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Hardware Windows Home Server Products Roll Out
Brandon Hill (Blog) - November 5, 2007 8:43 AM
Print E-mail del.icio.us 45 comment(s) - last by ramas.. on Nov 9 at 5:14 AM

HP's MediaSmart Home Server  (Source: Hewlet-Packard)

Iomega HomeCenter Server  (Source: Iomega)
Microsoft's Windows Home Server hardware products are finally ready for prime time

It's been nearly a year since Microsoft first announced its Windows Home Server platform, but we are now just starting to see the fruits of Microsoft's (and its hardware partners') labors.

Microsoft is aiming to make digital media sharing, automated network PC backups and anywhere access to network files a possibility with Windows Home Server. The platform, which is built in Windows Server 2003 technology, is robust, yet easy enough for consumers to jump right in and feel at home.

Likewise, third-party software companies have the ability to create plug-ins for power users that wish to use the Windows Home Server to the fullest extent. According to Microsoft, 35 plug-ins are already available for the platform which touches on blogging, home security and home automation among other things.

The actual Windows Home Server OEM software has been available for a little over a month now, but Microsoft and its launch partners are finally ready to break out the details on the hardware products.

HP's MediaSmart Server is the headliner product for Windows Home Server. As detailed in an earlier DailyTech story, the MediaSmart Home Server is available in two versions: the $599, 500GB EX470 and the $749, 1TB EX475. Both are based on the AMD LIVE! Home Media Server solution.

"We are excited to work with industry leaders HP and Microsoft to help pioneer a new class of user-friendly consumer electronics for home networking," said Bob Brewer, corporate VP of marketing and strategy for the AMD Computing Solutions Group. "The AMD LIVE! solution was designed to simplify and enhance digital entertainment experiences, and helping consumers protect their valuable digital memories is a vital aspect of that vision."

"As more and more entertainment content goes digital, people increasingly want a simple way to access, store and enjoy the wide range of photos, personal videos, music and films they enjoy at home," continued HP Managed Home Business senior VP John Orcutt.

HP, however, isn't the only company championing the Windows Home Server platform. Storage company Iomega is onboard with its 500GB Iomega HomeCenter Server which is scheduled to ship in early 2008. Fujitsu Siemens will offer its 1TB SCALEO Home Server 1900 in late 2007 and other solutions are on the way from Life|ware, MAXDATA, Medion, Tranquil and Velocity Micro.

"Digital devices and content are everywhere in our day-to-day lives and they are more important all the time," said Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates. "With the launch of Windows Home Server, Microsoft and its partners are creating a new consumer product category that will help people keep their digital media safe and make it easier for them to enjoy it with friends and family."

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The links
By crystal clear on 11/5/2007 9:18:49 AM , Rating: 2
Good for AMD-

AMD Powers Up AMD LIVE!™ Home Media Server Introducing Easy, Universal Control of a Home Network

— Home Servers Based on AMD Technology And Microsoft Windows Home Server Software Now Available From HP And Medion —

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- November 5, 2007 --AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced availability of home servers based on the AMD LIVE!™ Home Media Server solution. First to market is the HP MediaSmart Server, which is powered by AMD64 technology and Microsoft Windows Home Server software. This new category of home media servers offers consumers a simple way to access, share and enjoy their PC files, digital photos, movies and music throughout the networked home and on the go.

Broadband, multi-PC networked households are expected to grow to 150 million worldwide by 2010, according to a recent study by analyst firm IDC. As the consumption of digital media continues to rise exponentially, devices like the HP MediaSmart Server help fulfill a growing need for digital file protection and centralization within the home while enhancing consumers’ entertainment experiences, regardless of media format or preferred devices.


http://www.amd.com/us-en/Corporate/VirtualPressRoo...

http://h71036.www7.hp.com/hho/cache/447351-0-0-225...




RE: The links
By Mitch101 on 11/5/2007 9:43:36 AM , Rating: 2
Kind of off topic but did anyone else catch the AMD COMMERCIAL during the patriots vs colts football game?

It was kind of a blended commercial that included Lowes and the Stock Exchange.


RE: The links
By Alias1431 on 11/5/2007 9:50:36 AM , Rating: 2
Now that was a good game.


RE: The links
By Mitch101 on 11/5/2007 2:00:13 PM , Rating: 2
Sure was. That has to rank around superbowl level minus the superbowl style commercials. I should have invited everyone over for a small party to watch that game.


RE: The links
By ElFenix on 11/5/2007 10:31:37 AM , Rating: 2
that was a new york stock exchange commercial. i'm sure AMD paid something to have a prominent place in it, but it wasn't their ad.


Whats cool... Whats not.
By skaaman on 11/5/2007 3:19:57 PM , Rating: 2
I was at an AMD show and got a nice demo courtesy of an MS rep. The good I saw was its a 10 client license, dumbed down to allow most to be able to deploy it (it can even be headless) and additional drives are plug and go. WHS just assimilates new drive space into the overall pool.

The bad part is there seems to be no redundancy built-in to the darn thing. WHS doesn't support RAID. This would seem to be the deal breaker for me. I guess I'm just being picky and odds are a server drive and my workstation drive won't crash at the same time...




RE: Whats cool... Whats not.
By TomZ on 11/5/2007 3:33:10 PM , Rating: 2
Do you feel you need redundancy beyond the mirrored folders? I think that WHS is more flexible and powerful than RAID in that respect.

