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 Product Description
250GB 1GB DVD+RW OSX IN
Customer Reviews
PC FROM MAC , 24 Aug 2008
This is brilliant! Being a PC guy since i was a kid this is a first, but since working with Macs at college i thought i would have to get one eventually and this is it The imac wonderfull design really quiet its brilliant! I can also work on my college stuff beacuse its compatiable wth the program we use (Fnal Cut Pro)
10/10 !!!!
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Product Description
HP HP MEDIA SMART SERVER - EX475
Customer Reviews
PC FROM MAC , 24 Aug 2008
This is brilliant! Being a PC guy since i was a kid this is a first, but since working with Macs at college i thought i would have to get one eventually and this is it The imac wonderfull design really quiet its brilliant! I can also work on my college stuff beacuse its compatiable wth the program we use (Fnal Cut Pro)
10/10 !!!!
Excellent piece of kit, 01 Sep 2008
I've had my EX475 about a week now - everything is set up and working nicely. Have fitted a 1TB External USB HDD to back up the server itself. Strangely, it seems server back-ups have to be initiated manually, while client back-ups are automatic on a schedule.
Also strangely, it is not possible to connect a printer to the EX475 using the home server console. I managed to do it, but I had to use the Terminal Services program which is not recommended. Perhaps they will add this feature - saves buying a network print server or having to leave a machine on all the time.
One point to watch out for - remote control of client PCs is NOT possible unless those clients are running XP Pro, or Vista Ultimate. The Vista Home Premium OS that most of us have, s not supported, due to no terminal services app. the HP/MS advertising is definitely misleading on this point.
I have 3 PCs and 3 laptops on my home network. I have set up remote access for all my family so we can all view photos/videos or retrieve/store files over the internet. All seems to work very well.
I have to say I was well surprised - these days, I just don't expect anything to work straight out of the box!
Jon
Total rubbish, 13 Aug 2008
Well ive had this a week and its been a nightmare....worked in computers for 20 years and this is the WORST product i have ever used.
install on first computer failed.....reinstall features on disk didnt work, so uninstalled windows home server and the hp apps, then reinstalled...worked this time
anyway.....since then
backups sometimes dont start even though setup correctly
the stupidest thing is as a backup device this is massively flawed......if your server develops a fault and cant be repaired then you will need to install the disks into a new mediasmart server as the disks CANNOT be read by any other device due to the way the server stores the data (its more like raid striping), problem is that if you install the data disks into a mediasmart server it formats it...dur!! also, you are knackered if you lose one disk...i contacted HP support and they have confirmed these scenarios are correct....unbelievable
others probs,
can view pics on my xbox360 but cant watch videos (can see the folders and files, cant play them, even though the files are fine and supported by xbox360 (avi and mpg) - even hp support, ms support and xbox support were dumbfounded by this one
often cant access the server - even though logon/pw correct, but can a bit later
install on wifes laptop unsuccessful as it cant find the server even though UPnP setup correctly
cant access shared foledrs anymore...server seems to think im logged on...reboots/reinstalls dont work/not logged on anyway
i cant help felling i have a dodgy one as my brothers one works perfectly apart from the major backup/data loss issue mentioned above
using a gigabit wireless/wired router and wired gigabit switch but these are setup correctly
im returning mine...fed up spending hours sorting out this rubbish...hp/ms/xbox support are hopeless...in fact hp couldnt careless, so nor can i
my feeling is that this device doesnt do what is states...its akin to selling a car without a brake pedal
incidentally i installed a dlink 655 gigabit router and netgear switch in under 30 minutes - take note HP and MS!!
A nice item fom HP (if you really need it), 03 Apr 2008
Considering for the price of nearly £500 you can buy a complete PC, this item takes a bit of justification. In my case a failed 500GB external hard drive from Western Digital didn't quite cut it, but I bought one anyway.
Like all hardware from HP this Home server comes with an easy to follow setup poster. Installation, whilst not a complete nightmare, was not a walk in the park either. I spent a fair bit of time tweaking my firewall settings in order for the unit to be found on my system. I wished i'd known too, that the CD-Key sticker was on the base of the unit - quite tricky to read this without pulling out the power lead.
Getting my router correctly configured for remote access was another minor challenge, allthough having a linksys router (an 8 port cabled BEFSR81 in my case) did help as it was for the most part automated.
I find the HP Media Smart Home Server easy to use now I am familiar with it. I have come to terms with being forced to logging on to my PC with a password (user accounts are essential for remote access)
With hindsight I am glad I bought the unit rather than getting another external hard drive. It is very usefull and I am filling up the storage space fast. Just as well it is easily expandable.
great package but not gone the full distance, 29 Feb 2008
i have had this great, silent and lovely looking box now for a week. had a great demo at PC world from the HP chap who sold me on the idea after about an hour of show and tell.
when i got home and plugged it all up, installed the server software on the PC, things just worked.
it makes very little noise, if not being totally silent stood next to my work server, network printer and sundries.
for what it is and what it offers, there is no heat to speak of.
as for not getting that elusive 5th star....
although its a windows home server (Microsoft) i was hoping that there would have been a MAC version of the PC software that lets me into the guts of the programming and set-up. so set-up and servicing all have to be done from a PC with the software installed... not great if you are mainly a MAC user.
the web login is great for accessing your files, but not having set-up rights from the MAC just puts it out there as a bit of a dud.
now back to the web login!
what a great little bit this is...
once the server is all set up and working, you can get it to let you in via a 'normal' https website, giving you secure reign over you files while you are away or want to let a friend or family look at your pics or even upload pics while you are on holiday.
a simple step by step system shows you the way to getting it up and running and needs little to no prior knowledge of servers or networking or even ip's and routers.
HOWEVER, should your router NOT support uPNP (universal Plug and Play) then you will have to read the handbook or the built-in help files to show you how to set up the 3 ports to make this work.
all in all, not rocket science and i know my technophobe mother could work it where her mobile texting skills fail her.
this thing is great... there is little doubting it!
the simple lack of care for the Mac user somewhat does my nut. (not that im a big MAC freak) im a basic novice Mac-ist and have a couple of PC's for most of my work, but i just love the relative simplicity and security of Macs.
so to conclude, a VERY solid, stable and well thought out piece of kit with a decent software package.
NOT needing or even allowing for a monitor, keyboard and mouse on it is a great thing... keeps cost down and makes it more of a setup and go machine, while removing the temptation for turning it into a PC.
while you can use it with Macs over the internet and networks, you can't control it, but granted its a Microsoft unit.
well done to Microsoft and HP
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Product Description
If you?ve been waiting to upgrade your Mac computer, then the new 24-inch Apple iMac MB325 should be at the top of your list! The Apple iMac MB325 comes with a Core 2 Duo processor clocked at 2.8 GHz and 2 GB of RAM, giving you all the power you need to run the Mac OS X Leopard at maximum speeds without slowing down your computer. Graphics are displayed fluidly and quickly without any lag on its 24-inch screen, meaning you can enjoy all your photos, music and films for hours on end! The iMac MB325 also boasts a host of DVI and S-video ports, a remote control and a set of loudspeakers complete with a built-in 24W digital amplifier. Since it has a 320 GB hard drive and a dual-layer DVD writer, you can store and archive loads of important files, while its two FireWire ports and five USB ports allow you to take advantage of the latest wireless technologies. The iMac MB325 is even compatible with Bluetooth and has a built-in microphone ? everything you need to keep in touch with your friends and family over the internet!
Customer Reviews
PC FROM MAC , 24 Aug 2008
This is brilliant! Being a PC guy since i was a kid this is a first, but since working with Macs at college i thought i would have to get one eventually and this is it The imac wonderfull design really quiet its brilliant! I can also work on my college stuff beacuse its compatiable wth the program we use (Fnal Cut Pro)
10/10 !!!!
Excellent piece of kit, 01 Sep 2008
I've had my EX475 about a week now - everything is set up and working nicely. Have fitted a 1TB External USB HDD to back up the server itself. Strangely, it seems server back-ups have to be initiated manually, while client back-ups are automatic on a schedule.
Also strangely, it is not possible to connect a printer to the EX475 using the home server console. I managed to do it, but I had to use the Terminal Services program which is not recommended. Perhaps they will add this feature - saves buying a network print server or having to leave a machine on all the time.
One point to watch out for - remote control of client PCs is NOT possible unless those clients are running XP Pro, or Vista Ultimate. The Vista Home Premium OS that most of us have, s not supported, due to no terminal services app. the HP/MS advertising is definitely misleading on this point.
I have 3 PCs and 3 laptops on my home network. I have set up remote access for all my family so we can all view photos/videos or retrieve/store files over the internet. All seems to work very well.
I have to say I was well surprised - these days, I just don't expect anything to work straight out of the box!
