HP MediaSmart Pricing Leaked – Systems Listed at Amazon.com

We’ve been waiting eagerly for more information on HP’s MediaSmart server, and to date, they’ve been pretty coy about releasing any – especially pricing! Good news, though, Amazon.com are today listing two HP MediaSmart Windows Home Server systems on their site, whilst elsewhere, pricing has been mistakenly published (and then pulled) on a couple of online retail sites – PC Mall and onSale.com. Best Buy also have some new information to share. I guess HP will be miffed.

So what do we know?

There will be 500Gb and 1Tb variants, with the following US pricing:

500Gb HP MediaSmart EX470 (GG795AA#ABA) – $596 (£299)
1Tb HP MediaSmart EX475 (GG796AA#ABA) $745 (£374)

Both systems will be powered by a 64-bit (and therefore WHS v2 compatible) 1.8GHz AMD Sempron processor and come bundled with HP’s bundled Photo Webshare software, including direct links to Snapfish (HP’s Photo Printing partner). The 1Tb system appears to be configured as 2 x 500Gb hard disks, leaving 2 of the system’s 4 drive bays free for extra storage (as well as the 4 free external USB 2.0 ports). The EX470 is configured as 1 x 500Gb, with three free internal bays for future expansion. As you can see from the shot of the system’s rear below, it will be fully headless, with no monitor port.

Both systems are now listed at Amazon.com without pricing:

EX470
EX475

Check out the shots:

So, full specs as we have them:

Product: HP MediaSmart Server
Processor: AMD LIVE 64 1.8 Ghz Sempron
Internal Storage: 1 x 500Gb SATA (EX470)/ 2 x 500Gb SATA (EX475)
Storage Expansion: 3 Drive Bays Free (EX470)/ 2 Drive Bays Free (EX475)
External USB Ports: 4
Dimensions: 9.7 x 9.2 x 5.5 inches
Weight: 14.92 Lbs
Pricing: $596 (EX470)/ $745 (EX475)

Here’s HP’s Blurb:

Easily enhance your network
It’s quick and easy to set up your HP MediaSmart Server and create up to 10 user accounts using the Microsoft Windows Home Server software. You can also open a predefined Guest account for additional file sharing capabilities.

The HP MediaSmart Server also lets you set up your own secure personal web address to allow file access by remote users.

Every PC on your network will have the Control Center software giving users the ability to browse shared folders on the HP MediaSmart Server, add photos to the HP Photo Webshare and perform an immediate backup of their computer. Set the access privileges for each user at the shared-folder level to allow Read/Write, Read Only or No Access. You also control the remote access privilege for each user. Approved users will then be able to remotely access shared files and even applications on their home PC through a secure connection from any Internet-connected PC.

Share your media
Use included HP Photo Webshare software to easily and securely share photos stored on your HP MediaSmart Server with select friends and family. A quick link to Snapfish allows easy photo printing. Enjoy digital music, photos, video and files from any networked PC. Stream content directly to your home entertainment center using a digital media adapter (DMA). The DMA device accesses the media files and coordinates the streaming process between the HP MediaSmart Server and your entertainment device.

Protect your data
Keep your PC files safe with automatic backup for multiple PCs. You can customize the frequency of backups and how many backups are stored. Files accidentally deleted can be easily found on the backup image and copied to your PC. In the event of hard drive failure, the included HP PC Restore disc is all you need to return your PC and all your data to their original condition. Now, that’s peace of mind!

Expand your storage
Secure your files, photos and other digital valuables with expansion capacity up to 6TB of storage. Plan for future storage with the HP MediaSmart Server’s four drive bays and four USB 2.0 ports to connect external USB hard drives.

Additional features
Utilizes 64-bit processor technology from AMD for quick response

Monitor the health of your networked PCs with an HP MediaSmart Server

There’s no sign of any new activity over at HP.com right now, but I’m sure it can’t be far away. We’ll keep you posted.

Thanks to the Microsoft Certifed SBS Blog for the pricing information.