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HP MediaSmart Server  (Source: Hewlett-Packard)
Microsoft sets fall retail launch date for Windows Home Server

Microsoft's Windows Home Service has been released to manufacturing (RTM). The announcement came roughly one month after Microsoft delivered a Release Candidate version of the softwareto testers.

Over 100,000 people tested the "coolest version of Windows ever" according to Windows Home Server General Manager Charlie Kindel.

Windows Home Server can be used on any home network and can be used to store music and photos, provide automated network backups for connected PCs and provide secure remote access from anywhere in the world.

Windows Home Server is based on Windows Server 2003 and will be available as a standalone OEM software package to be installed on compatible PCs (Microsoft recommends using a 64-bit enabled processor, but it is not required) or as an all-in-one hardware solution.

In the latter case, hardware solutions such as the HP MediaSmart Server have already been revealed to the public and will ship within the coming months. Other launch partners include Fujitsu-Siemens, Gateway, Iomega LaCie and Medion.

"It started with a vision that an always available device on the home network was an essential ingredient of a Microsoft platform for the home," said Kindel. "At first there was only one of us, then three, then five... We put together a plan for a plan and executed. The result was an ambitious, yet pragmatic product plan that would deliver real value to consumers."

Microsoft has cited "early fall, late September and early October" for the retail launch of Windows Home Server-based hardware. HP's MediaSmart Server will lead the charge with the others following in lockstep.

"We'll keep moving forward," said Windows Home Server Senior Product Manager Joel Sider. "There will certainly be future versions of WHS."

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Windows Home Server
By mlmoorex on 7/17/07, Rating: 0
RE: Windows Home Server
By omnicronx on 7/17/2007 5:14:07 PM , Rating: 2
No they arnt, does server03 combine hds into one, does server 03 have a client side addon thats easy to use? does server 03 have webaccess to your streamed files and folders? does server 03 have any of the other addons a normal home user and not a business user would use?

I think not.. Ms said it is based on 03, so it should not surprise you it has all the features of it. I have absolutely no use for Server03 but i could see myself using this quite a bit.


RE: Windows Home Server
By mlmoorex on 7/17/07, Rating: 0
RE: Windows Home Server
By mlmoorex on 7/17/2007 8:10:32 PM , Rating: 2
Have you ever used server 2003?


RE: Windows Home Server
By cochy on 7/17/2007 10:52:13 PM , Rating: 2
Uh no you can't. Windows can mount a disk inside a partition but it can most definitely not create or manage storage pools . Something WHS does. This Linux LVM or Solaris ZFS.


RE: Windows Home Server
By cochy on 7/17/2007 10:53:19 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
This Linux LVM or Solaris ZFS


Think*

Man and I previewed it thrice...need sleep


RE: Windows Home Server
By ninjit on 7/18/2007 1:11:33 AM , Rating: 1
Look up "Dynamic Disks" for windows.

Not exactly equivalent to a storage pool on other OSes, but pretty much it.


RE: Windows Home Server
By JCheng on 7/18/2007 2:43:05 AM , Rating: 2
WHS storage tech is different than dynamic disks. WHS is (optionally) redundant and you can add *and remove* disks at any time. Each individual disk is standard NTFS so even if the WHS system volume dies, in the worst case you can always mount each disk as a normal NTFS drive and get your files back.


RE: Windows Home Server
By ninjit on 7/18/2007 1:11:33 AM , Rating: 4
Look up "Dynamic Disks" for windows.

Not exactly equivalent to a storage pool on other OSes, but pretty much it.


RE: Windows Home Server
By rainwalker on 7/18/2007 4:04:18 AM , Rating: 2
So if it's based on Windows Server 2003, how much of the "power-user" capabilities does it carry over? I'm pretty to new to the server side of things but I've recently been looking into hosting a personal webpage from home. I briefly considered Windows Server 2003 and just downloaded Ubuntu Server Edition but have really been leaning towards using an extra copy of Vista Business to "serve" my small-time needs. I know the central feature of WHS is to serve files around the house and afar but would it have enough capability to host a personal web page?

Thanks,
-rainwalker


RE: Windows Home Server
By mindless1 on 7/18/2007 5:31:18 PM , Rating: 2
I would think /noob/ capabilities not power user capabilities. Your present win95 or newer Windows system could already do quite adeqately at serving a personal webpage. A "power user" is going to pick the server app they want for the job.

If someone really needs a home file and webserver, this product has merit, but mostly it's just the same trend MS had shown all along that they just built in what you could already install on some other version of windows to get the job done. It could be see as good or bad depending on your needs, if you needed to buy another OS license (wanting to run windows) anyway, it makes more sense than if you alreay had any of the semi-modern OS which can do the job.

