A startup called Zettlab is running a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for a new line of network-attached storage devices that not only store your data and make it available across all your gadgets, but can also leverage on-device AI capabilities to classify your data and make it searchable using natural language.
The Zettlab AI NAS systems feature support for AI transcription and summarization of audio and video files and image classification and categorization, among other things. and you can use an AI chatbot to find the files you’re looking for. You can also use them as media and file servers, backup devices, and more thanks to an on-device app store. But there are a few things to keep in mind before pulling out your wallet.
The first is that, as with any crowdfunding campaign, there’s some risk involved. It’s possible that Zettlab will fail to deliver its promised rewards or that it will deliver hardware, but that it may not live up to its potential.
Another thing to consider is that Zettlab isn’t using an existing NAS operating system. The company is building its own Linux-based operating system and some anticipated features like support for virtual machines are not yet included.
That said, the company has shipped pre-production units to reviewers like the folks at NASCompares and it seems pretty clear that the hardware is fully functional while the software is still a work in progress (but the parts that are finished seem to work pretty well).
It’s also worth noting that Zettlab has six different models. While they’re priced relatively competitively with other NAS hardware with similar specs, none are exactly what I’d call cheap. Early Bird prices range from $399 to $1099 during crowdfunding or $599 to $1599 at retail.
Lower-cost models feature a Rockchip RK3588 octa-core ARM-based processor with a 6 TOPS NPU, 16GB of LPDDR4x onboard memory (not user upgradeable), and 2.5 GbE LAN ports, while higher-priced “Ultra” models have Intel Core Ultra 5 125H Meteor Lake 14-core, 18-thread processors with up to 34 TOPS of AI performance (CPU, GPU, and NPU combined) and 10 GbE LAN.
| Zettlab D4 | Zettlab D6 | Zettlab D6 Ultra | Zettlab D8 Ultra | |
| Processor | Rockchip RK3588 | Intel Core Ultra 5 125H | ||
| RAM | 16GB LPDDR4x |
16GB DDR5 2 x SODIMM slots User upgradeable (up to 96GB total) |
||
| HDD drive bays | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 |
| M.2 PCIe NVMe slots | 1 | 2 | ||
| OS storage | 32GB eMMC | 256GB SSD | ||
| Max storage | 100TB | 148TB | 152TB | 200TB |
| LAN | 1GbE + 2GbE | 2 x 10 GbE | ||
| USB | 1 x USB 3.0 Type-C 1 x USB 3.0 Type-A 2 x USB 2.0 |
2 x USB4 Type-C (40 Gps) 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A (10 Gbps) 1 x USB 2.0 Type-A |
||
| SD card | 1 x SD 4.0 1 x microSD 4.0 |
|||
| PCIe | N/A | SFF-8654 (PCIe 4.0 x8) | ||
| Early Bird Price | $399 | $499 | $999 | $1099 |
| Retail Price | $599 | $749 | $1399 | $1599 |
Note that those prices don’t include shipping fees, which range from $20 to $60 for customers based in the US and Canada.
All models feature a 3.49 inch LCD display that shows system status information, support for uninterruptible power supplies, and AI features including categorization and search capabilities.
But you’ll need to use a companion app on your PC for some more advanced functions like transcription or “AI Q&A” chats if you opt for the models with an RK3588 processors. Those features run natively on the higher-spec models with Intel Meteor Lake chips.
