It is HP’s latest Windows Home Server. The company has introduced the latest model that does everything better than its predecessors. The HP MediaSmart Server runs Microsoft’s Windows Home Server. But this is equipped with a different user interface in order to make it user-friendly for to the non-technical users. This is ideal for those looking for a central storage solution and a backup.

Instead of using the WHS setup screen, the new users are enabled to use HP’s software pack. This guides them through assigning permissions to users, setting up remote backups and locating media spread over a network. It features the identical media collecting, transcoding software and iPhone-streaming as found in the earlier models. However the Media Collector is seen to work better on Mac.

The better OS X and the more powerful machine support are entirely new features visible in this device. This device is seen to have low power, low voltage.

The unRARing of large files consumes time on a Celeron or Atom processor. However, the Pentium is found to speeds things up. It provides a suitable memory of 2GB. This server was found to be respectable with its hardware updates.

When HP started out with the OS X support it was not of much success. The backup would not permit a full restore until users searched out for third-party solutions in order to access this device remotely through the OS X. But now the OS X can be completely backed up and it can be restored just like an ordinary PC. This is done by using an entirely separate restore disc. This works just like it is planned to. This is a good alternative to the Time Capsule, Apple’s very own backup device.

The server is now equipped with an OS X WHS management tool which is a repacked remote desktop client. Thanks to these updates, the HP MediaSmart server can exist efficiently within an all-Mac network.

The EX495 is however found to be expensive if users consider the amount of storage it is providing them. The most important buying factor of a file server is its storage capacity. Users can expand the existing storage capacity to their requirements using the HP MediaSmart line. However, priced at $699 users expect to get more than 1.5TB.