Hi. Thinking about purchasing a NAS, but I'm really not sure if I really need one. I would be the only person accessing it and my computer is a iMac 2009, OS 10.12.6. A NAS environment seems pricey and so I was looking at the DS220+. My main reason for wanting one would be to have a Plex server to access my large 4k files, which I already run on my Mac, and to just be able to store everything in one central place instead of having several external hard drives on the go. Maybe I should just buy a large external hard drive and don't bother with a NAS. I would appreciate any advice you could offer. Thanks.
If you're looking for a centralized storage solution and want to run a Plex server to access your large 4K files, a NAS like the DS220+ could be a valuable investment. While a NAS setup may seem pricey initially, it offers several benefits over a large external hard drive. With a NAS, you'll have the flexibility to expand your storage capacity by adding additional hard drives in the future. It also provides more advanced features such as data redundancy through RAID configurations, remote access to your files, and the ability to run various applications beyond Plex. Furthermore, having a centralized storage solution simplifies your workflow and reduces the need for multiple external hard drives. Considering these advantages, a NAS like the DS220+ would offer greater versatility and scalability compared to a standalone external hard drive.