Probably one of Microsofts best kept secrets. Its finished and one the way to the manufacturers. Ive had my eye on it for a small while now.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/windowshomeserver/default.mspx
To put it simply, its a striped down version of server 2003 SP2 (a good start) made for the home user with features aimed at that.
Features (Extract From Wikipedia)
Centralized Backup - Allows backup up to 10 PCs, using Single Instance Store technology to avoid multiple copies of the same file, even if that file exists on multiple PCs.
Health Monitoring - Can centrally track the health of all PCs on the network, including antivirus and firewall status.
File Sharing - Offers network shares for commonly used files like MP3s and videos with network-attached storage.
Printer Sharing - Allows a centralized print server to handle print jobs for all users.
Previous Versions - Takes advantage of Volume Shadow Copy Services to take point in time snapshots that allow older versions of files to be recovered.
Headless Operation - No monitor or keyboard attached to the device itself, much like a firewall or router.
Remote administration - Provides a client UI to remotely perform administrative tasks. Also allows Remote Desktop connections to the server.
Remote Access Gateway - Allows access to any PC on the network from outside the home.
Media Streaming - Can stream media to an Xbox 360 or other devices supporting Windows Media Connect.
Data redundancy - Guards against a single drive failure by duplicating data across multiple drives.
Expandable Storage - Provides a unified single and easily expandable storage space, removing the need for drive letters.
Some of these features are just striped down versions of 2003 components. "Remote Access Gateway" ----> "Remote Web Workplace" in SBS.
I dont doubt its benefits, Ive seen several small businesses go from a workgroup to an SBS server with exchange. Tape back up, the works, I know the benefits and they are real. But for a home, Im not so sure if its needed or wanted.
Is it really going to drag people away like you and me from using another windows machine from being a file server. Printer server? XP Home will do that, so long as you dont have more than 5 users connect to that resource.
What it is trying to achieve is some form of centralisation of resources and data with redundancy. I think its a great think, but Im really not sure if its going to fly of the shelves. I can see it in a PC world advert soon enough.
"You can never lose a document again". :roll:
I personnaly think the biggest issue, will families leave a machine running 24/7 with carbon footprint reduction a big thing in peoples mind in ever gradually increasing electricity bills.
Here is the getting started manual. (35Page PDF)
http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/c/0/9c0ef09a-585f-4e20-a605-9f225cc11721/WHS_GettingStarted.pdf
http://www.wegotserved.co.uk/
Could be more orientated towards smallofficehomeoffice.
If your a small independent hotel, or a small business in a single premises, then the price of this is likely to be a hell of a lot less than SBS and Exchange :)
Ive played with it on and off for a while. Its not bad for a novice user, but if i was looking to run on a business then i would _seriously_ recommend a full-fat server OS.
Agreed. Cracking piece of software but I think HOME is the wrong name and market for it. I can see some home workers using it though - sales reps/managers who work from home etc..
Quote from: M3ta7h3adCould be more orientated towards smallofficehomeoffice.
If your a small independent hotel, or a small business in a single premises, then the price of this is likely to be a hell of a lot less than SBS and Exchange :)
SBS itself is very good value for money when you look at what you get, ISA Server (which is s**t), SQL Server, Exhcange, Sharepoint, DHCP Server, Remote Access & VPN. Its abput what now, below £100?
Say for example a group of salesmen wanted to check their individual e-mail on a Windows Mobile device. Id have to use SBS.
Im pretty sure Home server would not be up to that. It seems very limited in buisness potential. Exchange would be needed in that scenario for RPC over HTTP.
Then theres VPN access, Home Server seems to only providing a web based interface to access your network, a stripped down version of Remote Web Workplace.
Im strugggling to see where they are fiting this in between SBS and a Windows Machine except for the fact you will get lost in Server 2003 if you have never dealt with it before. Its the interface 7 stripped down features that is making it a home product.
