HP EX475 MediaSmart Server review

Ross Burridge Read more October 7, 2009

£389

Price when reviewed

Since it first appeared at CES back in January 2007, HP’s MediaSmart Server has become something of a poster child for Microsoft’s Windows Home Server platform. Now, after nearly a year of anticipation, it’s finally out in the UK, and remarkably unchanged from its initial outing. While we’ve already seen other Home Server systems (the first from the UK-based Tranquil PC, web ID: 121499), HP goes further by adding its own mix of extra software.

The key differences start with HP’s Photo Webshare application, which takes advantage of the platform’s hosting capabilities to provide an online photo-sharing website. There’s a simple wizard for putting sets of photos into galleries, with individuals given “visitor” privileges to access your site via a personalised web address. Depending on the rights you grant each one, they can then view, download or comment on pictures, or upload their own to add to the gallery. The lack of a full-screen slideshow is disappointing, but otherwise it works impressively well.

In another clear bid for the popular vote, HP has also added an iTunes server to the MediaSmart. This will consolidate any iTunes libraries it finds into the Music folder, while leaving the originals untouched. It will then show up in any iTunes client (or an Apple TV) sat on the network. This is in addition to the existing UPnP media server built into Windows Home Server.

HP also adds a hardware status tab in the WHS Console, showing system fan speeds, temperatures and voltages, as well as an enhanced step-by-step help system that reminds you of admin tasks that need completing.

But the software is only half of the picture, with HP’s custom-built chassis a talking point since the first dummy units appeared a year ago. Inside, there’s a mini-DTX motherboard housing a 1.8GHz AMD Sempron 3400+ CPU and 512MB of RAM – although these specs are nowhere to be seen in the marketing. Instead, it’s the storage capacity that’s highlighted, with 2 x 250GB and 2 x 500GB variations being distinguished by only model number and price.

Adding extra hard disks to the server storage pool has been given special attention. Swing open the front and there are four removable hard disk trays (at least one of which will already be filled), with requisite data and power connections at the back. Slot the disk in the tray, reinsert it, and then reboot the Home Server to add the disk via the console. The trays are a touch flimsy, but given how often they’ll be used, that’s forgivable.

There’s no VGA output at the back (server recovery can be performed over the network), with the backplane offering three USB ports (with a fourth at the front), as well as a single eSATA connection. These can be used for adding extra external storage or copying files directly to the server. There’s also gigabit ethernet, a Kensington lock slot and a power switch, plus an inlet for the integrated PSU: little to confuse those unfamiliar with a standard PC backplate.

The fetchingly tapered sides are finished in a smart piano black, with the front and rear made from perforated steel. Two variable-speed fans cool the unit from the back and, in addition to the hard disks, leave the unit some way from silent. The low whoosh is audible in a quiet room, if not annoying, but it does at least run much cooler than the Tranquil HSA-T7. What isn’t so impressive is its power consumption: 60W when idle is twice the Tranquil – and the Very PC on p40.
In terms of pricing, you could argue that £499 will buy you a decent PC these days (if not as much storage). But in the company of NAS boxes and other Home Servers, the MediaSmart stands up well. An equivalent NAS device would be cheaper, but would lack the sheer level of expandability and polish, particularly when you consider the upgrade potential of the operating system itself.

HP’s add-on software is highly worthwhile when it comes to setup and day-to-day usefulness. And while some parts of the system still have the potential to fox the non-technical user (most notably remote access configuration), most of the complexity has successfully been hidden away.

In conjunction with the superbly designed chassis, this is the most accomplished implementation of Windows Home Server yet – we just hope HP can cut the power consumption in future versions.