Hardware Geeks

Last week I got my hands on the newest HP MediaSmart Server LX195, a new smaller version of HP’s popular MediaSmart servers which run Windows HomeServer. When I first heard about the LX195 a few weeks ago I initially thought wow a server that wouldn’t intimidate my mom.

So after unboxing the LX195 I didn’t want to test it I wanted someone who had little experience with a server, I wanted my mom to test it. Especially because HP wouldn’t market this server to me or any other advance user they would market it to novice and average users like my mom. So who better to review it than my mom? My mom is 63 in case you are wondering.

But before we get into what my mom thought of the LX195, and what she liked and didn’t like I want to explain what exactly is a MediaSmart server.

HP’s MediaSmart servers run Windows HomeServer and while the “Server” in Windows HomeServer may intimidate you don’t let it. It’s an easy to use operating system that will allow you to share your media files, back up all of your computers (Up to 10) and access your desktop and files remotely.

But HP’s MediaSmart server adds an additional layer of features to the Windows Homeserver experience that will allow you to not only share but to stream your music files over the web, and with some versions even allow you to stream video over the web. It will also let you create photo albums that you can share.

Think of it as having your own personal YouTube in your living room that you own and you can share your videos with your friends by simply sending them a link instead of uploading the file via email and having them download it, or uploading it to a third party service like youtube.

So the day I posted this unboxing video, I took the HP MediaSmart Server LX195 over to my mom’s house explained to her what it was and what it did. Then I told her to follow the included instructions and set it up and just do what ever she wanted with it. I then left expecting to get a phone call from her telling me to come back.

Two days went by and I began to worry, I hadn’t gotten any calls from my dear mother asking me to come over and set it up for her. So I head over expecting to find it still sitting on her table where I left it. 

To my surprise it was next to her computer in the living room plugged in and it seemed to be working. I moved the mouse to wake up the screen and to my surprise there was a Windows HomeServer Connector icon on her task bar, but what was even more surpriseing to me was the connector icon was green. Red = Critical, Yellow = Warning, Green = All Systems Go!

She yelled at me to get off her computer, she doesn’t like anyone on it without her permission and I told her I was just checking to see if she had set up the LX195, she said of course she did it was easy and that she was old not senile.

Turns out the LX195 was easier for her to use than I thought because she had already set up Albums in her photo gallery and sent a few links out to her friends.

She immediately grasped the concept of what the MediaSmart Server LX195 was and wasn’t intimidated by the fact it’s a server. She told me it was easier then setting up her television which she also did by herself.

She also liked that it was small and looked nice next to her desktop. She continued to tell me that the instructions were easy to follow and even though it looked like a lot of work it wasn’t.

She did have one complain, she was upset she had to buy a router though (She actually went to staples and bought one on her own). She said it should have an outbound port in the back of it so that she doesn’t need a router if she doesn’t want one. She kind of wants it to function like her Vonage V-Portal which has a pass through switch.

The following day, I am at home relaxing watching the mets game, when my mom calls me to tell me she was at her friend’s house with her laptop and she wanted to show her pictures on her HomeServer to her friend. But she was having trouble because the URL she had did not work but it worked when she was at home.

It was a simple problem, in her home she can type http to get to the server, but when she is out and about she needed to type https. The reason for this is because her ISP blocks port 80, the port that http uses, however port 443 is not blocked and that is the port that https uses.

Overall my mom loves the LX195, it was so easy to use she was even able to set it up and if she can set it up anyone can. It is also very easy to update and if you go to our unboxing video page, there is a second video that shows you how to open up the LX195 so that you can upgrade the memory and or put in a bigger harddrive.

The LX195 is perfect for a single person with not a lot of fines or computers to back up, great for a college student living in a small studio or in a dorm and has little room to put anything.  HP has done an excellent job to cater to all types of users with their Mediasmart server line.

My mom feels that the HP LX195 deserves the best award we can give it, so we are giving it our 5 Star Editors Choice Award for the month of May.

The HP MediaSmart Server LX195 will be available soon directly from HP.

Post Tags: review  hp  mediasmart server  mommy  lx195 

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