Jon
Total rubbish, 13 Aug 2008
Well ive had this a week and its been a nightmare....worked in computers for 20 years and this is the WORST product i have ever used.
install on first computer failed.....reinstall features on disk didnt work, so uninstalled windows home server and the hp apps, then reinstalled...worked this time
anyway.....since then
backups sometimes dont start even though setup correctly
the stupidest thing is as a backup device this is massively flawed......if your server develops a fault and cant be repaired then you will need to install the disks into a new mediasmart server as the disks CANNOT be read by any other device due to the way the server stores the data (its more like raid striping), problem is that if you install the data disks into a mediasmart server it formats it...dur!! also, you are knackered if you lose one disk...i contacted HP support and they have confirmed these scenarios are correct....unbelievable
others probs,
can view pics on my xbox360 but cant watch videos (can see the folders and files, cant play them, even though the files are fine and supported by xbox360 (avi and mpg) - even hp support, ms support and xbox support were dumbfounded by this one
often cant access the server - even though logon/pw correct, but can a bit later
install on wifes laptop unsuccessful as it cant find the server even though UPnP setup correctly
cant access shared foledrs anymore...server seems to think im logged on...reboots/reinstalls dont work/not logged on anyway
i cant help felling i have a dodgy one as my brothers one works perfectly apart from the major backup/data loss issue mentioned above
using a gigabit wireless/wired router and wired gigabit switch but these are setup correctly
im returning mine...fed up spending hours sorting out this rubbish...hp/ms/xbox support are hopeless...in fact hp couldnt careless, so nor can i
my feeling is that this device doesnt do what is states...its akin to selling a car without a brake pedal
incidentally i installed a dlink 655 gigabit router and netgear switch in under 30 minutes - take note HP and MS!!
A nice item fom HP (if you really need it), 03 Apr 2008
Considering for the price of nearly £500 you can buy a complete PC, this item takes a bit of justification. In my case a failed 500GB external hard drive from Western Digital didn't quite cut it, but I bought one anyway.
Like all hardware from HP this Home server comes with an easy to follow setup poster. Installation, whilst not a complete nightmare, was not a walk in the park either. I spent a fair bit of time tweaking my firewall settings in order for the unit to be found on my system. I wished i'd known too, that the CD-Key sticker was on the base of the unit - quite tricky to read this without pulling out the power lead.
Getting my router correctly configured for remote access was another minor challenge, allthough having a linksys router (an 8 port cabled BEFSR81 in my case) did help as it was for the most part automated.
I find the HP Media Smart Home Server easy to use now I am familiar with it. I have come to terms with being forced to logging on to my PC with a password (user accounts are essential for remote access)
With hindsight I am glad I bought the unit rather than getting another external hard drive. It is very usefull and I am filling up the storage space fast. Just as well it is easily expandable.
great package but not gone the full distance, 29 Feb 2008
i have had this great, silent and lovely looking box now for a week. had a great demo at PC world from the HP chap who sold me on the idea after about an hour of show and tell.
when i got home and plugged it all up, installed the server software on the PC, things just worked.
it makes very little noise, if not being totally silent stood next to my work server, network printer and sundries.
for what it is and what it offers, there is no heat to speak of.
as for not getting that elusive 5th star....
although its a windows home server (Microsoft) i was hoping that there would have been a MAC version of the PC software that lets me into the guts of the programming and set-up. so set-up and servicing all have to be done from a PC with the software installed... not great if you are mainly a MAC user.
the web login is great for accessing your files, but not having set-up rights from the MAC just puts it out there as a bit of a dud.
now back to the web login!
what a great little bit this is...
once the server is all set up and working, you can get it to let you in via a 'normal' https website, giving you secure reign over you files while you are away or want to let a friend or family look at your pics or even upload pics while you are on holiday.
a simple step by step system shows you the way to getting it up and running and needs little to no prior knowledge of servers or networking or even ip's and routers.
HOWEVER, should your router NOT support uPNP (universal Plug and Play) then you will have to read the handbook or the built-in help files to show you how to set up the 3 ports to make this work.
all in all, not rocket science and i know my technophobe mother could work it where her mobile texting skills fail her.
this thing is great... there is little doubting it!
the simple lack of care for the Mac user somewhat does my nut. (not that im a big MAC freak) im a basic novice Mac-ist and have a couple of PC's for most of my work, but i just love the relative simplicity and security of Macs.
so to conclude, a VERY solid, stable and well thought out piece of kit with a decent software package.
NOT needing or even allowing for a monitor, keyboard and mouse on it is a great thing... keeps cost down and makes it more of a setup and go machine, while removing the temptation for turning it into a PC.
while you can use it with Macs over the internet and networks, you can't control it, but granted its a Microsoft unit.
well done to Microsoft and HP
Perfect for professional webdesign, 13 Nov 2008
I've been using the 24" iMac for professional webdesign and it's amazingly fast. Running OSX is a thing of beauty, but being able to run Window XP AND Vista at the same time all on the one machine (using Fusion) makes webdesign a doddle (I've added a bit more RAM than the standard).
Microsoft Office (for Mac), Adobe Creative Suite, and a host of Mac specific apps all run at the same time without any loss of speed (I've even got web radio playing in my ear at the same time as writing this, along with having about a dozen other apps running).
The mouse and keyboard are also a joy to use (the Mighty Mouse has 4 buttons and a scroll wheel - but you might need to read up on how to use them all, as the mouse looks like it has no buttons at all).
The screen is bright and although I was worried about it being glossy, it's not been an issue at all in a well lit office.
No virus software (on the Mac OSX partition - XP/Vista have their own virus software running), as there are no real viruses (it'd be easier to delete you hard drive manually than to install a virus at the moment for OSX).
It's running happily on a PC controlled network as well - folders are happily shared, iTunes libraries can be heard from any machine, and the printer just showed up as soon as it was installed on the network.
Once you've had mac, you'll never go back, 24 Oct 2008
Apple are a company at the very top of their game in every single respect right now. They are peerless. They make Microsoft, HP, Dell, Lenovo and all the other laggards out there look PATHETIC!
I bought this machine (actually a 3.06 GHz with 4GB RAM - 2gig upgrade) about 4 months ago and I can promise you that after more than 15 years of using PC, I will NEVER touch the things again. I am a photographer and love it for its big, clear screen to see my work on. I also bought aperture 2.0 which is an apple photo app....NOT as sophisticated as Adobe Photoshop but does 95% of the things I want right now. And does them really really well. I also do freelance work as a business consultant and writing Powerpoint presentations is a complete synch. Vista eat your heart out. The fact that Microsoft and Apple have got together finally and figured out a way of making PPT, XLS & WORD actually work is great. But the thing about Apple's Microsoft Powerpoint? Its sexier. The presentations are more exciting and easier to produce once you get used to it - which takes ZERO time.
I was slightly worried about making the transition after being so used to PC but honestly? It was simply a breeze. Now I go to PC and think.....what the hell was I doing? I mean they lack all the intuitive-ness of Apple's OS. You always hear people say that right. Mac evangelists go on and on and on about how intuitive macs are and the boring thing is not only are they dead right but I am firmly in their camp now. Aesthetically this is ....in a word.... beautiful. Or at least as beautiful as a computer could ever be. Its gorgeous. I have my machine rigged up with a set of Harmon Kardon Soundsticks and they just compliment it perfectly. I find safari (apple's browser) fantastic but also use Mozilla. The "dashboard" function - loads of personalised widgets - is great fun although I do find it a tiny bit of a gimmick (ie; don't use it THAT often - 2/3 times a week). I dunno...i could go on and on about this machine. Surfing the NET? 5 stars Watching DVDs? 5 stars. Speed? 5 stars (get it as fast as you can) Looking at photos? 5 stars. Software? 5 stars. itunes? 5 stars (naturally). And about a hundred other things I could mention. I mean, I've started to worry. Is this machine taking over my life? Is there anything I cannot do on it? Its brilliant brilliant brilliant!
My one gripe is with the mouse rollerball which seems to have a bit of a life of its own. I wish they'd sort it out. The only other worry I have now is how can I afford one of the new macbook pros. Can't wait for that too and then an iphone and having the whole system linked up through mobileMe.
Computing with LOGIC, 25 Sep 2008
have been using PC's since the year dot...... from windows 3.?? upto Windows Vista (yuck)
we bought the 24" intel imac and we have been blown away... stylish, quiet, RELIABLE, NO CRASHES, great software & easy to learn.
if you are in any doubt about making the plunge (or step) to mac it realy is simple, you can even run windows from a partition on the imacs hard drive, i ran the 'boot camp' application to allow windows to run on the mac and within 12 hours the partition was deleted as it was not needed as apple software downloads on the net (some free) are perfect.
we shall never return to a PC with windows on it not worth the hassle, be scared Microsoft, be very scared apple is after you....
Try One - You'l Like It, 06 Sep 2008
I have had a home computer since 1981, and have tried many different makes, models and operating systems. I bought a 24" iMac six months ago and I would NEVER use anything else ever again. After ten years of Windows, this feels like being let out of jail.
A pleasure to use, 04 Sep 2008
Not the fastest I've ever used so don't buy if you're a PC games freak; but for everything else it's totally elegant, great iLife software is included, and some brilliant advanced titles like Photoshop & Toast are available if you want to do more. Brilliant design, looks great, compact, great screen for photo editors. If you think you'll miss Windows for any reason, using Boot Camp can resolve that issue (I need to use a few apps and also run Vista when I need it, which is less and less).....would like a much bigger hard drive, but otherwise for me at least this is the perfect machine.
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Product Description
Powered by the Intel Core 2 Duo processor, the new Mac mini is up to 39 percent faster than the previous generation. From across the room, you can browse through all the music, photos, and movies on both your Mac mini and other computers across your network. Turn special times into photo books and slideshows, Hollywood-style movies, and DVDs. And create stunning web pages, blogs, and podcasts. Mac mini makes it easy to upgrade from an older system or set it up side-by-side with another computer. Just BYO...
