Australia Finally Getting An HP MediaSmart Home Server (Or Two)

For too long have we had to sit idly by, reading all about our US cousins playing with HP’s line of Windows Home Server machines (and enjoying them). Well no more! Today we rise up against the powers that be and demand that we… Wait. What’s that? HP have just announced that they’re releasing the LX197 and EX490 Home Servers in Australia? Well then, I guess we should probably just focus on the release, rather than calling for revolution. Hmm.

In all seriousness, the EX490 looks like a must-own device for any geek, while the LX197 would fit in any home with a PC. Both come with 1TB of storage as standard, while the EX490 also incorporates a heap of extra Mac support, including the ability to completely restore your Mac’s hard drive.

The LX197 runs on an Intel Atom processor, while the EX490 runs on a Celeron, which means both devices are fairly low powered. It also means that they’re extremely affordable, with the LX197 retailing for $599 and the EX490 costing $899. The EX490 also has space for extra hard drives, which will apparently let you increase storage to 7TB internally or 17TB with the use of external USB HDDs as well. While I had a quick hands on with the UI last night, I’ll reserve complete judgement until I’ve tested it a little bit more, but ultimately I think this is going to be a mandatory box (or a box like it, at least) for every home within the next couple of years.

Both hit stores on October 22.

[HP]


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