Gadget blog ubergizmo are giving away a 1.5TB EX495 MediaSmart Server from HP worth $699.
All you need to do is post a comment TO THEIR POST telling them why you want one and what you would do with it, but hurry as the deadline is December 18.
You can enter here.
Episode 68 of The Home Server Show podcast has 2 interviews this week. The first is with Nigel Wilks, AKA, Cougar developer of WHS Health and the other is with Tom S about virtualization. And as well as these interviews is of course the latest news and views,
Listen in here.
Software developer Jason Burns tells us his thoughts on Windows Home Server for those of you who are thinking about taking the step to a home server.
Jason tells us what WHS is and why we need one, and using his Acer H340 as an example he tells us how easy it was to setup and explains what it does.
You can read Jason’s thoughts here.
Australian tech news site techAU has a review of the EX490 MediaSmart Server from HP.
I’d been waiting for the day these came on sale, naturally I jumped at the chance to finally own one. After having it for a little over a week, I’m incredibly happy with it
You can read Jason Cartwright’s review here.
What is Time Traveler?
Time Traveler for Windows Home Server when installed allows you to revert to any version of a file stored on your Windows Home Server. For example you might realise that the section of a report you deleted a few revisions ago actually is now needed. Time Traveler will enable you to go through previous versions of the file and you can then copy out the text that is needed. While Time Traveler is installed you can be safe in the knowledge that your files are protected from being overwritten. This is especially useful in server environment where many users may have access to the same files.
Time Traveler can be found at http://www.timetravelerwhs.com/index.html and though not free like some add-ins the amount of protection it offers is very good for the fee of $29.99 (£19.54). There is a trial version available and once downloaded to the Add-Ins folder of your Software Network Share installation is as straightforward as any other standard Add-In. Note: Power Pack 2 must be installed for Time Server to work – though by now you should consider upgrading to Power Pack 3.
WHS Health is a new add-in from Nigel Wilks and Alex Kuretz which renders the health (duh!) status of Windows Home Server on an iPhone or iPod Touch but easily as well in a desktop web browser.
The add-in adds a settings tab in the Windows Home Server console with a link(s) to access from a web browser for the health status information.
More information is available from here.
The developer of AutoExit has put together a developer kit for Windows Home Server newbie’s.
Nick Asseloos has compiled information from developers Brendan Grant and Sam Wood and scoured MSDN and other WHS resources for information which is relevant to would be add-in developers.
These tutorials walk you through the different steps of setting up a development environment, creating help files, how to localize an add-in, test it, release it etc ready for the public to use.
The 40 meg download comprises the documentation and software required for your first Windows Home Server add-in and can be downloaded from here.
More information is available from here.
A new release of TwonkyMedia Server is now available.
Version 5.1.1 is available for Windows Home Server users from here.
It is good to see another major manufacturer get on-board with Windows Home Server, and when it is a company with the reach and pedigree of Lenovo it can only be a good thing for the home server community. The more home servers there are available from recognisable brands, the more consumers will adopt the home server idea into the mainstream computer market.
Lets take a look at the IdeaCentre D400 and see if Lenovo have got it right with their first Windows Home Server.
First impressions out of the box are good, the hardware is solid, shiny and gives the impression of a good quality device. Safely packaged alongside the server are manuals, cables and some installation and recovery disks. The connection instructions are clear, and novice users should have no problems getting their D400 up and running in no time.
Lenovo have selected a nice cubic case measuring 200 x 208 x 212 (7.9” W x 8.2” D x 8.3” H), which is smaller and more compact than you expect, but missing nothing in terms of capacity or capability; you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding desk space for a server this size. There is bit of a chrome and orange theme going on up front, and the particular shade of orange takes me back to ICL mainframes from the 1980’s, but this doesn’t count against it!
The official Windows Home Server blog has a video interview with Senior Product Manager Mark Pendergrast.
Mark works with WHS partners and manufacturers like HP, Acer, ASUS etc. and in this video he tells us more about his role on the Windows Home Server team and explains how he uses his server at home for both business and pleasure.
