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Microsoft Windows Home Server Beta 2
Conclusion
I did encounter my share of bugs in WHS Beta 2 and CTP, but they were minor things. I really didn't see any big design flaws in the software Microsoft has developed. And that's the most powerful point here. Microsoft's Windows Home Server is a solid platform to build on. The biggest question will be Microsoft's pricing strategy and consumer uptake. And it might not even be consumers who are the only customers. Small businesses, under 10 employees, could leverage Windows Home Server in their office as a way to share common files, keep the local computers upgraded and up to date, and to keep important data backed up. Also, by having remote access to the server, outsourced IT staff can manage the server and check on the status of client's computer network without a trip to the site. Future add-ins could include Sharepoint Services, group calendaring, email, and much more. The question is will WHS be sold for less than a copy of Small Business Server while providing superior features in terms of ease of use for non-technical folks. The weakest point is a lack of software that would leverage the WHS system. Bill Gates likes to call it the "ecosystem" and while the general ecosystem for Windows is the strongest in the world, Windows Home Server opens up a million new opportunities for developers to use their creativity, along with some of the amazing new graphical interface capabilities of .Net 3.0 (Windows Graphics Foundation), and the recently released API for Windows Home Server to create applications that will seamlessly integrate the data storage for WHS with applications to make it seem like the data and services are local even though they're across the home network. If I had some free time I'd be writing some of these applications, but as long as my editor loads me down with new stuff to review I don't think I'll be writing those programs anytime soon. Microsoft's Windows Home Server is stacking up to be an amazing product. While it might not be a good fit for a household with one computer, the value of a home server rises quickly with each additional computer. Power users will appreciate the always-on availability of their files, and everyone can appreciate the backup capabilities that it provides. While I reserve final judgment for the shipping version, at this point I am most certainly looking forward to the third quarter of this year, when it is expected that Windows Home Server will be released. Authors Note: Again, I need to thank my generous sponsors for this review, Seagate for sending me two 750GB HDs and to Mushkin for sending me two 512MB sticks of DDR2-800 RAM. Pros Easy to use Centralized storage Backup and restore capabilities Cons Logs to investigate problems difficult to find Bit of a pain to install (weird error messages, 9 reboots, hopefully less in final version) Minor bugs (again, hopefully solved by final retail copy)
Page 1: Introduction & Hardware Configuration
Page 2: Setup - Installing Server and Client Software Page 3: Testing - Client Console & Restore CD Page 4: Testing - File Sharing and Backup & Windows Media Connect Page 5: Testing - Remote Access & Running Other Applications Page 6: Upgrading to CTP & Upgraded Remote Access Page 7: Conclusion 
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