Console and Software

The LX-195 is basically a mirror image of the EX-485 and EX-487 before the 2.5 update. This means you'll find many of HP's exclusive additions to the Home Server OS like Time Machine support, Media Collector, Twonky Media Server, Photo Publisher, iTunes Server, etc. We've covered many of these features in our EX-485 and EX-487 review.

What you won't find (yet) is any of the new features in the 2.5 upgrade on the EX-48x line, like the HP Video Converter, iStream support, and a video capable media streamer. HP has announced that these features will be made available to LX series owners, it may not be until later this fall. 

Performance

As someone who's been fortunate enough to have extensive hands-on time with both the EX-47x and EX-48x series, I was very interested to see how HP's MediaSmart Server would perform on a single core Atom processor. What add-ins are running will obviously impact performance, so my initial tests were done using the out-of-the-box configuration (Twonky Media and the Amazon S3 online backup add-ins installed). 

Much to my surprise, it was actually much peppier than I expected. Booting and shutting down were fairly fast operations, and I didn't experience any real slow-downs loading and navigating the console... even while putting some strain on it with a few large file transfers. In fact, it feels faster than a stock EX-475.

To really put it through a torture test, I installed McAfee and started up a virus scan, rebuilt the Twonky database, streamed HD video to a MediaSmart Connect, and transferred a boatload of files simultaneously. I did manage slow down navigation in the admin console some, but even then it wasn't all that bad. Compared to a stock EX-470 running McAfee and Twonky, it looks like additional RAM is the key for good performance in a home server.

For every day use, it doesn't appear the low-power platform in the LX-195 is going to hinder the experience for backups, media aggregation, and streaming duties. How more powerful features like HP's Video Converter will manage to run in the future is in question, but we'll take a look when the time comes.

Conclusion

Those who are really interested in the LX-195 probably don't care about 95% of what I've said above. I could talk about processors, memory, and the differences between the MSS and MSS Jr. all day long, but it doesn't really make a difference. The LX-195 isn't for me, and if you know the difference between a Celeron and an Atom, then it isn't for you either. If I had to say who this is for, I'd say... well... anyone who views technology as a tool instead of a hobby. This is the MediaSmart Server for the masses, and I think it hits home on nearly all fronts: size, price, features, and performance. I'm not going to downplay anything here; it really comes close to offering the same experience of the larger servers.

Which is right for me?

That leads me to the big question. If you're an average PC user on the fence about which to buy, the EX-485 and the LX-195, which one should you get?

At $MSRP for each ($399 and $599), it's tough to say. Those who want to save the environment may prefer the smaller power footprint of the LX-195, which sucks down less juice at idle compared to the bigger boxes. However, if you plan on expanding your server's capacity, things may change a bit. Comparing prices of internal and external drives from Western Digital (which are easily found online and at retail), there is a price premium for external drives of anywhere between $20 and $50 for the same size. Multiplied by four, the price difference becomes negligible between the two products over time, and since these all have their own power supplies, your power savings may balance out. My verdict, if you don't think you'll be expanding your server beyond an additional drive or two, opt for the LX-195.

At street prices, this changes a bit. Currently, the EX-485 can be purchased online for as low as $499. We have yet to see where the LX-195 will end up (currently at $390), but if the price difference is near or around $100, then the EX-485 may be the better buy in the long run.

As far as other Atom based Home servers, that's a little harder to say. You may be able to find a multi-bay server for the same price, but you won't get any of the extra goodies HP throws in to make their solution more useful and user-friendly. There are, in the end, plenty of ways to get a Home Server, but there's only one way to get one that's 'MediaSmart.'

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