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HP EX485 MediaSmart Home Server | 
| Brand: Hewlett-Packard
Category: Personal Computer
List Price: $599.99
Buy New: $417.99
as of 11/27/2009 05:58 CST details
You Save: $182.00 (30%)
New (8) Used (1) from $400.00
Seller: a_dingding
Rating:  57 reviews
Media: Personal Computers
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Operating System: Microsoft Windows Home Server
CPU Manufacturer: Intel
CPU Speed: 2
Processors: 1
Modem: None
Shipping Weight (lbs): 43.9
Dimensions (in): 3.6 x 2.2 x 3.9
Warranty: 1 year warranty
MPN: FL700AA#ABA
Model: EX485
UPC: 836367004579
EAN: 0884420143451
ASIN: B001OI2ZG4
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Intel Celeron 2.0GHz 64-bit Processor | | • | Network-Based Backup of Macs Using Apple's Time Machine | | • | Single SATA 7200 RPM 750GB Drives | | • | Photo/Video Sharing and Remote Access to Digital Media and Files on a Variety of Devices | | • | Automatic Digital Content Organization Across All PCs |
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Product Description
Want to automatically back up and protect your digital photos, centralize your media and content for sharing with friends and family, and enjoy whether you're at home or away? You want HP MediaSmart Server EX485.
Amazon.com Product Description
Automatically back up and protect your digital memories, centralize your media and content for sharing with friends and family, and enjoy your digital media while at home or away with the HP EX485 MediaSmart Home Server. Based on the Microsoft Windows Home Server platform, this sleek, quiet server is ideal if you have multiple PCs on a home network, or want the flexibility to enjoy your digital experiences from anywhere over the Internet. And it's easy to set up--just plug it in, connect it to your wireless router (sold separately), and load the software onto your PCs and Macs. 
The HP EX485 makes backing up your home's PCs and streaming media a breeze, and it comes with 750 GB of storage. | Centralize your iTunes music libraries on the MediaSmart Server for playback to any networked Mac or PC running iTunes. The HP Media Collector conveniently schedules the MediaSmart Server to copy and centralize digital files and libraries from networked PCs. The pre-installed HP Photo Publisher software enables you to easily upload photos to Facebook, Flickr, Picasa Web Albums and Snapfish. and the MediaSmart Server provides peace of mind with effortless backups of your Windows-based PCs via the Windows Home Server backup feature and Macs running Leopard using Apple Time Machine software. The EX485 MediaSmart comes with 750 GB of storage right out of the box and four drive bays that allow you to add optional off-the-shelf SATA I or II hard drives--up to a maximum capacity of 9 TB (terabytes). Additionally, the MediaSmart includes four USB 2.0 ports and one eSATA port for connecting an attached external hard drive, and it provides capabilities for offsite backup via automatic upload to Amazon's S3 service. The sleek, streamlined micro-tower design is perfect for use in the home office or the living room, with perforated steel exterior panels that provide cool, quiet operation. A Sleep Mode conserves energy and saves you money in more ways than one. The built-in sleep mode consumes only 1W of power, and the server can take on many of your PC's responsibilities, enabling you to turn off your individual computers to further save energy and money. Software Features
- Operating System: Powered by Windows Home Server, a new software solution from Microsoft for storing, accessing, sharing and automatically protecting digital files.
- HP Control Center: The HP MediaSmart software that sits on top of the Windows Home Server software making access to tasks easier. Users with administrative access privileges can access the Windows Home Server Console from the HP Control Center.
- Windows Home Server Console: Software accessed from the HP Control Center to manage your HP MediaSmart Server. Software includes setting up shared folders, assigning user access privileges and customizing backups.
- File Sharing and Storage: Effortlessly centralize your files and access them from any PC and or Mac on your home network.
- PC Hard Drive Disk Backup: Once the HP MediaSmart Server software is installed on a home PC, the Windows Home Server backup software automatically starts backing up the PCs hard disk drive image every night. You can customize the number and frequency of backups kept.
- Mac Backup: Back up your Macs to the MediaSmart Server using Apple's Time Machine software.
- Shared Folder Duplication: Designate folders that will be copied automatically onto multiple hard drives for an additional layer of redundant protection. Folder duplication replaces traditional RAID-style redundancy.
- Individual File Restore: If you accidentally delete a file on your PC, you can browse versions of the PC hard drive backup image on the HP MediaSmart Server to find the file and copy it to your PC.
- PC Hard Drive Disk Restore: In the event of a PC hard drive failure, the included HP PC Restore disc is all you need to restore a hard drive image from the HP MediaSmart Server. Theres no need to locate your original operating system disc.
- HP Media Collector: Conveniently schedules the server to copy and centralize your Windows PC media files and libraries (including iTunes and playlists).
- Remote Access: Upon installation, you can set up a personal web address to be used for remote access and by visitors. Using your personal web address, you can remotely access shared folders and files on the HP MediaSmart Server from any Internet-connected computer.