Customer Reviews
PC FROM MAC , 24 Aug 2008
This is brilliant! Being a PC guy since i was a kid this is a first, but since working with Macs at college i thought i would have to get one eventually and this is it The imac wonderfull design really quiet its brilliant! I can also work on my college stuff beacuse its compatiable wth the program we use (Fnal Cut Pro)
10/10 !!!!
Excellent piece of kit, 01 Sep 2008
I've had my EX475 about a week now - everything is set up and working nicely. Have fitted a 1TB External USB HDD to back up the server itself. Strangely, it seems server back-ups have to be initiated manually, while client back-ups are automatic on a schedule.
Also strangely, it is not possible to connect a printer to the EX475 using the home server console. I managed to do it, but I had to use the Terminal Services program which is not recommended. Perhaps they will add this feature - saves buying a network print server or having to leave a machine on all the time.
One point to watch out for - remote control of client PCs is NOT possible unless those clients are running XP Pro, or Vista Ultimate. The Vista Home Premium OS that most of us have, s not supported, due to no terminal services app. the HP/MS advertising is definitely misleading on this point.
I have 3 PCs and 3 laptops on my home network. I have set up remote access for all my family so we can all view photos/videos or retrieve/store files over the internet. All seems to work very well.
I have to say I was well surprised - these days, I just don't expect anything to work straight out of the box!
Jon
Total rubbish, 13 Aug 2008
Well ive had this a week and its been a nightmare....worked in computers for 20 years and this is the WORST product i have ever used.
install on first computer failed.....reinstall features on disk didnt work, so uninstalled windows home server and the hp apps, then reinstalled...worked this time
anyway.....since then
backups sometimes dont start even though setup correctly
the stupidest thing is as a backup device this is massively flawed......if your server develops a fault and cant be repaired then you will need to install the disks into a new mediasmart server as the disks CANNOT be read by any other device due to the way the server stores the data (its more like raid striping), problem is that if you install the data disks into a mediasmart server it formats it...dur!! also, you are knackered if you lose one disk...i contacted HP support and they have confirmed these scenarios are correct....unbelievable
others probs,
can view pics on my xbox360 but cant watch videos (can see the folders and files, cant play them, even though the files are fine and supported by xbox360 (avi and mpg) - even hp support, ms support and xbox support were dumbfounded by this one
often cant access the server - even though logon/pw correct, but can a bit later
install on wifes laptop unsuccessful as it cant find the server even though UPnP setup correctly
cant access shared foledrs anymore...server seems to think im logged on...reboots/reinstalls dont work/not logged on anyway
i cant help felling i have a dodgy one as my brothers one works perfectly apart from the major backup/data loss issue mentioned above
using a gigabit wireless/wired router and wired gigabit switch but these are setup correctly
im returning mine...fed up spending hours sorting out this rubbish...hp/ms/xbox support are hopeless...in fact hp couldnt careless, so nor can i
my feeling is that this device doesnt do what is states...its akin to selling a car without a brake pedal
incidentally i installed a dlink 655 gigabit router and netgear switch in under 30 minutes - take note HP and MS!!
A nice item fom HP (if you really need it), 03 Apr 2008
Considering for the price of nearly £500 you can buy a complete PC, this item takes a bit of justification. In my case a failed 500GB external hard drive from Western Digital didn't quite cut it, but I bought one anyway.
Like all hardware from HP this Home server comes with an easy to follow setup poster. Installation, whilst not a complete nightmare, was not a walk in the park either. I spent a fair bit of time tweaking my firewall settings in order for the unit to be found on my system. I wished i'd known too, that the CD-Key sticker was on the base of the unit - quite tricky to read this without pulling out the power lead.
Getting my router correctly configured for remote access was another minor challenge, allthough having a linksys router (an 8 port cabled BEFSR81 in my case) did help as it was for the most part automated.
I find the HP Media Smart Home Server easy to use now I am familiar with it. I have come to terms with being forced to logging on to my PC with a password (user accounts are essential for remote access)
With hindsight I am glad I bought the unit rather than getting another external hard drive. It is very usefull and I am filling up the storage space fast. Just as well it is easily expandable.
great package but not gone the full distance, 29 Feb 2008
i have had this great, silent and lovely looking box now for a week. had a great demo at PC world from the HP chap who sold me on the idea after about an hour of show and tell.
when i got home and plugged it all up, installed the server software on the PC, things just worked.
it makes very little noise, if not being totally silent stood next to my work server, network printer and sundries.
for what it is and what it offers, there is no heat to speak of.
as for not getting that elusive 5th star....
although its a windows home server (Microsoft) i was hoping that there would have been a MAC version of the PC software that lets me into the guts of the programming and set-up. so set-up and servicing all have to be done from a PC with the software installed... not great if you are mainly a MAC user.
the web login is great for accessing your files, but not having set-up rights from the MAC just puts it out there as a bit of a dud.
now back to the web login!
what a great little bit this is...
once the server is all set up and working, you can get it to let you in via a 'normal' https website, giving you secure reign over you files while you are away or want to let a friend or family look at your pics or even upload pics while you are on holiday.
a simple step by step system shows you the way to getting it up and running and needs little to no prior knowledge of servers or networking or even ip's and routers.
HOWEVER, should your router NOT support uPNP (universal Plug and Play) then you will have to read the handbook or the built-in help files to show you how to set up the 3 ports to make this work.
all in all, not rocket science and i know my technophobe mother could work it where her mobile texting skills fail her.
this thing is great... there is little doubting it!
the simple lack of care for the Mac user somewhat does my nut. (not that im a big MAC freak) im a basic novice Mac-ist and have a couple of PC's for most of my work, but i just love the relative simplicity and security of Macs.
so to conclude, a VERY solid, stable and well thought out piece of kit with a decent software package.
NOT needing or even allowing for a monitor, keyboard and mouse on it is a great thing... keeps cost down and makes it more of a setup and go machine, while removing the temptation for turning it into a PC.
while you can use it with Macs over the internet and networks, you can't control it, but granted its a Microsoft unit.
well done to Microsoft and HP
Perfect for professional webdesign, 13 Nov 2008
I've been using the 24" iMac for professional webdesign and it's amazingly fast. Running OSX is a thing of beauty, but being able to run Window XP AND Vista at the same time all on the one machine (using Fusion) makes webdesign a doddle (I've added a bit more RAM than the standard).
Microsoft Office (for Mac), Adobe Creative Suite, and a host of Mac specific apps all run at the same time without any loss of speed (I've even got web radio playing in my ear at the same time as writing this, along with having about a dozen other apps running).
The mouse and keyboard are also a joy to use (the Mighty Mouse has 4 buttons and a scroll wheel - but you might need to read up on how to use them all, as the mouse looks like it has no buttons at all).
The screen is bright and although I was worried about it being glossy, it's not been an issue at all in a well lit office.
No virus software (on the Mac OSX partition - XP/Vista have their own virus software running), as there are no real viruses (it'd be easier to delete you hard drive manually than to install a virus at the moment for OSX).
It's running happily on a PC controlled network as well - folders are happily shared, iTunes libraries can be heard from any machine, and the printer just showed up as soon as it was installed on the network.
Once you've had mac, you'll never go back, 24 Oct 2008
Apple are a company at the very top of their game in every single respect right now. They are peerless. They make Microsoft, HP, Dell, Lenovo and all the other laggards out there look PATHETIC!
I bought this machine (actually a 3.06 GHz with 4GB RAM - 2gig upgrade) about 4 months ago and I can promise you that after more than 15 years of using PC, I will NEVER touch the things again. I am a photographer and love it for its big, clear screen to see my work on. I also bought aperture 2.0 which is an apple photo app....NOT as sophisticated as Adobe Photoshop but does 95% of the things I want right now. And does them really really well. I also do freelance work as a business consultant and writing Powerpoint presentations is a complete synch. Vista eat your heart out. The fact that Microsoft and Apple have got together finally and figured out a way of making PPT, XLS & WORD actually work is great. But the thing about Apple's Microsoft Powerpoint? Its sexier. The presentations are more exciting and easier to produce once you get used to it - which takes ZERO time.
I was slightly worried about making the transition after being so used to PC but honestly? It was simply a breeze. Now I go to PC and think.....what the hell was I doing? I mean they lack all the intuitive-ness of Apple's OS. You always hear people say that right. Mac evangelists go on and on and on about how intuitive macs are and the boring thing is not only are they dead right but I am firmly in their camp now. Aesthetically this is ....in a word.... beautiful. Or at least as beautiful as a computer could ever be. Its gorgeous. I have my machine rigged up with a set of Harmon Kardon Soundsticks and they just compliment it perfectly. I find safari (apple's browser) fantastic but also use Mozilla. The "dashboard" function - loads of personalised widgets - is great fun although I do find it a tiny bit of a gimmick (ie; don't use it THAT often - 2/3 times a week). I dunno...i could go on and on about this machine. Surfing the NET? 5 stars Watching DVDs? 5 stars. Speed? 5 stars (get it as fast as you can) Looking at photos? 5 stars. Software? 5 stars. itunes? 5 stars (naturally). And about a hundred other things I could mention. I mean, I've started to worry. Is this machine taking over my life? Is there anything I cannot do on it? Its brilliant brilliant brilliant!
