I have a Vortexbox appliance, a pretty cheap and cheerful server with an internal HD, 1 TB. Well, it died. The manufacturer (Small Green Computer) basically sold me a new one with a big discount (my original unit was out of warranty). Fortunately, I had a backup USB drive, and simply restored all my files (which had taken me a few years to rip to the server) onto the new unit's drive. Moral of the story - always backup everything. I have a backup at home and one in my office, just in case I get burglarized or there is a fire. You don't need a fancy drive for backup. Any cheap USB drive will work.
Melco N1A Music Server
I am considering getting a Melco N1A music server as it has good reviews, and I read that a music server will sound better than using a laptop or a mac. But then I realize the music server is basically a computer with hard drive(s) inside. As all hard drives do have a lifespan, what happens if the drive fails in the future? Will I be able to replace the hard drive myself or will I have to ship the whole unit to a service enter for the replacement? Is this a concern for all hard drive based music servers? Thanks for your input on either the Melco N1A or on music servers in general.