HP Launches Mac-Compatible Home Servers

HP launched the newest generation of its MediaSmart Home Servers. The big news? The MediaSmart servers are now Mac-compatible.

HP is pushing its MediaSmart servers as a, well, smart way for consumers to connect individual computers and organize media files in one central location.

"A growing number of digital-savvy households have both Windows and Mac computers, with hundreds and sometimes thousands of media files and documents scattered across these devices," said Jason Zajac, vice president of strategy, Worldwide Attach Group, HP, in a statement. "The HP MediaSmart Server protects, stores and organizes this content from anywhere on a network so consumers can access and share it any place they are connected."

The Price Is Right

The two new MediaSmart Home Server models, the EX485 and the EX487, will be available for pre-order on January 5, and will ship in February 2009. Pricing starts at $599 for the EX485 and $749 for the EX487.

EX485

The HP MediaSmart Home Server EX485 comes loaded with Microsoft Windows Home Server, the price of which Microsoft recently cut by 30 percent. The EX485 has an Intel Celeron 2.0 Ghz 64-bit processor, 2GB of memory, and a 750 GB hard drive in one of its four drive bays.

EX487

The EX487 also comes with Microsoft Home Server, an Intel Celeron 2.0 Ghz processor and 2GB of RAM, but doubles the hard drive capacity, giving users a whopping 1.5 terabytes of space, and still leaving two of its four drive bays available for expansion.

Back It Up

The EX485 and the EX487 will automatically back up files on a daily basis, using Apple's Time Machine application for Macs and Microsoft Home Server's Backup program for PCs. Users can easily interact with the MediaSmart server using Control Centers for both PCs and Macs.

HP’s Firebird 803 Mini-Tower Leaked!

While the Blackbird 002 was a slick system, it was a bit difficult on the wallet. Thankfully it looks like the minds at HP and Voodoo have been working hard on a spiritual successor, the Firebird 803 that scraps space and expandability for a (presumably) lower price point.

The new smaller version of the behemoth gaming PC will pack a Core 2 Quad Q9550 2.83GHz processor, 4GB RAM, two Nvidia GeForce 9800S cards as well as other big components. HP has also put the power supply outside of the box, allowing them to cool down the chassis a bit easier.

Sadly, the Firebird won’t be expandable at all given its small form factor, and this greatly offsets any potential savings that might be on the price tag.

Here's the reported list of specs:

• NVIDIA nForce 760i SLI chipset
• Core 2 Quad Q9550 2.83GHz processor
• 4GB of RAM
• Dual NVIDIA GeForce 9800S cards
• Two 320GB SATA drives
• Blu-ray
• 5-in-1 card reader
• USB, 1 FireWire, 2 eSATA, 1 S/PDIF and 1 DVI dual-link
• Bluetooth
• 802.11n WiFi

HP Pavilion Elite m9400t series

Enhance, experience, and share digital entertainment whenever the mood strikes with our stylish, powerful Pavilion Elite m9400t. Whether you're streaming videos, editing photos, or backing up files, this PC won't slow you down.

Genuine Windows Vista

Windows Vista with Service Pack 1. This series comes with Get things done, stay connected, and enjoy entertainment in a secure environment with genuinegenuine Windows Vista Home Premium, which includes Windows Aero, Windows Media Center, and instant search.

Exceptional performance

This powerful entertainment hub is ready for your most challenging multimedia. Great for graphic-intensive files, playing music, and watching high-def movies, it's fully loaded and ready to multitask. You get:

• Intel Core 2 quad processors for running security apps, burning discs, and editing video without bogging down your PC
• Mega dual-channel DDR2 800MHz SDRAM memory options for data-intensive activities like photo editing and song downloading
• Ample storage space: SATA hard drive configurability up to 1TB, or select a RAID-enabled hard drive for mirroring (data backup and security) or high performance
• PCIe X16 expansion slot for graphics card
• A 15-in-1 digital media card reader with remote for transferring photos and music from portable devices and cameras
• An easily accessible front I/O port

» What each RAID level does

Total entertainment

The m9400t supplies home-theater-quality video and bring images, videos, and games to life on your screen. And if you want realistic gaming, stunning images, and high-definition videos, consider these features:

• Preinstalled software that lets you compress large video files, stream content to any Internet-connected media player (including on a cell phone or PDA), and back up to an on-line server
• Optional TV tuner and personal video recorder for essentially turning your PC into a TV
• High-quality, integrated Intel High Definition Audio with up to 7.1 surround sound, plus THX sound quality with optional upgrades
• Optional Blu-ray DVD writer/player, which lets you read/write Blu-ray discs, read HD DVD discs, and read/write traditional DVDs and CDs
• Optional USB wireless LAN card¹ for connecting a wireless printer and other accessories

Great experiences
This PC brings together everything you need for productive work and engaging play. You'll get:

* Easy storage expansion via built-in bays for a personal media drive and pocket media drive (both optional)
* The ability to design/print your own silkscreen-quality DVD and CD labels with LightScribe 2
* An HP Easy Backup Button that lets you instantly back up (or schedule backups) to an external hard drive, personal media drive, networked drive, or disc

Quality software and support
We test and qualify all software sold with our PCs to help ensure a trouble-free experience with software on your new computer. You get:

* 15-month subscription to Norton Internet Security 2008
* Our one-year, limited warranty for parts and labor, plus support toll-free, 24 x 7, via on-line chat, or via e-mail (in about an hour)
* One year of free limited software support3
* Convenient in-home service if needed (HP may, at its discretion, supply on-site support for troubleshooting and repair)4