My one gripe is with the mouse rollerball which seems to have a bit of a life of its own. I wish they'd sort it out. The only other worry I have now is how can I afford one of the new macbook pros. Can't wait for that too and then an iphone and having the whole system linked up through mobileMe.
Computing with LOGIC, 25 Sep 2008
have been using PC's since the year dot...... from windows 3.?? upto Windows Vista (yuck)
we bought the 24" intel imac and we have been blown away... stylish, quiet, RELIABLE, NO CRASHES, great software & easy to learn.
if you are in any doubt about making the plunge (or step) to mac it realy is simple, you can even run windows from a partition on the imacs hard drive, i ran the 'boot camp' application to allow windows to run on the mac and within 12 hours the partition was deleted as it was not needed as apple software downloads on the net (some free) are perfect.
we shall never return to a PC with windows on it not worth the hassle, be scared Microsoft, be very scared apple is after you....
Try One - You'l Like It, 06 Sep 2008
I have had a home computer since 1981, and have tried many different makes, models and operating systems. I bought a 24" iMac six months ago and I would NEVER use anything else ever again. After ten years of Windows, this feels like being let out of jail.
A pleasure to use, 04 Sep 2008
Not the fastest I've ever used so don't buy if you're a PC games freak; but for everything else it's totally elegant, great iLife software is included, and some brilliant advanced titles like Photoshop & Toast are available if you want to do more. Brilliant design, looks great, compact, great screen for photo editors. If you think you'll miss Windows for any reason, using Boot Camp can resolve that issue (I need to use a few apps and also run Vista when I need it, which is less and less).....would like a much bigger hard drive, but otherwise for me at least this is the perfect machine.
Great little machine, don't buy!, 12 Jun 2008
Much to my frustration i have just had to buy one of these. As I say, they're great little machines: tiny, beautifully designed and powerful enough for what most users will ever need, with all the joys of the very superior Mac OS and user experience.
So the caveat: this model is now (June 2008) massively overdue an upgrade. Unfortunately the Mac Mini does not seem to be a very high priority on apple's development schedule. It's exactly the same spec and price as it was at launch nearly a year ago, which is a long time in the fast moving computer market. In the mean time, I think I'm right in saying that Apple as updated every other computer product line. Sadly the humble Mini seems to have been passed over, and no longer represents the such excellent value. This is a shame, as it is really Apple's only "budget" offering. The other component (i.e. keep your screen) desktop option is the mighty Mac Pro, and let's face it, most of us really don't need 8-core Xeon processing, (not to mention the mighty price tag that goes with it.)
Anyway, as I say, I had to get one, because I just wasn't in a position to wait for Apple's mysterious upgrade cycle to kick into action, and no doubt I'll feel pretty peeved when the replacement comes along offering a performance leap in all departments for probably a lower price. And this presumably won't be very long coming, as the chips in this model are no longer being produced by Intel. It just seems silly that the value you get from an apple product should be so dependent on when you buy. Most of us just don't want to worry about that. Even a price reduction wouldn't hurt, pending the release of the new models.
Come on Apple, it wouldn't hurt to look after the little people!
Hey good looking ! , 12 Jun 2008
I bought this as we only really use a computer for photos and music.
This little computer is about 5 times faster than my old laptop, doesnt crash or get viruses.
It is a thing of beauty and when used with a wireless keyboard, mighty mouse and a flat screen monitor takes up about as much room as a toaster!
My only gripe and its certainly not worth knocking a star off for, you will need to buy a copy of office for mac if you are new to macs. having only used microsoft office before the supplied word processing package is poor. You can download a free clone of office for the mac I think? anyone?
Really easy to use., 25 Mar 2008
I know very little about computers - email, videogames, internet, that's about it - but needed one to manage my music and photos. This worked basically straight out of the box with very little messing about - screen prompts guide you through everything - and has been even simpler to run day-to-day. All my peripherals plug straight into the USBs on the back, the inbuilt speaker plays my music loud enough for the study, it runs quietly and looks pretty cool! It takes up so little space too, which is good in a small house.
I'd recommend this if you don't really have any computer knowledge and just want to get on with doing stuff without worrying about it crashing and whatnot. I'll never go back to a PC!
Quiet but yet Fast!!, 01 Jan 2008
This is my first mac and crikey is it good!!
I switched from pc to the mac in hope of finding a computer that doesnt crash all the time and isnt thirsty for 2-3gb of RAM like vista.
The mac is so quiet you have to look at the light on the front to see if its on, even if your going through the hard drive you cannot hear it.
In a minute or two from switch on, the mac is fully useable ready to surf the web, create a movie, edit photos, create or design a website, manage and make music etc and all this is included ,and not as a pricey add-ons!!
The mac mini is perfect for anything especally media, but dont buy this mac for gaming, if you want good gaming on a mac buy an imac, a macbook or a mac pro.
I use an elgato eyeTV for DTT which is a freeview tv tuner for the mac which is a perfect companion!
I bought mine from the apple website for £460 including the Apple wireless keyboard and mighty mouse!!
Good , 09 Dec 2007
This is my first mac.
I had had enough of windows so i got one of these and its great fast more fun to use and dostent crash. Its quite to. Also you can get this on the apple web site for 399 insted of 528.
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Product Description
Powered by the Intel Core 2 Duo processor, the new Mac mini is up to 39 percent faster than the previous generation. From across the room, you can browse through all the music, photos, and movies on both your Mac mini and other computers across your network. Turn special times into photo books and slideshows, Hollywood-style movies, and DVDs. And create stunning web pages, blogs, and podcasts. Mac mini makes it easy to upgrade from an older system or set it up side-by-side with another computer. Just BYO...
Customer Reviews
PC FROM MAC , 24 Aug 2008
This is brilliant! Being a PC guy since i was a kid this is a first, but since working with Macs at college i thought i would have to get one eventually and this is it The imac wonderfull design really quiet its brilliant! I can also work on my college stuff beacuse its compatiable wth the program we use (Fnal Cut Pro)
10/10 !!!!
Excellent piece of kit, 01 Sep 2008
I've had my EX475 about a week now - everything is set up and working nicely. Have fitted a 1TB External USB HDD to back up the server itself. Strangely, it seems server back-ups have to be initiated manually, while client back-ups are automatic on a schedule.
Also strangely, it is not possible to connect a printer to the EX475 using the home server console. I managed to do it, but I had to use the Terminal Services program which is not recommended. Perhaps they will add this feature - saves buying a network print server or having to leave a machine on all the time.
One point to watch out for - remote control of client PCs is NOT possible unless those clients are running XP Pro, or Vista Ultimate. The Vista Home Premium OS that most of us have, s not supported, due to no terminal services app. the HP/MS advertising is definitely misleading on this point.
I have 3 PCs and 3 laptops on my home network. I have set up remote access for all my family so we can all view photos/videos or retrieve/store files over the internet. All seems to work very well.
I have to say I was well surprised - these days, I just don't expect anything to work straight out of the box!
Jon
Total rubbish, 13 Aug 2008
Well ive had this a week and its been a nightmare....worked in computers for 20 years and this is the WORST product i have ever used.
install on first computer failed.....reinstall features on disk didnt work, so uninstalled windows home server and the hp apps, then reinstalled...worked this time
anyway.....since then
backups sometimes dont start even though setup correctly
the stupidest thing is as a backup device this is massively flawed......if your server develops a fault and cant be repaired then you will need to install the disks into a new mediasmart server as the disks CANNOT be read by any other device due to the way the server stores the data (its more like raid striping), problem is that if you install the data disks into a mediasmart server it formats it...dur!! also, you are knackered if you lose one disk...i contacted HP support and they have confirmed these scenarios are correct....unbelievable
others probs,
can view pics on my xbox360 but cant watch videos (can see the folders and files, cant play them, even though the files are fine and supported by xbox360 (avi and mpg) - even hp support, ms support and xbox support were dumbfounded by this one
often cant access the server - even though logon/pw correct, but can a bit later
install on wifes laptop unsuccessful as it cant find the server even though UPnP setup correctly
cant access shared foledrs anymore...server seems to think im logged on...reboots/reinstalls dont work/not logged on anyway
i cant help felling i have a dodgy one as my brothers one works perfectly apart from the major backup/data loss issue mentioned above
using a gigabit wireless/wired router and wired gigabit switch but these are setup correctly
im returning mine...fed up spending hours sorting out this rubbish...hp/ms/xbox support are hopeless...in fact hp couldnt careless, so nor can i
my feeling is that this device doesnt do what is states...its akin to selling a car without a brake pedal
incidentally i installed a dlink 655 gigabit router and netgear switch in under 30 minutes - take note HP and MS!!
A nice item fom HP (if you really need it), 03 Apr 2008
Considering for the price of nearly £500 you can buy a complete PC, this item takes a bit of justification. In my case a failed 500GB external hard drive from Western Digital didn't quite cut it, but I bought one anyway.
Like all hardware from HP this Home server comes with an easy to follow setup poster. Installation, whilst not a complete nightmare, was not a walk in the park either. I spent a fair bit of time tweaking my firewall settings in order for the unit to be found on my system. I wished i'd known too, that the CD-Key sticker was on the base of the unit - quite tricky to read this without pulling out the power lead.
