Short Version: The LX195 is great back-up solution for both PCs and Macs. It’s a tad overpriced and lacks expandability, but is still a solid Windows Home Server.
Oh, and there’s a contest.
Specs
- 1.6GHz Intel Atom 230
- 1GB of DDR2 RAM
- 640GB 7200 RPM SATA HDD
- 4 USB ports
- 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet
- MSRP of $399
Hardware
HP knows how to make quality PC cases and this one is no different. It looks great – very monolithic. It’s not as small as I expected as this server only holds one hard drive, but it’s still smaller than most other WHSs. An external power supply and low-power Atom CPU helps with this.
HP didn’t design the the LX195 to be expandable, but just four screws prevent users from accessing the insides. In fact, the hard drive and exhaust fan swings out on one of the side panels, revealing the motherboard. (more pics below) I don’t see why you couldn’t add a larger hard drive as long as you can reinstall the OS.
The back panel has four USB ports, a Gigabit Ethernet jack, a locking port, and the power supply input along with the power button. Why HP insists on putting the power buttons for their WHS on the backside continues to annoy me. How hard would it be to put the button on the front panel?
Speaking of the front, there isn’t anything on it besides indicator light. That’s it. No I/O ports of any kind.
Performance
Even though an Atom CPU is running the server, it functions fine. I didn’t have any trouble at all running multiple apps at one time or unRARing files. Under normal operation, I had uTorrent running along with a TiVo media streamer called prTIVO in the background. I didn’t notice any difference between running WHS on this Atom CPU than on my custom Core 2 Duo Windows Home Server. This OS continues to impress me with the wide range of hardware it can efficiently run on.
Software suite
HP has been in the Windows Home Server game for a couple of years now and has shown considerable support for the platform. This model received the same Apple love as HPs EX line and is fully compatible with OS X’s Time Machine. This means that Mac users can utilize backup utility that’s built right into OS X. This is a huge plus in my book.
Windows systems are backed up through the Connector software package. The backup systems isn’t as robust as other programs, but it gets the job done just fine.
The LX server however wasn’t blessed with some of the recent updates to the EX line including iPhone video streaming. But the system does have the rest of HPs software, which includes an iTunes server, TwonkyMedia streamer, online backup support, HP Media Collector, and the HP Photo Publisher.
The two big features are the HP Media Collector and Photo Publisher. The Media Collector continuously scans the network for new media. It then sorts and stores them on this server. When you download the latest music off of a site, it’ll copy it onto the server. You better be careful what directories it’s allowed to scan if some of your content isn’t kid (or wife) friendly…
The Photo Publisher makes it easy for users to upload pictures. Or, it also allows you to host your own photo sharing site through your Internet connection and personal URL that Windows Home Server sets up. These features are surprisingly easy to use and work well.
But…
This is a great server, but besides the the Time Machine support, I don’t see any reason to buy it. Acer just came out its own WHS that features a 1TB drive, is expandable to four total drives, and is only $399. (expect our review shortly, but it’s a great machine) The HP LX195 can be had for $374 on Amazon down from its $399 MSRP. Until HP drops the price of this unit or includes a larger hard drive, I highly doubt anyone besides homes with Macs will opt for the LX195 over the Acer easyStore.
But let me reiterate that there isn’t anything wrong with this server. It’s solid, but simply way overpriced.
UPDATE: HP sent over a promo code that will drop the price of the server by $75 to $325, which improves its chance in the market for sure. Nice, HP.
$100 off the EX485 or EX487: code AC8942
$75 off the LX195: code AC8371
Act fast, coupon codes are valid until July 14, 2009!
Giveaway!
Alright, geeks and freaks, we’re giving this server away to a lucky commenter. Who cares about the high MSRP if it’s free? All that we ask you do is leave a comment below on why you need this server and we’ll pick the winner at random. It’s that easy.
Photo Gallery by Picturesurf
I need this server because I only have room for games on my raptor. That and I’m determined to win a crunchgear contest SOMEDAY….SOMEHOW!!!
Simply because I am out of storage and need more?
I mean why would I pay more than a new box from newegg would cost when I could get this for free and the new box.
Looks smart .and not expensive .wanna one for my own serve
I have been doing home renovations for months now, and I think I have fried my computer from the drywall dust that crept into it :(
need this server to centralize the digital life of my family.
I need this to backup my collection of trs-80 source code, forth samples, and microsoft bob.
I need this server because I do a ton of web work and being able to back everything up multiple times would be awesome. I need this!
Our family could use this because my wife just got notice that this will be her last month of work. Our Home PC is about dead and our pictures of 5 month old and 4 year old need a stable home not to mention all of our video footage too. Trying to make it.
I could really do with a server – I’d propably use it to help people with projects at either Hackspace Leeds, or in a Hackspace in Brisbane, Australia – using it as a software and documentation server for projects, that sort of thing.
imagine the possibilities waht I can do with this.
I need this because the videos and photos of my now one year old daughter have completely filled my current external drive which also just makes me nervous as I’m convinced it’s going to fail on me, I’ve been looking at going with a home server anyway but it would definitely take me awhile to get the scratch together for one.
My time machine drive is overflowing and I could use some extra space without spending the extra scratch. Thanks.
I need this because I have siblings that refuse to back up their macs back at home, but come crying (sometimes literally) to me when they lose their files. I refuse to pony up to cover their stupidity, but if I could hook this up for a little time machine action, I would be a hero to my parents (who coincidentally will be receiving a request in the near future for grad school tuition assistance from my sorry self). Plus, as Patrick has already said, I would love to win a crunchgear contest someday.