Quote from: BeakerIve played with it on and off for a while. Its not bad for a novice user, but if i was looking to run on a business then i would _seriously_ recommend a full-fat server OS.
a lot of small companies cant afford to have a PC just for that..
I know a lot of small accountants, Money experts, etc. that Just have themselves & their assistants (usually 2) - this would be ideal for them as they dont have a server & everything is centrally shared from one PC atm.
Theres no way they could justify buying a PC & then spending several hundreds on a Server OS. Linux would be a non starter for them.
Especailly when all they want to do is share files, printers & internet access.
Quote from: EggtasticoQuote from: BeakerIve played with it on and off for a while. Its not bad for a novice user, but if i was looking to run on a business then i would _seriously_ recommend a full-fat server OS.
a lot of small companies cant afford to have a PC just for that..
I know a lot of small accountants, Money experts, etc. that Just have themselves & their assistants (usually 2) - this would be ideal for them as they dont have a server & everything is centrally shared from one PC atm.
Theres no way they could justify buying a PC & then spending several hundreds on a Server OS. Linux would be a non starter for them.
Especailly when all they want to do is share files, printers & internet access.
Spot on - in my old sales job we used to sell a box called the Efinity Edge by SMT which was in effect a Shuttle with linux on it and some custom software to give all usual server features. They sold this office in a box solution to exactly these kinds of customers and they snapped them up . They all came back because they were sh*t - but thats not the point!!
FYI I think we used to sell them or between £650.00 and £800.00 depending on the client
Quote from: Eggtasticoa lot of small companies cant afford to have a PC just for that..
I know a lot of small accountants, Money experts, etc. that Just have themselves & their assistants (usually 2) - this would be ideal for them as they dont have a server & everything is centrally shared from one PC atm.
Theres no way they could justify buying a PC & then spending several hundreds on a Server OS. Linux would be a non starter for them.
Especailly when all they want to do is share files, printers & internet access.
yeah i know, i support a few small companies myself. Usually if the data needs to be shared out ill recondition an old PC, put it on the network and install a VNC client so people can do some organisation of the data structure themselves. It works ok, if you set the system to back the data up. ANother favourite trick at that point it to tell people to save their data to the My Documents folder and point it at the network storage.
Quote from: Beakeryeah i know, i support a few small companies myself. Usually if the data needs to be shared out ill recondition an old PC, put it on the network and install a VNC client so people can do some organisation of the data structure themselves. It works ok, if you set the system to back the data up. ANother favourite trick at that point it to tell people to save their data to the My Documents folder and point it at the network storage.
Yup, My Documents are usually pointed elswhere to another PC.
Also use MailGate for Email, Proxy Server stuff. Does the job quite well.
The my documents trick I use here at home :) Keeps my parents and sisters files backed up.
Ah yeah just seen the entire point of it. Its not punted at business users at all. Families.
The My Docs trick suffices in my house, and with minimal networked computers weve no need for more.
However a slimmed down version of 2003 could be useful when I get my own place. Ive no idea of the current price of SBS but with normal retail copies of XP and Vista still £100+ by my estimation itd be considerably more.
Id quite like the use of group policy to enforce some restrictions on some of the machines, granted I could do it locally, but if I had a few machines itd be a ball ache.
Its basically microsofts foray into NAS, and offering extended backup facilities.
Your right Cypher, businesses would have no use for it. Homes however... we already try and do these things (at least I do), using tricks and workarounds. Microsoft has just released a product that provides that functionality to those who maybe arent that tech savvy.
Sidenote: "The evaluation version (with 120 day evaluation period)"
Thats a damn nice evaluation period. Ive an old XP Sp1 cd here somewhere with a 120day evaluation period, but thought theyd reduced them all down to 30 day or 60 day versions... Think I have a 90day server 2k3 evaluation kit somewhere too... but yeah. Nice!! :D
Think I may give it a shot if thats the case. :D