Getting my router correctly configured for remote access was another minor challenge, allthough having a linksys router (an 8 port cabled BEFSR81 in my case) did help as it was for the most part automated.
I find the HP Media Smart Home Server easy to use now I am familiar with it. I have come to terms with being forced to logging on to my PC with a password (user accounts are essential for remote access)
With hindsight I am glad I bought the unit rather than getting another external hard drive. It is very usefull and I am filling up the storage space fast. Just as well it is easily expandable.
great package but not gone the full distance, 29 Feb 2008
i have had this great, silent and lovely looking box now for a week. had a great demo at PC world from the HP chap who sold me on the idea after about an hour of show and tell.
when i got home and plugged it all up, installed the server software on the PC, things just worked.
it makes very little noise, if not being totally silent stood next to my work server, network printer and sundries.
for what it is and what it offers, there is no heat to speak of.
as for not getting that elusive 5th star....
although its a windows home server (Microsoft) i was hoping that there would have been a MAC version of the PC software that lets me into the guts of the programming and set-up. so set-up and servicing all have to be done from a PC with the software installed... not great if you are mainly a MAC user.
the web login is great for accessing your files, but not having set-up rights from the MAC just puts it out there as a bit of a dud.
now back to the web login!
what a great little bit this is...
once the server is all set up and working, you can get it to let you in via a 'normal' https website, giving you secure reign over you files while you are away or want to let a friend or family look at your pics or even upload pics while you are on holiday.
a simple step by step system shows you the way to getting it up and running and needs little to no prior knowledge of servers or networking or even ip's and routers.
HOWEVER, should your router NOT support uPNP (universal Plug and Play) then you will have to read the handbook or the built-in help files to show you how to set up the 3 ports to make this work.
all in all, not rocket science and i know my technophobe mother could work it where her mobile texting skills fail her.
this thing is great... there is little doubting it!
the simple lack of care for the Mac user somewhat does my nut. (not that im a big MAC freak) im a basic novice Mac-ist and have a couple of PC's for most of my work, but i just love the relative simplicity and security of Macs.
so to conclude, a VERY solid, stable and well thought out piece of kit with a decent software package.
NOT needing or even allowing for a monitor, keyboard and mouse on it is a great thing... keeps cost down and makes it more of a setup and go machine, while removing the temptation for turning it into a PC.
while you can use it with Macs over the internet and networks, you can't control it, but granted its a Microsoft unit.
well done to Microsoft and HP
Perfect for professional webdesign, 13 Nov 2008
I've been using the 24" iMac for professional webdesign and it's amazingly fast. Running OSX is a thing of beauty, but being able to run Window XP AND Vista at the same time all on the one machine (using Fusion) makes webdesign a doddle (I've added a bit more RAM than the standard).
Microsoft Office (for Mac), Adobe Creative Suite, and a host of Mac specific apps all run at the same time without any loss of speed (I've even got web radio playing in my ear at the same time as writing this, along with having about a dozen other apps running).
The mouse and keyboard are also a joy to use (the Mighty Mouse has 4 buttons and a scroll wheel - but you might need to read up on how to use them all, as the mouse looks like it has no buttons at all).
The screen is bright and although I was worried about it being glossy, it's not been an issue at all in a well lit office.
No virus software (on the Mac OSX partition - XP/Vista have their own virus software running), as there are no real viruses (it'd be easier to delete you hard drive manually than to install a virus at the moment for OSX).
It's running happily on a PC controlled network as well - folders are happily shared, iTunes libraries can be heard from any machine, and the printer just showed up as soon as it was installed on the network.
Once you've had mac, you'll never go back, 24 Oct 2008
Apple are a company at the very top of their game in every single respect right now. They are peerless. They make Microsoft, HP, Dell, Lenovo and all the other laggards out there look PATHETIC!
I bought this machine (actually a 3.06 GHz with 4GB RAM - 2gig upgrade) about 4 months ago and I can promise you that after more than 15 years of using PC, I will NEVER touch the things again. I am a photographer and love it for its big, clear screen to see my work on. I also bought aperture 2.0 which is an apple photo app....NOT as sophisticated as Adobe Photoshop but does 95% of the things I want right now. And does them really really well. I also do freelance work as a business consultant and writing Powerpoint presentations is a complete synch. Vista eat your heart out. The fact that Microsoft and Apple have got together finally and figured out a way of making PPT, XLS & WORD actually work is great. But the thing about Apple's Microsoft Powerpoint? Its sexier. The presentations are more exciting and easier to produce once you get used to it - which takes ZERO time.
I was slightly worried about making the transition after being so used to PC but honestly? It was simply a breeze. Now I go to PC and think.....what the hell was I doing? I mean they lack all the intuitive-ness of Apple's OS. You always hear people say that right. Mac evangelists go on and on and on about how intuitive macs are and the boring thing is not only are they dead right but I am firmly in their camp now. Aesthetically this is ....in a word.... beautiful. Or at least as beautiful as a computer could ever be. Its gorgeous. I have my machine rigged up with a set of Harmon Kardon Soundsticks and they just compliment it perfectly. I find safari (apple's browser) fantastic but also use Mozilla. The "dashboard" function - loads of personalised widgets - is great fun although I do find it a tiny bit of a gimmick (ie; don't use it THAT often - 2/3 times a week). I dunno...i could go on and on about this machine. Surfing the NET? 5 stars Watching DVDs? 5 stars. Speed? 5 stars (get it as fast as you can) Looking at photos? 5 stars. Software? 5 stars. itunes? 5 stars (naturally). And about a hundred other things I could mention. I mean, I've started to worry. Is this machine taking over my life? Is there anything I cannot do on it? Its brilliant brilliant brilliant!
My one gripe is with the mouse rollerball which seems to have a bit of a life of its own. I wish they'd sort it out. The only other worry I have now is how can I afford one of the new macbook pros. Can't wait for that too and then an iphone and having the whole system linked up through mobileMe.
Computing with LOGIC, 25 Sep 2008
have been using PC's since the year dot...... from windows 3.?? upto Windows Vista (yuck)
we bought the 24" intel imac and we have been blown away... stylish, quiet, RELIABLE, NO CRASHES, great software & easy to learn.
if you are in any doubt about making the plunge (or step) to mac it realy is simple, you can even run windows from a partition on the imacs hard drive, i ran the 'boot camp' application to allow windows to run on the mac and within 12 hours the partition was deleted as it was not needed as apple software downloads on the net (some free) are perfect.
we shall never return to a PC with windows on it not worth the hassle, be scared Microsoft, be very scared apple is after you....
Try One - You'l Like It, 06 Sep 2008
I have had a home computer since 1981, and have tried many different makes, models and operating systems. I bought a 24" iMac six months ago and I would NEVER use anything else ever again. After ten years of Windows, this feels like being let out of jail.
A pleasure to use, 04 Sep 2008
Not the fastest I've ever used so don't buy if you're a PC games freak; but for everything else it's totally elegant, great iLife software is included, and some brilliant advanced titles like Photoshop & Toast are available if you want to do more. Brilliant design, looks great, compact, great screen for photo editors. If you think you'll miss Windows for any reason, using Boot Camp can resolve that issue (I need to use a few apps and also run Vista when I need it, which is less and less).....would like a much bigger hard drive, but otherwise for me at least this is the perfect machine.
Great little machine, don't buy!, 12 Jun 2008
Much to my frustration i have just had to buy one of these. As I say, they're great little machines: tiny, beautifully designed and powerful enough for what most users will ever need, with all the joys of the very superior Mac OS and user experience.
So the caveat: this model is now (June 2008) massively overdue an upgrade. Unfortunately the Mac Mini does not seem to be a very high priority on apple's development schedule. It's exactly the same spec and price as it was at launch nearly a year ago, which is a long time in the fast moving computer market. In the mean time, I think I'm right in saying that Apple as updated every other computer product line. Sadly the humble Mini seems to have been passed over, and no longer represents the such excellent value. This is a shame, as it is really Apple's only "budget" offering. The other component (i.e. keep your screen) desktop option is the mighty Mac Pro, and let's face it, most of us really don't need 8-core Xeon processing, (not to mention the mighty price tag that goes with it.)
Anyway, as I say, I had to get one, because I just wasn't in a position to wait for Apple's mysterious upgrade cycle to kick into action, and no doubt I'll feel pretty peeved when the replacement comes along offering a performance leap in all departments for probably a lower price. And this presumably won't be very long coming, as the chips in this model are no longer being produced by Intel. It just seems silly that the value you get from an apple product should be so dependent on when you buy. Most of us just don't want to worry about that. Even a price reduction wouldn't hurt, pending the release of the new models.
Come on Apple, it wouldn't hurt to look after the little people!
Hey good looking ! , 12 Jun 2008
I bought this as we only really use a computer for photos and music.
This little computer is about 5 times faster than my old laptop, doesnt crash or get viruses.
It is a thing of beauty and when used with a wireless keyboard, mighty mouse and a flat screen monitor takes up about as much room as a toaster!
My only gripe and its certainly not worth knocking a star off for, you will need to buy a copy of office for mac if you are new to macs. having only used microsoft office before the supplied word processing package is poor. You can download a free clone of office for the mac I think? anyone?