- In-Home and Remote Media Streaming: Extend your digital media experiences by conveniently streaming photos, music and videos to your TVs, through gaming consoles such as Xbox 360 or PlayStation3, and computer's within your home. Remotely stream music and photos from your server to any Internet-connected computer for access while you are away.
- HP Photo Publisher: Easily publish your photos to Snapfish, Facebook, Flickr, and Picasa Web Albums using an Internet-connected computer.
- HP Photo Viewer: Quickly share photos and albums stored on the Server with friends and family.
- Server for iTunes: Centralize your iTunes music libraries and playlists on the server for playback to any PC or Mac running iTunes on your home network.
Satisfy all your backup and media storage needs with four internal hard drive bays, four USB 2.0 ports, one eSATA port, and access to Amazon S3 online backup. | - Easy Storage Expansion: Add an internal or external hard drive to the HP MediaSmart Server, indicate that you want to add the disk in the Windows Home Server Console, and the HP MediaSmart Server storage grows. No need to power down the unit or manage drive letters for multiple hard drives.
- Server Anti-Virus Protection: Server side anti-virus trial offer from McAfee for increased protection of your HP MediaSmart Server. Run quick scans of specific folders or deep scans across your entire home server.
- Server Backup: Protect your digital memories from fire/flood/natural disaster... backup your server shared folders to an external hard disk drive, and/or an online backup to Amazon S3.
- Server Recovery: The included Server Recovery Disc can be used to recover all data and restore folders or, to reset the server in case the server operating system disk becomes corrupt.
- Additional Software Add-Ins: Extend the functionality of your server through available software add-ins to enable expanded functionality, server personalization and/or entertainment.
- Users: Up to 10 user accounts can access the HP MediaSmart Server. In addition, a predefined Guest account can be enabled.
PC Operating System Support
- Automatic backup of computers running Microsoft Windows Vista (32 & 64 bit), XP Home (SP2), XP Professional (SP2), Media Center Edition 2004 (SP2) or later, and Macs running ApplesTime Machine.
- File sharing for computers running Microsoft Windows Vista (32 & 64 bit), XP Home (SP2) or XP Professional (SP2), Media Center Edition 2004 (SP2) or later, Mac OS X, or Linux.
- Remote access to computers running Microsoft Windows XP Professional (SP2), Media Center Edition 2005 (SP2), or Vista Ultimate.
Hardware Specifications
- Internal Hard Drive(s): One 750 GB drive (SATA, 7200 RPM)
- Internal Expansion: Four hard drive bays (additional off the shelf SATA I or II hard drives can be added; no tools required)
- External Expansion: Four USB 2.0 ports (1 front, 3 back); one eSATA port (back)
- Processor: Intel Celeron 2.0 GHZ 64-bit Processor
- Memory: 2 GB of DDR2 DRAM (800 MHz)
- Network Support: 10/100/1000 (Gigabit) RJ45 Ethernet; supports both wired and wireless PCs (via a wireless router).
- Power: Internal universal power supply
- Dimensions: 5.5 x 9.8 x 9.2 inches (WxHxD)
What's in the Box
HP EX485 MediaSmart Home Server, power cable, Ethernet cable (RJ45), PC restore disc, server recovery disc, software installation disc, printed documentation. The MediaSmart Server is backed by a one-year limited warranty and dedicated software technical support both online and by phone.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 57
works fairly well in a mac/pc environment November 1, 2009
Jong Lee (Seattle, WA)
There has been lot of info from other good reviews so wanted to provide some info that I didn't see.
I have a 8TB system (4 x 2TB) with no modifications and almost no add-ons.
1) first backup on a Mac with ~1TB of data over ethernet took about 18 hours! Initial backups via ethernet only seems like a good idea.
2) noise isn't too bad even in the living room.
3) remote access via Windows Live works fine and is NOT a trial version. Works great.
4) unit is a LOT smaller than I expected.
5) nice feature to be able to turn down the LED's to different levels.
6) replacing the system default drive with the 2TB HDD was very easy. High recommended to do it before starting backups.
7) share folders work well for Macs and PC's.
8) the sleep and wakeup features works well.
The only real negative I have is that there isn't enough help documentation about the right strategies on going about using this system. I got two different books and still trying to understand how to use it as the help files are very rudimentary.
The other caveat is that for a Mac, the TOTAL backup size for ALL your Macs is limited to ONE hard drive size - for my system, it's limited to 2TB. This isn't an issue for me as my Macs total about 1.3TB of data, but can be limiting moving forward. I understand that the newer Mediasmart servers running the newer software (3.0) may resolve this sometime this fall.
Vista seems to spoil everything October 9, 2009
Chad K. Fisher (Olympia, WA)
I've had the home server for about a month. It was extremely easy to setup, in my opinion. I think I might have done one thing differently during setup and that would be to skip updating the software via Windows Update until after all of my PC's were working.
