Paul's Picks

HP MediaSmart Server ex485/ex487
Pros: Improved processor, RAM, storage capacity; excellent bundled add-ons
Cons:Processor is still single core; requires two or more drives for best performance
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Recommendation: HP's MediaSmart Server ex485 and ex487 make home servers truly viable for users of all kinds. New this year is a better processor (Intel Celeron), dramatically more RAM (2GB, up from 512MB), and more storage (750GB in the ex485 and 1.5TB in the ex487), which combine to provide better performance across the board, especially for those users who want to augment MediaSmart Server’s Windows Home Server (WHS) capabilities with third-party add-ons. HP includes its own suite of excellent add-ons, and some are truly notable, including Server Online Backup, which backs up home server data to Amazon's S3 cloud storage system; HP Media Collector, which aggregates digital music, photos, and videos from all of your connected PCs; and a Mac compatibility add-on. If you're looking for a stylish and well-made WHS solution, this is likely your best bet.
Contact: HP
Discussion: Entire Windows SuperSite Review of HP MediaSmart Server

Windows Live Essentials
Pros: Diverse group of applications with excellent cross-app and cloud-base integration
Cons: Email application gets bogged down on email-heavy servers; buggy Messenger application; MovieMaker incomplete
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Recommendation: Microsoft moved many previously-bundled applications--including Windows Live Mail (email, contacts, and calendaring), Messenger (instant messaging), Movie Maker (video editing), and Photo Gallery (photo editing and management) out of Windows and into a free, downloadable suite called Windows Live Essentials that can be installed on Windows 7, Vista, or XP. The suite also includes a new Windows Live Toolbar for IE, a surprisingly excellent blog editor called Writer, a parental controls solution called Family Safety, and other utilities. Most of these applications are excellent. Because they’re no longer bundled in Windows, they can be updated more frequently and, for businesses, ignored as needed. Movie Maker remains in beta at press time--but Microsoft says it’s committed to regular updates. I like what I see so far.
Contact: Microsoft • 800-426-9400
Discussion: Entire Windows SuperSite Review of Windows Live Essentials