During the 2025 Spring Festival, I bought a NAS device, the Z4 Pro, and since then it has become something I use almost every day. After living with it for a while, a few use cases have clearly stood out.
A photo library that stays organized
The most practical feature for me has been the photo album system. I sort photos from my phone into themed albums first—baby photos, landscapes, food, and so on—and then back them up to the NAS by category on a regular basis.
That makes a big difference: the photo library on the NAS stays tidy instead of turning into a dump of unsorted images. Since uploads can be incremental, keeping everything updated does not take much effort. The baby album in particular has been especially meaningful, because the whole family can browse it together and help maintain it.
Movies with a cleaner viewing experience
For video, downloaded films are automatically turned into a poster-wall style library, which makes them much easier to browse and watch. It feels more like using a proper media collection than opening folders full of files.
A place for my own music collection
I also use it for music. Being able to listen to my own collection at home or in the car is increasingly valuable now that major music platforms offer fewer and fewer tracks for free. A lot of songs only play partially, and some disappear from the catalog altogether. Keeping music on the NAS avoids that problem.
Personal file storage across devices
Another major use is personal storage. Important files are not only backed up to iCloud, but also saved to the NAS. That gives me access from multiple platforms whenever I need it—computer, tablet, phone, e-reader, projector—without relying on an external hard drive.
In daily use, it feels more convenient than carrying portable storage around, while also offering more capacity than a typical cloud drive.
Docker is where it gets more interesting
Docker is probably the most flexible part of the whole setup, depending on how much you want to tinker. My own setup is mainly focused on PT and music-related tools. The apps I have installed include qbittorrent, transmission, IYUU, moviepilot, and music tag web.
Remote access without dealing with a public IP
Remote access is another reason I chose this device. When I am away from home, I can still reach the NAS without needing a public IP. That matters because networking setup is not really my strong point, so having a simpler way to connect remotely is a real advantage.