I don’t need it…but I want it!
My girlfriend would approve of it =) My aging shuttle box acting as my home server is a bit noisy and probably consuming more power than this little guy.
I need it for backing up my music , photos, flash video work, and programs.
I just need a primary back up system. My small external HD is no longer big enough to meet my needs.
New kid on the way so I’m sure I’ll be taking a photo or two.
I need a place to store my warez. (Legal, open source, of course.)
Oh man I need this thing to help me backup my MacBook out here in Iraq. My trusty MBP 15 has seen a lot of duty out here and I think it would be great to see how the HP holds up to such extremes.
I need it like I need a bad rash.
My TV computer is getting pretty dated and is too loud so this would definitely be a good replacement!
Like Jay Mueller above, I’m also using an increasingly obsolete Shuttle box (with an Athlon 2800+) as a home server.
I feel guilty leaving it on all the time, but would feel worse if I wasn’t seeding some of the torrents that I am. This server would immensely help my power bill (and make my apartment cooler! The A/C here is non-central and loud as hell, so we almost never run it.).
Not me, but my wife needs it. She is a recent (born-again) geek, who loves to play around and actually use gadgets.
I’m pretty sure I’ll be surprised with with how she uses this home server.
I’m going to be out of a job in a few months and can’t afford to buy anything right now! Plus, my entire media universe exists on a little cheap Acer X1200 running Win7 and a 350 GB HDD. It’d make my life easier to have a full fledged server for media so my PC could go back to being a PC, aside from the DVRing. At least TV recordings could be stored on the server along with everything else I share out to my other devices. My mac is a Time Machine virgin as well.
I need this server because i take 1000000s of photos and Autodesk CAD files take up a lot of space. It would also help with the programs i’m writing.
I need this server because… well… I want to use more electrical power!
I’ve love to have a server for use in medical school when I start in fall, goodness knows the tuition’s probably not going to let me get one of my own. I’d like to try to run the anatomy database program I’m currently developing on it and see if I can let my fellow students network to it for reference/updates.
Need some place for all the photos and videos of our little daughter.
I need this server to help trap 99.9% of dust particles and purify the air in my office. Wait, is that not what it is for?
I need this server because my girlfriend and I need to store our favourite TV shows on the same box so we would be fully accomplished as a couple. Many thanks!
I surf, I work, I study. Each of these endeavors results in the acquisition of an enormous amount of data, much of which will never again be consulted. In addition I work from my home desktop, from my laptop in the den and on the patio, I need to access data from my Iphone as well. My wife needs to share data from her laptop also. This home server would solve all my problems forever.
I need this server because I want a place where I can store all the software projects that I start and want to convert into my very own startups…
My good old laptop is overheating and making strange noises. It’s about to crap out any minute now. I really don’t want to buy a new laptop until Windows 7 comes out. But I also don’t want to lose my files and music collection. Plus it would be sweet if I had a place to store some more movies.
I feel I could need it for my hording behaviour and faible for consuming a lot of media. also the design matches my desk. thanks anyway.
Is wanting it good enough?
I have 3 kids, a wife, and 2 poodles. I need the server! LOL
I’m a long-time user of HP computers and printers, but their storage peripherals have always been overpriced, and this one is no exception…
OK. 2 kids, a wife and no poodles. :) :D
I need this.
I need this cause my 120GB USB HD that I was using for Time Machine is deleting old backups now that it’s full. :0(
I don’t wanna lose old backups. Let me win so I can put that HD down with dignity.
My wife complains that I don’t give her access to the files on my laptop. This would solve that problem and ensure marital bliss.
My Media Center PC is almost 5 years old, so I need a centralized place to store my kids videos, pics, etc.
I would use it to replace the home server I build back in 2001. It would be nice to get something that produces less noise (right now I can hear the server through the wall and the floor) and has higher capacity (currently I have a drive for the OS and a 120GB drives for storing data).
It would be nice to be able to access data on my regular computer, xbox and TV with having less hoops to jump through.
Do I EVER back anything up? NOPE!
I might be the dumbest person not to back years of important information up. Never really saw the value in spending hundreds of dollars for a back-up solutions.
For FREE however, I would back all 4 computers in my house and start a new way of life!
Well its at random so it doesnt really matter what i’d say, but it would be useful for sharing my movies to my media center in the living room and bedroom, and who knows i could fwd a port to you maybe.. but its random so probably not
The is one sweat prize. After pulling a 25 hour work-a-thon with 628 photos shot and edited, then finding a mystery crack on my laptop case, it has send me thinking about home server to back-up to.
Good luck to all.
Have to backup my digital pictures covering my 11 years of marriage. Wife will kill me if they get lost!
Me want!!!!
Backup for digital photos/music. My previous backup solution tanked a few days ago…
I need this because it is set and ready to go, unlike the Dell server I got a great deal on 2 yrs ago that is still sitting in the box because I have yet to install the hard drives and OS.
Father of 8 here with 4 computers throughout the house. I am in desperate need of a server so I can access all my files from any computer. Do you know what it is like trying to fight off teenage girls who want to use the computer! Help me!
I would use this server as a central location for photo and music libraries so everyone can share :)
Father of 2 curious children dying to get their hands on the pcs. I need to get proactive about backing things up before their curiosity is satisfied.
Backup for my photos and computer using Time Machine. Please pick me!! I feel extra lucky today.
I need it because I am to cheap to buy my own.
*too
Would definitely cut down on my electric bill. I am keeping my pc running 24×7 to serve up my collection of Knight Rider and A-team episodes to my XMBC machines