Cobalt Updates Qube Office Internet Appliance
Qube 3 features Net access, e-mail, file sharing, hosting, and a firewall in an 8-inch box.Stan Miastkowski, special to PCWorld.com
Cobalt Networks this week introduced the Qube 3, the latest incarnation of the company's small-office network appliance housed in a unique cobalt-blue 8-inch square box.
The Qube 3 is scheduled to ship on October 19 and is available in three versions starting with a $999 entry-level model.
The network appliance enters a product category that has grown in recent years. It faces competitors such as the Intel InBusiness Small Office Network and the Whistle InterJet from IBM. (See "Win NT Powers Small Office Server" and "IBM Buys Whistle for Small Businesses.")
Designed to plug into any standard Ethernet network, the Qube 3 includes functions for Web serving on the Internet or an intranet and supports e-mail as well as file sharing with previous Qubes. This edition enhances those functions and adds a number of new features, including Web caching, a firewall, and broadband (cable or DSL) connectivity.
Cobalt says the Qube 3 is designed for small to medium-sized businesses, workgroups, and educational institutions with up to 150 users. When equipped with a broadband connection, it can handle up to 35 million Web objects and 400,000 e-mail messages daily, according to the company.
Three Configurations Offered
The entry-level Qube 3 has a 300-MHz processor, 32MB of memory, and a 10.2GB hard drive. The Qube 3 Business Edition, priced at $1499, bumps the memory up to 64MB and includes a 20.4GB SCSI hard drive. The Qube 3 Professional Edition has a 450-MHz CPU, 128MB of memory, and dual RAID-1 mirroring 20.4GB SCSI hard drives. All versions include USB and serial ports. The Business and Professional Editions include Web page caching for faster Web access in a busy business environment.
All versions of the Qube 3 run a custom version of the Red Hat Linux distribution, although you access and administer the unit through a Web-based interface and don't need to be familiar with Linux. In fact, Linux is often the operating system of choice for these office-oriented Net appliances (see "OfficeServer: Affordable Web and E-Mail for Small Offices").
Connection to the Internet can be handled through an external modem, a DSL router, a cable modem, an ISDN line, or even a leased line for heavy-traffic installations.
According to Cobalt, the Qube 3 is easier to set up and use than its predecessors. (See "Qube 2 Ties It All Together.")
It automatically detects network settings, automatically configures itself for internal networks, and has a unified user interface. The company also claims higher reliability, with backup and restoring features for data security. Also, Cobalt's BlueLinq technology allows one-click access to product updates and new applications. (See also "Plug-and-Play Servers Take the Pain Out of Small-Business Networks.")