Here's the reason why. My main PC is my XP Media Center 2005. It is a desktop and records all of my TV shows, etc. I set this PC up with the software that comes with the server right away. Did all the updates before using it. No hitches, no errors. Went smoothly and got my first backup that night.
The server was fairly easy to work with. I am a computer guy and don't consider myself a typical user but there didn't seem to be anything that technical about the setup and use. Advanced features such as remote desktop worked easily and right away.
The problem occurred when I went to backup my wife's Vista Premium laptop a couple days after setting up the desktop. I installed the laptop from the CD and updated it with Windows Update. No matter what I have done since, including turning off the firewall, reinstalling the connector and anything that could be related to Home Server, did nothing to fix the issue. I contacted support and got frustrated that they told me to do all of the things that I already have done. I have a XP Home machine and it is working fine. I've got all the functionality I wanted out of it in regards to my XP machines but little in regards to the Vista machine.
I haven't given up on getting the Vista laptop to work but I haven't had that much time and I'm irritated. It feels like a MS error, either with Vista or with WHS but either way I wonder whether or not it would have worked before I did updates to the WHS while I was setting it up.
HP EX485 HOME SERVER October 5, 2009
B. Jenkins (CHARLOTTE, NC)
THE EX485 IS GREAT FOR BACKING UP FILES AND MULTIPLE COMPUTERS MANUALLY OR AUTOMATICALLY. SET UP IS EASY IF YOU FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. IT LEADS YOU THROUGH CREATING A STATIC IP ADDRESS/DOMAIN NAME WHICH IS WHAT ALLOWS YOU TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS STREAMING MEDIA, MUSIC, OR FILES OVER THE INTERNET THROUGH THE CUSTOM BROWSER. YOU GET PRACTICALLY EVERTHING THAT YOU WOULD GET IN A PURE SERVER ENVIRONMENT EXCEPT FOR THE ABILITY TO LOAD/LAUNCH APPLICATION SOFTWARE THROUGH THE SERVER. UNLIKE ITS PREDCESSOR, THE EX485 WORKS WITH THE IPHONE; SO THAT YOU CAN STREAM MEDIA TO TO THE IPHONE; PLUS YOU CAN DOWNLOAD A FREE "MEDIASMART" APP FROM THE ITUNES STORE SPECIFICALLY FOR YOUR HP HOME SERVER. HP EX485 MediaSmart Home Server
 HP E485, perfect so far... September 30, 2009
CylonDave (Wisconsin, USA)
I purchased this about a month ago, works perfect so far. It came with one 750gb drive. I have added two 1TB drives and one 2TB drive, all Western Digital drives, all four bays are filled now. The drives were easy to add, unboxed them, opened drive bays, inserted them and they were recognized & formatted within two minutes, very slick!
I have not used any of the advanced features yet such as media streaming or remote access. Will get to those soon hopefully. There are so many features and add-ons to this machine, just need the time to set them up. I have it backing up one Windows XP desktop system on my network so far. Working great, need to setup my other two desktops and one laptop.
Highly recommend this unit and all the features & possibilities it offers.
 Mac Users Beware September 27, 2009
Tom Boucher (Wake Forest, NC United States)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Mac Users need to be aware of several 'gotchas' in the fine print that aren't mentioned anywhere.
1) The Time Machine support is limited to the size of the hard drives in the server. So if you only have 900GB of space in one big block, that's the biggest you can make it. Not very helpful if you have more on your Mac. While not everyone will experience this the fact that this is no where documented and you have to find it by surprise is why I am knocking them for this.
2) The automated features such as Music Syncing, etc, are not supported as of 9/28/09. There is supposedly a new feature coming to add this but again not mentioned unless you read the fine print. Again, not a huge deal but for something that won 'MacWorld Product of the Year 2009' this is extremely disappointing.
3)r you can't do a bare metal restore as of 9/28/09. Supposedly a software update is coming to address this but you can still restore your data, you just have to instal OS X again and then use the migrate function from a time machine backup. The documentation fails to mention this and I only learned of this when I found a few helpful websites. Another ding.
4) THe Windows Backup client brings the workstation to its knees. So if you have a laptop or other not always on device you can get surprised by the backup starting and your computer is useless. These were a Core 2 duo 2.0GHz desktop and a core 2 duo 1.8GHz laptop and both basically 'froze' until the backup was done. Screen wouldn't redraw, nothing. This isn't necessarily the fault with this one device but is a problem with the software it uses. It's a workaround, but again, very poorly written software. The Time Machine client does not do this so it's a WHS client issue or WIndows XP issue. I didn't try with Vista or Windows 7 they may have fixed that there.
The rest of the Windows features work as advertised. The server is almost silent so if you are putting it in a room you use you will not notice it's there. Very small server & the SATA bays are very easy to put drives in and install.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 57
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