How likely that Synology is going to respond to the increasing criticism about their lack of hardware oomph?
I apologise in advance if this type of post is frowned upon, but I can only clarify that I am very sincere in my query. Having had, and recently resuscitated, a very old (but still working) DAS to connect to my M2 Mac Mini—I am now at the point of wanting to replace the DAS with a dedicated NAS.
From what I have been reading and watching, the NAS world appears (at risk of oversimplifying) to be split between turnkey solutions (like Synology), and more up-and-coming solutions (like UGreen), but with the latter (seemingly) offering more bang for the buck in terms of hardware performance (but at the price of a less well-rounded, albeit ever-improving, software side of things).
I am also alive to the huge controversy around Synology’s decision to limit drives to their own brand, and them then walking that back when the backlash became too much. I am not commenting on any of that—but am well aware of the sentiments around it, and the ongoing questions around whether they might not revert to their original position again at some point in the future.
Regardless, I am somebody who doesn't have the expertise or time to do much in terms of managing/fine-tuning/problem-solving anything around my data storage. I am therefore very much in the camp of somebody looking for a turnkey solution that is a set-and-forget solution that will just work, and offer the maximum options in terms of software solutions straight out of the box. For this reason, Synology remains compelling, despite the alternatives (and controversy).
My question:
Surely Synology is aware of the growing criticism around the lack of hardware oomph in their products? And yes, this has been coming on for years now (seemingly without them being concerned), but it is becoming increasingly noticeable now, and is surely reaching the point where—combined with the knock they took in terms of their hard drive policy—they are more likely to do something about it?
They probably have internal production roadmaps and delivery schedules that could take multiple years to change (which might explain their less-than-stellar update in 2024/5), but just from an outsider perspective—am I the only one wondering whether they might surprise with their next hardware release, in an attempt to win back some of the trust they have lost amongst their user base?
This has me wondering about the wisdom of buying a DS925+ now, when a DS927+ might be available in a year or two's time, that might have something far different in terms of hardware specs?
If the next release is more of the same, well then UGreen's software stack is 2-years more mature, and might warrant a closer look. Or, Synology might still be ahead in terms of a no-fuss solution. And then I would be no worse off than what I am now.
Conversely, were I to take the plunge on a DS925+ now, which is already a year or two old, and then something more promising in terms of hardware is released—that would make the DS925+ look far less appealing, and buyer's remorse far more likely.
If you had a reasonable DAS solution that could hold the fort for a few years, what would you do, as a potential first-time NAS buyer? Does my thinking make sense, in terms of maybe waiting a little bit longer, to see how things play out?