HP announces Data Vault X310; Neowin goes hands on

HP today has announced the newest product in its Data Vault lineup, the X310. Back in November Neowin reviewed the X510 and the X310 is a similar product but comes in at a lower price point ($549). Unlike the X510, the X310 has a few less bells and whistles after consumer demands signified that there was a need for a product that allowed expandable storage but has all the simplicity of Windows Home Server.

The X310 comes with 1TB of storage but is expandable up to 15 TB when connecting the solution to external disk drives using the eSATA and four USB ports; the unit is powerd by a 1.66 Ghz Dual Core Atom CPU. Clients can share local and remote files through a custom URL that is accessible from any web browser for improved collaboration. The X310 provides automatic backup for up to 10 PCs and Mac clients

The unit is a similar size to the X510 and the weight feels comparable. As we gave away the X510, we don’t have direct access to a unit for a 1:1 comparison. The unit is made of plastic but does not feel cheap (thanks to its weight) nor does it show fingerprints easily. But let’s remember that this device will not be handled often after the initial setup so splurging for fancy lights, premium external materials, and unnecessary ports is a welcome change.

Neowin is about to undertake a semi-long term test with HP’s newest unit. Are there any types of scenarios or tests that you would like to see performed on this unit? We will have the unit for a couple of months and will be looking to put this device to the test to help you, the consumer, to get a better idea what this rig can be used for. And if you have any ideas for the product, make your thoughts known, as HP will be listening, we know this because the X310 was spawned from consumer demand.

HP also announced several other products and services that are targeted for the small to medium business. From their PR, “ HP Converged Infrastructure provides a blueprint for deploying technology to achieve new levels of integration. As a result, small and midsize businesses (SMBs) can simplify these environments to provide more flexibility in responding to business changes and cost less to manage. With an HP Converged Infrastructure, SMBs can spend more resources focused on driving innovation and less on managing their IT environment.” You can find out more about all of HPs new SMB initiatives here.