Or do you mean the system volume (OS image)? I would assume that you could still use BIOS-level RAID still, i.e., RAID that is transparent to the OS, if you thought that was necessary.

Also makes me wonder if WHS can back itself up, i.e., back up its OS image and configuration?


RE: Whats cool... Whats not.
By Kenenniah on 11/5/2007 3:41:54 PM , Rating: 3
Not true. It doesn't support RAID per say, but sort of a psuedo RAID 1.
Any share you mark as redundant will automatically be duplicated on multiple drives (assuming of course your WHS has multiple drives).


They're listed on Amazon now
By ElFenix on 11/5/2007 10:38:29 AM , Rating: 2
http://www.amazon.com/EX470-MediaSmart-Server-Semp...

$534 for the 1/2TB version. amazon claims the list price is $708, i guess to make the savings look bigger.




RE: They're listed on Amazon now
By SunAngel on 11/5/07, Rating: 0
RE: They're listed on Amazon now
By omnicronx on 11/5/2007 12:01:58 PM , Rating: 2
Are you talking about streaming to an extender? Because I have no problem streaming third party codecs to different PC's. Even with my extender I just use transcode360, which transcodes in realtime. Only thing is you can't scroll through the media, so you have to watch a video start to finish, at least in the version I am using.


RE: They're listed on Amazon now
By Screwballl on 11/5/2007 2:52:27 PM , Rating: 2
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8601...
500GB HP MediaSmart system for $600

or you take an old system, buy a 500GB hard drive for it and a $180 license from newegg and do it yourself. $300 or $600... your choice...

hey this gives me an idea... time to start building my own now for sale


DC??
By powergrip on 11/5/2007 4:55:21 PM , Rating: 2
Can anyone confirm if this thing can run a Active Directory/Domain Controller? Or is it just a file share?




RE: DC??
By TomZ on 11/5/2007 6:59:16 PM , Rating: 2
AFAIK, WHS has no Active Directory/Domain Controller abilities.


Now OEMs need to...
By paulpod on 11/5/2007 9:12:20 PM , Rating: 3
- Offer units with a deep power down mode when the network and connected PCs are idle.

- Offer a fast turnaround replacement on failed units where drives can transferred to the replacement and it comes up and runs.

- Offer a unit with at least 4 eSata ports and support power down modes on external drives.

- Offer "bare iron" backup and restore of the server to an external drive. (With ability to exclude folders from the backup.)

- Guarantee data transfers over GigE are the same speed as a PC folder share (at least 25MB/s).

Maybe these types of features will be in the first units but details are hard to come by.




Still just vaporware
By mmcdonalataocdotgov on 11/6/2007 11:22:38 AM , Rating: 2
After months of HP not having anything but press releases about this product on their site, they are now only listed as Coming Soon.




Give Microsoft a break...
By Darkk on 11/7/2007 10:21:49 PM , Rating: 2
I actually beta tested WHS for several months and for once they released a product that is actually bug free and stable. Not bad for a first time release. WHS is designed to be install and forget type of system so give Microsoft some credit for making it easy for everybody to use. I don't think $179 is high for what it does. You build the hardware yourself, you pick the drives and just slap in WHS...volia you got a nice insurance policy sitting in the background.

I absolutely love the way it allows me to add and REMOVE hard drives anytime I want without having to back stuff up and then reconfigure the drive array. That feature alone is worth a great deal to me. I wish they add this to the normal Windows 2003 Server. I know linux is capable of adding drives anytime but the way Microsoft designed it is very easy to use and manage. Kudos to Microsoft.

Wait till they release the next version of WHS with added features that we want.




no good
By ramas on 11/9/2007 5:14:45 AM , Rating: 2
Useless piece of tech. You could easily setup a Ubuntu server ed. on a 20$ price computer, if you can't, then you don't really need a HS at all.




i have a bad feeling about this
By RamarC on 11/5/07, Rating: -1
RE: i have a bad feeling about this
By SavagePotato on 11/5/2007 9:49:20 AM , Rating: 2
Being a router realy doesn't require you to do anything to make it secure it could be difficult. Microsoft thinks that Windows firewall is a good solution though so it wouldn't be the first time they were wrong about security.

Still that being said how secure does it have to be? It is for home use, who is out there to hack into Jim Smiths battlestar galactiaca torrents stored on his home file server. It isn't an enterprise product after all.

I am not that educated on the product yet but It wouldn't preclude the use of a hardware firewall box if someone so desired would it?


RE: i have a bad feeling about this
By wordsworm on 11/5/2007 10:43:46 AM , Rating: 1
quote:
Jim Smiths battlestar galactiaca torrents stored on his home file server
I think you just answered your own question. I forget the name of the lady, but DT recently did a story on someone getting sued by RIAA over torrents. Now, there could be a whole world of difference between someone inadvertently sharing and this woman (whom I'm sure was aware of what she was doing). Nonetheless, the unwitting could easily become a victim to litigation regardless of their intent.

Also, I can't help but wonder if RIAA would suggest that even on a home server whether or not that itself would be legal.


By afkrotch on 11/6/2007 1:17:34 PM , Rating: 2
You can't use illegally obtained evidence in a lawsuit. If RIAA started hacking into ppl's home servers, they'd have a whole lot more to worry about then whether Jim Smith had torrents on his machine.