HP MediaSmart EX490 and EX495 Home Servers: Video, Details and Pricing

HP is refreshing its home server lineup with the introduction of the MediaSmart EX490 and EX495. These new servers are more Mac friendly than previous models, come with larger hard drives and faster processors.  The new servers are much easier to setup and use, thanks to a new user interface.

The new MediaSmart servers play better with Macs than previous models. The home servers can be completely controlled on a Mac, though a Windows environment is required for initial server setup. Time Machine is now fully supported, allowing for full system restores from the server. The new servers can also automatically collect and share photos, videos and photos that are loaded onto a Mac.

The HP MediaSmart is the best backup solution for homes with both Macs and PCs. All of your machines can be brought back to life in case of a hard drive failure. You can even setup a MediaSmart Server to backup your backups.

Of course, the MediaSmart servers can do a lot more than just backup your data. I sat down with Glen Roberts, one of the HP employees responsible for the MediaSmart line, to talk about the new servers. Notice the MediaSmart Server admin panel on the black Macbook:

The EX490 comes with a 2.2GHz Intel Celeron Processor, while the higher-end EX495 is equipped with a faster 2.5GHz Intel Pentium Dual Core Processor. The faster processor is desirable for those who use the MediaSmart Server’s video transcoding capabilities.

The EX490 comes with an initial 1.0 TB drive while the EX495 comes with a single 1.5TB hard drive. Both servers have three empty hard drive bays, which you can max out for a total of 6TB of internal storage. They have an ethernet jack for easy network connectivity, as well as 4 USB ports and an eSATA port to add even more drives.

HP MediaSmart Server EX490/EX495 Specifications

Operating System Windows Home Server

Processor EX490 – Intel Celeron Processor 2.2 GHZ 64-bit

EX495 – Intel Pentium Processor Dual Core 2.5 GHZ 64-bit

Memory/RAM 2GB of DDR2 RAM
Network Support 10/100/1000 (Gigabit) RJ45 Ethernet
Storing Capacity EX490 one SATA 7200 RPM 1.0TB

EX495 one SATA 7200 RPM 1.5TB

3 Additional Hard Drive Bays

Interfaces 4 USB 2.0 ports (1 front, 3 back)

1 eSATA port (back)

Price $549 for EX490

$699 for EX495

Software HP Media Collector and HP Video Converter
Warranty Standard 1-Year Limited

HP MediaSmart Server EX490 and EX495 Design

The new line of MediaSmart Servers look exactly like the EX485 and EX487. They look like a miniature desktop PC tower, but are attractive enough to leave exposed in your home office or living room. There are four LEDs that indicate hard drive health and activity.

HP MediaSmart Server

HP_MediaSmart_Server_Side_View

HP_MediaSmart_Server_Side_View_2

HP MediaSmart Server_On_Table

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