Really easy to use., 25 Mar 2008
I know very little about computers - email, videogames, internet, that's about it - but needed one to manage my music and photos. This worked basically straight out of the box with very little messing about - screen prompts guide you through everything - and has been even simpler to run day-to-day. All my peripherals plug straight into the USBs on the back, the inbuilt speaker plays my music loud enough for the study, it runs quietly and looks pretty cool! It takes up so little space too, which is good in a small house.
I'd recommend this if you don't really have any computer knowledge and just want to get on with doing stuff without worrying about it crashing and whatnot. I'll never go back to a PC!
Quiet but yet Fast!!, 01 Jan 2008
This is my first mac and crikey is it good!!
I switched from pc to the mac in hope of finding a computer that doesnt crash all the time and isnt thirsty for 2-3gb of RAM like vista.
The mac is so quiet you have to look at the light on the front to see if its on, even if your going through the hard drive you cannot hear it.
In a minute or two from switch on, the mac is fully useable ready to surf the web, create a movie, edit photos, create or design a website, manage and make music etc and all this is included ,and not as a pricey add-ons!!
The mac mini is perfect for anything especally media, but dont buy this mac for gaming, if you want good gaming on a mac buy an imac, a macbook or a mac pro.
I use an elgato eyeTV for DTT which is a freeview tv tuner for the mac which is a perfect companion!
I bought mine from the apple website for £460 including the Apple wireless keyboard and mighty mouse!!
Good , 09 Dec 2007
This is my first mac.
I had had enough of windows so i got one of these and its great fast more fun to use and dostent crash. Its quite to. Also you can get this on the apple web site for 399 insted of 528.
The best way to start with Mac computers, 18 Nov 2008
Small, easy to use OS, lots of connectivity, excellent media software, a DVI output for connecting to a HD-ready TV....probably the best solution on the market as an all-round home entertainment hub that doubles-up as a first-rate computer. I replaced a G4 Mac Mini with this, and found that it is at least 5x faster. Very pleased with it.
Great little package - dont buy..., 26 Jun 2008
Much to my frustration i have just had to buy one of these. As I say, they're great little machines: tiny, beautifully designed and powerful enough for what most users will ever need, with all the joys of the very superior Mac OS and user experience.
So the caveat: this model is now (June 2008) massively overdue an upgrade. Unfortunately the Mac Mini does not seem to be a very high priority on apple's development schedule. It's exactly the same spec and price as it was at launch nearly a year ago, which is a long time in the fast moving computer market. In the mean time, I think I'm right in saying that Apple as updated every other computer product line. Sadly the humble Mini seems to have been passed over, and no longer represents the such excellent value. This is a shame, as it is really Apple's only "budget" offering. The other component (i.e. keep your screen) desktop option is the mighty Mac Pro, and let's face it, most of us really don't need 8-core Xeon processing, (not to mention the mighty price tag that goes with it.)
Anyway, as I say, I had to get one, because I just wasn't in a position to wait for Apple's mysterious upgrade cycle to kick into action, and no doubt I'll feel pretty peeved when the replacement comes along offering a performance leap in all departments for probably a lower price. And this presumably won't be very long coming, as the chips in this model are no longer being produced by Intel. It just seems silly that the value you get from an apple product should be so dependent on when you buy. Most of us just don't want to worry about that. Even a price reduction wouldn't hurt, pending the release of the new models.
Come on Apple, it wouldn't hurt to look after the little people!
Well worth the swap. Bye bye Windows, 26 Mar 2008
I've been an avid fan of Windows for about 15 years and never really considered moving over to Mac, especially as I'm a gamer at heart. Having 'upgraded' to Vista and with spending so much time glaring at the 'Blue Screen Of Death' I decided that enough was enough. I have a console for most of my games now, so I took the plunge. I didn't want to spend a fortune, so the Mac Mini was an ideal choice, especially as I already have the monitor, mouse and keyboard from my PC.
I couldn't be happier with the switch. I haven't had a single BSOD since buying the Mini just before Xmas 2007 and even when a couple of 3rd party apps have crashed, OS X keeps running smoothly in the background. The specs, on paper, don't look that dazzling, but OS X is such a well designed OS that I can happily have the Mini ripping a DVD, while I listen to iTunes, surf the Net and tinker with my photos. Not much chance of that happening on a Vista PC, without incurring the national debt of Sri Lanka to pay for it.
With OS X shipping with Boot Camp, allowing a Windows install on a seperate partition, there is absolutely no reason to ever have a PC again. I need Windows ( online football commentary only uses Windows DRM for the time being ), but I can keep the install to a bare minimum and switch over at will.
If you're a die-hard Windows gamer, the Mini might not be your best choice, unless you're a console owner, but for the average home user, it's a fantastic first step into Mac ownership. Once you're happy with it and want to upgrade to an iMac, the Mini can live under your TV as a silent media system too !
MACs Lyrically, 12 Feb 2008
Couldn't help the pun in the title of this review. I was told by another MAC user that I consulted before purchasing that once I had a MAC I wouldn't be able to stop telling people how much better it was than a Windows PC, and I now understand exactly what he meant. Setting it up took only a few minutes and the biggest problem I had was not realising I had actually connected to the net, but this was due to having thought I had set it up, which later it transpired I had, checking in Amazon to ensure I could see a recent purchase and not finding anything. Once I realised the default was Amazon.com, and redirected to Amazon.co.uk all was OK. The way things are organised is so much easier than with Windows and the size of the computer makes it far easier to have on the desk next to the screen. The latest MAC operating system is compared by many to Vista, but my lap top runs Vista and whilst it is the best operating system so far from Microsoft and way ahead of all previous systems, it isn't a patch on the mini MAC. If your thinking of purchasing a new computer go with this one and you won't be disappointed. Although it isn't as important to use a firewall as it is with Windows, it is worth checking out the Intergo virus software, which can be purchased seperately from this site. Don't be put off by moving over to MAC as it will open Windows application documents and the actual applications MAC comes with are way more powerful than anything I have seen in the Microsoft portfolio of applications.
Excellent machine. Shame about the online/telephone support., 10 Feb 2008
I bought a Mac Mini online from the Apple Store. Fantastic machine, and much nicer to use than a Windows box as well as looking so much better (and being silent). The problems began when the superdrive (CD/DVD) broke down, just a hardware fault that should have been a simple matter of replacing the drive. The Apple website is really unhelpful (take a look). Bizarrely, it is not possible to contact them by email, so I ended up having to send a old-fashioned letter to Ireland. They replied by mail, giving me a number to ring. I was kept 30 minutes on hold before they informed me that they could not help me by phone unless I bought a telephone support contract, which of course I did not want to do simply to report a hardware fault covered by their guarantee. They told me to take the computer to the nearest Apple store. Staff at the Apple were helpful and replaced the drive in two days.
The moral is, only buy an Apple computer if you are within easy reach of an Apple store.
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Customer Reviews
PC FROM MAC , 24 Aug 2008
This is brilliant! Being a PC guy since i was a kid this is a first, but since working with Macs at college i thought i would have to get one eventually and this is it The imac wonderfull design really quiet its brilliant! I can also work on my college stuff beacuse its compatiable wth the program we use (Fnal Cut Pro)
10/10 !!!!
Excellent piece of kit, 01 Sep 2008
I've had my EX475 about a week now - everything is set up and working nicely. Have fitted a 1TB External USB HDD to back up the server itself. Strangely, it seems server back-ups have to be initiated manually, while client back-ups are automatic on a schedule.
Also strangely, it is not possible to connect a printer to the EX475 using the home server console. I managed to do it, but I had to use the Terminal Services program which is not recommended. Perhaps they will add this feature - saves buying a network print server or having to leave a machine on all the time.
One point to watch out for - remote control of client PCs is NOT possible unless those clients are running XP Pro, or Vista Ultimate. The Vista Home Premium OS that most of us have, s not supported, due to no terminal services app. the HP/MS advertising is definitely misleading on this point.
I have 3 PCs and 3 laptops on my home network. I have set up remote access for all my family so we can all view photos/videos or retrieve/store files over the internet. All seems to work very well.
I have to say I was well surprised - these days, I just don't expect anything to work straight out of the box!
Jon
Total rubbish, 13 Aug 2008
Well ive had this a week and its been a nightmare....worked in computers for 20 years and this is the WORST product i have ever used.
install on first computer failed.....reinstall features on disk didnt work, so uninstalled windows home server and the hp apps, then reinstalled...worked this time
anyway.....since then
backups sometimes dont start even though setup correctly
the stupidest thing is as a backup device this is massively flawed......if your server develops a fault and cant be repaired then you will need to install the disks into a new mediasmart server as the disks CANNOT be read by any other device due to the way the server stores the data (its more like raid striping), problem is that if you install the data disks into a mediasmart server it formats it...dur!! also, you are knackered if you lose one disk...i contacted HP support and they have confirmed these scenarios are correct....unbelievable
others probs,
can view pics on my xbox360 but cant watch videos (can see the folders and files, cant play them, even though the files are fine and supported by xbox360 (avi and mpg) - even hp support, ms support and xbox support were dumbfounded by this one
often cant access the server - even though logon/pw correct, but can a bit later
install on wifes laptop unsuccessful as it cant find the server even though UPnP setup correctly
cant access shared foledrs anymore...server seems to think im logged on...reboots/reinstalls dont work/not logged on anyway
i cant help felling i have a dodgy one as my brothers one works perfectly apart from the major backup/data loss issue mentioned above
using a gigabit wireless/wired router and wired gigabit switch but these are setup correctly
im returning mine...fed up spending hours sorting out this rubbish...hp/ms/xbox support are hopeless...in fact hp couldnt careless, so nor can i
my feeling is that this device doesnt do what is states...its akin to selling a car without a brake pedal
incidentally i installed a dlink 655 gigabit router and netgear switch in under 30 minutes - take note HP and MS!!
