A nightmare to setup

The hardware itself is actually quite nice and a good value. The loss in value due to the difficulty involved with setting up a fresh operating system using the documentation supplied in the box. I should also note that I was looking for a desktop-like machine to act as a media server and web server running Windows. The instructions mention going to a URL on the HP site and downloading an spp package to try to get things started. However, the URL requires that you be logged in, and once you are inside you have to link your license to your account in order to download the package, but there is no clear indication of which IDs are necessary to do that linking. I consider myself a tech savvy individual and quite good at setting up computers and installing software. I literally spent the majority of an entire weekend scouring the internet and trying to find all the necessary steps and software required to just load Windows onto this thing. Ultimately, if you've worked with HP servers like this before or you have copious free time that you are willing to spend on trying to figure out the mysteries of this device, you are better off spending a little bit more money on a machine that has a better track record for installation and configuration. Had I known the headaches I would go through in advance, I never would have made this purchase. Also, as a tip, do not try replacing the RAM on this box. It may not boot if you do.Read full review

Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New