The PowerEdge 2300 is quite a system-in capacity, engineering, and price. Software shipping with the unit included Windows NT Server 4.0, and HP OpenView Network Node Manager Special Edition. Most workgroups will have a hard time outgrowing this system. The system also comes with five open PCI slots. Installation is straightforward, with the connectors all easily accessible on the back of the unit.
Maintenance is convenient, too.
You can gain access to the interior of the system without tools-just unlock the front panel if necessary, pull it straight off, then unscrew three thumbscrews to remove the side panel. You can even remove the PCI cards without tools. The designers chose to have the cards held in with lever-action devices rather than screws. The hard drive carriers for the RAID are easily removed and support standard and hot-swappable drives. Swapping new drives into the canisters to upgrade the RAID is also a straightforward proposition.