A nice item fom HP (if you really need it), 03 Apr 2008
Considering for the price of nearly £500 you can buy a complete PC, this item takes a bit of justification. In my case a failed 500GB external hard drive from Western Digital didn't quite cut it, but I bought one anyway.
Like all hardware from HP this Home server comes with an easy to follow setup poster. Installation, whilst not a complete nightmare, was not a walk in the park either. I spent a fair bit of time tweaking my firewall settings in order for the unit to be found on my system. I wished i'd known too, that the CD-Key sticker was on the base of the unit - quite tricky to read this without pulling out the power lead.
Getting my router correctly configured for remote access was another minor challenge, allthough having a linksys router (an 8 port cabled BEFSR81 in my case) did help as it was for the most part automated.
I find the HP Media Smart Home Server easy to use now I am familiar with it. I have come to terms with being forced to logging on to my PC with a password (user accounts are essential for remote access)
With hindsight I am glad I bought the unit rather than getting another external hard drive. It is very usefull and I am filling up the storage space fast. Just as well it is easily expandable.
great package but not gone the full distance, 29 Feb 2008
i have had this great, silent and lovely looking box now for a week. had a great demo at PC world from the HP chap who sold me on the idea after about an hour of show and tell.
when i got home and plugged it all up, installed the server software on the PC, things just worked.
it makes very little noise, if not being totally silent stood next to my work server, network printer and sundries.
for what it is and what it offers, there is no heat to speak of.
as for not getting that elusive 5th star....
although its a windows home server (Microsoft) i was hoping that there would have been a MAC version of the PC software that lets me into the guts of the programming and set-up. so set-up and servicing all have to be done from a PC with the software installed... not great if you are mainly a MAC user.
the web login is great for accessing your files, but not having set-up rights from the MAC just puts it out there as a bit of a dud.
now back to the web login!
what a great little bit this is...
once the server is all set up and working, you can get it to let you in via a 'normal' https website, giving you secure reign over you files while you are away or want to let a friend or family look at your pics or even upload pics while you are on holiday.
a simple step by step system shows you the way to getting it up and running and needs little to no prior knowledge of servers or networking or even ip's and routers.
HOWEVER, should your router NOT support uPNP (universal Plug and Play) then you will have to read the handbook or the built-in help files to show you how to set up the 3 ports to make this work.
all in all, not rocket science and i know my technophobe mother could work it where her mobile texting skills fail her.
this thing is great... there is little doubting it!
the simple lack of care for the Mac user somewhat does my nut. (not that im a big MAC freak) im a basic novice Mac-ist and have a couple of PC's for most of my work, but i just love the relative simplicity and security of Macs.
so to conclude, a VERY solid, stable and well thought out piece of kit with a decent software package.
NOT needing or even allowing for a monitor, keyboard and mouse on it is a great thing... keeps cost down and makes it more of a setup and go machine, while removing the temptation for turning it into a PC.
while you can use it with Macs over the internet and networks, you can't control it, but granted its a Microsoft unit.
well done to Microsoft and HP
Perfect for professional webdesign, 13 Nov 2008
I've been using the 24" iMac for professional webdesign and it's amazingly fast. Running OSX is a thing of beauty, but being able to run Window XP AND Vista at the same time all on the one machine (using Fusion) makes webdesign a doddle (I've added a bit more RAM than the standard).
Microsoft Office (for Mac), Adobe Creative Suite, and a host of Mac specific apps all run at the same time without any loss of speed (I've even got web radio playing in my ear at the same time as writing this, along with having about a dozen other apps running).
The mouse and keyboard are also a joy to use (the Mighty Mouse has 4 buttons and a scroll wheel - but you might need to read up on how to use them all, as the mouse looks like it has no buttons at all).
The screen is bright and although I was worried about it being glossy, it's not been an issue at all in a well lit office.
No virus software (on the Mac OSX partition - XP/Vista have their own virus software running), as there are no real viruses (it'd be easier to delete you hard drive manually than to install a virus at the moment for OSX).
It's running happily on a PC controlled network as well - folders are happily shared, iTunes libraries can be heard from any machine, and the printer just showed up as soon as it was installed on the network.
Once you've had mac, you'll never go back, 24 Oct 2008
Apple are a company at the very top of their game in every single respect right now. They are peerless. They make Microsoft, HP, Dell, Lenovo and all the other laggards out there look PATHETIC!
I bought this machine (actually a 3.06 GHz with 4GB RAM - 2gig upgrade) about 4 months ago and I can promise you that after more than 15 years of using PC, I will NEVER touch the things again. I am a photographer and love it for its big, clear screen to see my work on. I also bought aperture 2.0 which is an apple photo app....NOT as sophisticated as Adobe Photoshop but does 95% of the things I want right now. And does them really really well. I also do freelance work as a business consultant and writing Powerpoint presentations is a complete synch. Vista eat your heart out. The fact that Microsoft and Apple have got together finally and figured out a way of making PPT, XLS & WORD actually work is great. But the thing about Apple's Microsoft Powerpoint? Its sexier. The presentations are more exciting and easier to produce once you get used to it - which takes ZERO time.
I was slightly worried about making the transition after being so used to PC but honestly? It was simply a breeze. Now I go to PC and think.....what the hell was I doing? I mean they lack all the intuitive-ness of Apple's OS. You always hear people say that right. Mac evangelists go on and on and on about how intuitive macs are and the boring thing is not only are they dead right but I am firmly in their camp now. Aesthetically this is ....in a word.... beautiful. Or at least as beautiful as a computer could ever be. Its gorgeous. I have my machine rigged up with a set of Harmon Kardon Soundsticks and they just compliment it perfectly. I find safari (apple's browser) fantastic but also use Mozilla. The "dashboard" function - loads of personalised widgets - is great fun although I do find it a tiny bit of a gimmick (ie; don't use it THAT often - 2/3 times a week). I dunno...i could go on and on about this machine. Surfing the NET? 5 stars Watching DVDs? 5 stars. Speed? 5 stars (get it as fast as you can) Looking at photos? 5 stars. Software? 5 stars. itunes? 5 stars (naturally). And about a hundred other things I could mention. I mean, I've started to worry. Is this machine taking over my life? Is there anything I cannot do on it? Its brilliant brilliant brilliant!
My one gripe is with the mouse rollerball which seems to have a bit of a life of its own. I wish they'd sort it out. The only other worry I have now is how can I afford one of the new macbook pros. Can't wait for that too and then an iphone and having the whole system linked up through mobileMe.
Computing with LOGIC, 25 Sep 2008
have been using PC's since the year dot...... from windows 3.?? upto Windows Vista (yuck)
we bought the 24" intel imac and we have been blown away... stylish, quiet, RELIABLE, NO CRASHES, great software & easy to learn.
if you are in any doubt about making the plunge (or step) to mac it realy is simple, you can even run windows from a partition on the imacs hard drive, i ran the 'boot camp' application to allow windows to run on the mac and within 12 hours the partition was deleted as it was not needed as apple software downloads on the net (some free) are perfect.
we shall never return to a PC with windows on it not worth the hassle, be scared Microsoft, be very scared apple is after you....
Try One - You'l Like It, 06 Sep 2008
I have had a home computer since 1981, and have tried many different makes, models and operating systems. I bought a 24" iMac six months ago and I would NEVER use anything else ever again. After ten years of Windows, this feels like being let out of jail.
A pleasure to use, 04 Sep 2008
Not the fastest I've ever used so don't buy if you're a PC games freak; but for everything else it's totally elegant, great iLife software is included, and some brilliant advanced titles like Photoshop & Toast are available if you want to do more. Brilliant design, looks great, compact, great screen for photo editors. If you think you'll miss Windows for any reason, using Boot Camp can resolve that issue (I need to use a few apps and also run Vista when I need it, which is less and less).....would like a much bigger hard drive, but otherwise for me at least this is the perfect machine.
Great little machine, don't buy!, 12 Jun 2008
Much to my frustration i have just had to buy one of these. As I say, they're great little machines: tiny, beautifully designed and powerful enough for what most users will ever need, with all the joys of the very superior Mac OS and user experience.
So the caveat: this model is now (June 2008) massively overdue an upgrade. Unfortunately the Mac Mini does not seem to be a very high priority on apple's development schedule. It's exactly the same spec and price as it was at launch nearly a year ago, which is a long time in the fast moving computer market. In the mean time, I think I'm right in saying that Apple as updated every other computer product line. Sadly the humble Mini seems to have been passed over, and no longer represents the such excellent value. This is a shame, as it is really Apple's only "budget" offering. The other component (i.e. keep your screen) desktop option is the mighty Mac Pro, and let's face it, most of us really don't need 8-core Xeon processing, (not to mention the mighty price tag that goes with it.)
