like Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and even Windows ones. So, if you live in a multi-platform, multi- console house, you can all access the files.

There is an option for remote management too, so that you can get to any of the files while away from home. Again this isn’t the slickest process of all time, but it is perfectly functional and could save you taking every file you think you might need when you’re out and about. It would be great for MacBook Air owners, for example. You can also access the drive on your iPhone or iPad, which is a big plus and makes another compelling argument for purchasing the product. The final major argument for owning this device is its price tag. Not only do you get the 1TB drive, but all of the access and integration for a great price. If you’re looking for an entry-level home server, this is it.