HP's Smart Server finally comes home

 

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By Ross Burridge

Posted on 26 Nov 2007 at 17:19

After a lead time of nearly a year, HP will be launching its Media Smart Server on 1 December.

First shown at CES in January 2007, it provides consumer with centralised storage, backup and remote access facilities. HP has also added its Photo Webshare software, enabling consumers to host their own photo sharing website, as well as an embedded iTunes server.

A launch event at the British Film Institute saw representatives from both HP and Microsoft on hand to evangelise about the new product, which Mike Haigh, Windows Product Manager for Microsoft UK described as "the birth of a new product category".

The device has already sold "into the thousands" since its launch in the US less than a month ago, according to Tavis Butler, Category Manager for HP, and the numbers of units pre-ordered in the UK is "very exciting", although Butler refused to be drawn on actual numbers.

The Media Smart Server will come in two flavours, a 500GB single drive EX470 costing £399 (inc VAT), and a dual-drive 1TB EX475 for £499 (inc VAT), available in retail from the day of launch.

Look out for a full review of the Media Smart Server coming soon to www.pcpro.co.uk.