Anyway, as I say, I had to get one, because I just wasn't in a position to wait for Apple's mysterious upgrade cycle to kick into action, and no doubt I'll feel pretty peeved when the replacement comes along offering a performance leap in all departments for probably a lower price. And this presumably won't be very long coming, as the chips in this model are no longer being produced by Intel. It just seems silly that the value you get from an apple product should be so dependent on when you buy. Most of us just don't want to worry about that. Even a price reduction wouldn't hurt, pending the release of the new models.
Come on Apple, it wouldn't hurt to look after the little people!
Hey good looking ! , 12 Jun 2008
I bought this as we only really use a computer for photos and music.
This little computer is about 5 times faster than my old laptop, doesnt crash or get viruses.
It is a thing of beauty and when used with a wireless keyboard, mighty mouse and a flat screen monitor takes up about as much room as a toaster!
My only gripe and its certainly not worth knocking a star off for, you will need to buy a copy of office for mac if you are new to macs. having only used microsoft office before the supplied word processing package is poor. You can download a free clone of office for the mac I think? anyone?
Really easy to use., 25 Mar 2008
I know very little about computers - email, videogames, internet, that's about it - but needed one to manage my music and photos. This worked basically straight out of the box with very little messing about - screen prompts guide you through everything - and has been even simpler to run day-to-day. All my peripherals plug straight into the USBs on the back, the inbuilt speaker plays my music loud enough for the study, it runs quietly and looks pretty cool! It takes up so little space too, which is good in a small house.
I'd recommend this if you don't really have any computer knowledge and just want to get on with doing stuff without worrying about it crashing and whatnot. I'll never go back to a PC!
Quiet but yet Fast!!, 01 Jan 2008
This is my first mac and crikey is it good!!
I switched from pc to the mac in hope of finding a computer that doesnt crash all the time and isnt thirsty for 2-3gb of RAM like vista.
The mac is so quiet you have to look at the light on the front to see if its on, even if your going through the hard drive you cannot hear it.
In a minute or two from switch on, the mac is fully useable ready to surf the web, create a movie, edit photos, create or design a website, manage and make music etc and all this is included ,and not as a pricey add-ons!!
The mac mini is perfect for anything especally media, but dont buy this mac for gaming, if you want good gaming on a mac buy an imac, a macbook or a mac pro.
I use an elgato eyeTV for DTT which is a freeview tv tuner for the mac which is a perfect companion!
I bought mine from the apple website for £460 including the Apple wireless keyboard and mighty mouse!!
Good , 09 Dec 2007
This is my first mac.
I had had enough of windows so i got one of these and its great fast more fun to use and dostent crash. Its quite to. Also you can get this on the apple web site for 399 insted of 528.
The best way to start with Mac computers, 18 Nov 2008
Small, easy to use OS, lots of connectivity, excellent media software, a DVI output for connecting to a HD-ready TV....probably the best solution on the market as an all-round home entertainment hub that doubles-up as a first-rate computer. I replaced a G4 Mac Mini with this, and found that it is at least 5x faster. Very pleased with it.
Great little package - dont buy..., 26 Jun 2008
Much to my frustration i have just had to buy one of these. As I say, they're great little machines: tiny, beautifully designed and powerful enough for what most users will ever need, with all the joys of the very superior Mac OS and user experience.
So the caveat: this model is now (June 2008) massively overdue an upgrade. Unfortunately the Mac Mini does not seem to be a very high priority on apple's development schedule. It's exactly the same spec and price as it was at launch nearly a year ago, which is a long time in the fast moving computer market. In the mean time, I think I'm right in saying that Apple as updated every other computer product line. Sadly the humble Mini seems to have been passed over, and no longer represents the such excellent value. This is a shame, as it is really Apple's only "budget" offering. The other component (i.e. keep your screen) desktop option is the mighty Mac Pro, and let's face it, most of us really don't need 8-core Xeon processing, (not to mention the mighty price tag that goes with it.)
Anyway, as I say, I had to get one, because I just wasn't in a position to wait for Apple's mysterious upgrade cycle to kick into action, and no doubt I'll feel pretty peeved when the replacement comes along offering a performance leap in all departments for probably a lower price. And this presumably won't be very long coming, as the chips in this model are no longer being produced by Intel. It just seems silly that the value you get from an apple product should be so dependent on when you buy. Most of us just don't want to worry about that. Even a price reduction wouldn't hurt, pending the release of the new models.
Come on Apple, it wouldn't hurt to look after the little people!
Well worth the swap. Bye bye Windows, 26 Mar 2008
I've been an avid fan of Windows for about 15 years and never really considered moving over to Mac, especially as I'm a gamer at heart. Having 'upgraded' to Vista and with spending so much time glaring at the 'Blue Screen Of Death' I decided that enough was enough. I have a console for most of my games now, so I took the plunge. I didn't want to spend a fortune, so the Mac Mini was an ideal choice, especially as I already have the monitor, mouse and keyboard from my PC.
I couldn't be happier with the switch. I haven't had a single BSOD since buying the Mini just before Xmas 2007 and even when a couple of 3rd party apps have crashed, OS X keeps running smoothly in the background. The specs, on paper, don't look that dazzling, but OS X is such a well designed OS that I can happily have the Mini ripping a DVD, while I listen to iTunes, surf the Net and tinker with my photos. Not much chance of that happening on a Vista PC, without incurring the national debt of Sri Lanka to pay for it.
With OS X shipping with Boot Camp, allowing a Windows install on a seperate partition, there is absolutely no reason to ever have a PC again. I need Windows ( online football commentary only uses Windows DRM for the time being ), but I can keep the install to a bare minimum and switch over at will.
If you're a die-hard Windows gamer, the Mini might not be your best choice, unless you're a console owner, but for the average home user, it's a fantastic first step into Mac ownership. Once you're happy with it and want to upgrade to an iMac, the Mini can live under your TV as a silent media system too !
MACs Lyrically, 12 Feb 2008
Couldn't help the pun in the title of this review. I was told by another MAC user that I consulted before purchasing that once I had a MAC I wouldn't be able to stop telling people how much better it was than a Windows PC, and I now understand exactly what he meant. Setting it up took only a few minutes and the biggest problem I had was not realising I had actually connected to the net, but this was due to having thought I had set it up, which later it transpired I had, checking in Amazon to ensure I could see a recent purchase and not finding anything. Once I realised the default was Amazon.com, and redirected to Amazon.co.uk all was OK. The way things are organised is so much easier than with Windows and the size of the computer makes it far easier to have on the desk next to the screen. The latest MAC operating system is compared by many to Vista, but my lap top runs Vista and whilst it is the best operating system so far from Microsoft and way ahead of all previous systems, it isn't a patch on the mini MAC. If your thinking of purchasing a new computer go with this one and you won't be disappointed. Although it isn't as important to use a firewall as it is with Windows, it is worth checking out the Intergo virus software, which can be purchased seperately from this site. Don't be put off by moving over to MAC as it will open Windows application documents and the actual applications MAC comes with are way more powerful than anything I have seen in the Microsoft portfolio of applications.
Excellent machine. Shame about the online/telephone support., 10 Feb 2008
I bought a Mac Mini online from the Apple Store. Fantastic machine, and much nicer to use than a Windows box as well as looking so much better (and being silent). The problems began when the superdrive (CD/DVD) broke down, just a hardware fault that should have been a simple matter of replacing the drive. The Apple website is really unhelpful (take a look). Bizarrely, it is not possible to contact them by email, so I ended up having to send a old-fashioned letter to Ireland. They replied by mail, giving me a number to ring. I was kept 30 minutes on hold before they informed me that they could not help me by phone unless I bought a telephone support contract, which of course I did not want to do simply to report a hardware fault covered by their guarantee. They told me to take the computer to the nearest Apple store. Staff at the Apple were helpful and replaced the drive in two days.
The moral is, only buy an Apple computer if you are within easy reach of an Apple store.
AND IT STARTED SIO WELL, 27 Sep 2008
Firstly no problems with the delivery or the ordering process, however it's when I got this machine home my problems began. As described in an earlier review when I first switched on the PC would not accept my monitor though the trick with F8 did the trick on startup.
Things went ok with printer connection which was seemless - the machine was quiet, Pentium instead of Celeron and reasonably quiet.
My problems began with the broadband modem, whose installation disc would not run properly (was fine on my old XP machine) anyway went onto website to get driver data to use on Vista which I installed - despite this the PC refused to acknowledge my modem's existence so thought sod it will get one from PC World that works with Vista - no such luck and neither Tiscali nor Netgear can resolve the problem. Suffice to say will be calling Amazon shortly to arrange collection and am extremely disappointed.
Excellent computer but lousy support from Acer, 17 Sep 2008
Bought this out of curiosity - it could not be as bad as other reviewers reported. Arrived promptly from Amazon, unpacked the box to find minimal instructions. Eventually got it running after using video card output (not mentioned in specifications) rather than onboard video output. Added 2MB of RAM (£28 from Crucial Memory) and now have a excellent fast PC spoilt only by the lack of information from Acer and a refusal from them to answer basic questions regarding upgrading RAM - other wise I would have given it 4 or even 5 stars.
Good value for money, 29 Aug 2008
The model I actually received after ordering from this Amazon.co.uk | | |