As for the storage capabilities, what's the big deal? Raid is commonplace these days and at worst add-on cards are down around $15.


No Standalone Sales
By deeznuts on 7/17/2007 1:47:46 PM , Rating: 2
It's being reported from other sites that MS will not be selling this standalone but can only be bought with a server from one of MS' partners.

http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9744971-7.html

However, when I go read the press release from MS' site, it says no such thing and I can't imagine MS not selling it by itself, imagine how many out of date computers out there that can run this program. It could be a huge seller.




RE: No Standalone Sales
By darkpaw on 7/17/2007 1:52:00 PM , Rating: 2
They were originally only going to sell it to hardware vendors, but the demand for an OEM copy was quite high so it will be sold as software only as well. No retail pack I believe, just a typical MS OEM disc.


RE: No Standalone Sales
By Brandon Hill (blog) on 7/17/2007 1:52:19 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Sider declined to provide specific release dates for either the system builder version -- standalone software that will allow users to install WHS on older PCs -- or the various hardware products. But he did confirm that an evaluation edition would be available with the eval timing out after 120 days.

http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/07/16/Microsof...


RE: No Standalone Sales
By deeznuts on 7/17/2007 1:58:45 PM , Rating: 2
I think you're right. Another poster pointed me to this:

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2007/may0...

Probably news.com shoddy reporting.


No plans for retail software?
By Spivonious on 7/17/2007 1:49:30 PM , Rating: 2
I'd love to buy a copy of this to stick on the file server I already have, but it looks like I'll either have to buy some new hardware to go with the OEM copy or buy a whole new machine with it preinstalled.




RE: No plans for retail software?
By tdawg on 7/17/2007 1:54:46 PM , Rating: 2
Although I'm not sure if a hardware purchase is still required to purchase OEM software (at least from recent Newegg experience), you could always just purchase a cheap usb thumb drive at the same time to satisfy a hardware requirement.


Try it if you want
By darkpaw on 7/17/2007 2:13:25 PM , Rating: 2
You can still download RC1 from

http://connect.microsoft.com/WindowsHomeServer

They're running a contest too for best add-in. I've played around with a few things, but dev work isn't my field really. Theres already some pretty cool plug-ins available for download though.




By PAPutzback on 7/17/2007 2:27:59 PM , Rating: 2
It isn't just a file server. It also acts like a webserver. You can enable remote access then go thru the control panel and it will create a website for you at LiveNode.com. Thru this website you can access all of your files you have in shares. By default it creates a photo, video, music, public and software share.
The next great thing about it is when you start to run out of space you just add another drive and it adds it to the pool your d: drive just magically gets expanded no raid utilities or disk managment software to mess with.
You can enable folder duplication on specific folders and if you should loose a drive with a share that is protected you still have a copy of the data.

There are a few addins already. One allows you to have specific photo folders avaiable to online users. So granny can login and see all the photos you put in her folder with out going thru flickr or another host. So no limit either on how many photos you want to put up. There is another option that will synch up with flick and post them there if you want.
Then there is the backup tool that backs up every pc on your network that runs the connector software. So every night your entire system is backed up. Dont' worry about all your space going away if you have many pcs. It won't duplicate files. So if you have 3 xp machines then chances are the os and the programs that run on each machine that are the same will only backup once.
Then there is the addin that lets you remotely wake up your home machines and remote desktop in if they are capable. How nice is that. I use it to fire up my box when I need to update money.
I see alot more addins coming down the road, especially with MS having contests for the best addin.
SageTV has already created an addin for streaming TV recording to Sage Clients.

This is the first version. I think once they build some media center control into it then it will really take off.

Give me a few cable card tuners and I'd be all over it.




Cost?
By wannabemedontu on 7/17/2007 5:14:08 PM , Rating: 2
Anyone have an idea what something like this would cost? Maybe a 1 - 2TB setup?




By deeznuts on 7/17/2007 7:32:14 PM , Rating: 2
"MS recommends 64-bit Processor, but not required"

Why does MS recommend a 64-bit proc, when the code is 32 bit? Is it because MS is assuming all consumer 64 bit processors are actually faster (starting with the AMD Hammer) and therefore that, and not the 64 bit capability, will make it run faster?




By mcnabney on 7/20/2007 1:51:06 PM , Rating: 2
I culled this from a PC Magazine article about the new O/S.

Backup functions will be available to all XP users, but remote file access will be limited to Windows XP Professional or Windows Media Center Edition 2005.

So they are crippling the abilities for the millions of MS XP Home users out there. Since this is a server designed for the HOME the requirement of XP Pro is all I need to ignore this product. I was happy with my NAS anyway.