Free Home Server ...

CrunchGear did a great write-up on Windows Home Server and the HP MediaSmart Server and is giving away the home server to one lucky person that comments on the blog post.  As I write this blog post, there are over 450 comments added to their post, the number isn't what amazes me ... it is the fact that there are a lot of people that definitely need /want a home server to replace their current backup solutions that involve burning CDs, DVDs, and using a cadre of USB hard drives and a lot of manual effort.  Think about all of the time you could spend with your family and friends instead of futzing with manual backups ...

If you don't win, you can always build your own - as the Windows Home Server Power Pack 1 software is just $99 at NewEgg, where it has a 5 "egg" rating with over 23 reviews.  You can also use Windows Live Search CashBack to find good deals on the HP MediaSmart Server.

t.

Comments

• Anonymous
  January 01, 2003
  This is off topic but has anyone on the Home Server team seen the work that Sun's doing with ZFS? ZFS has many (but not all) of the Home Server functions. From what I can tell, ZFS should be faster in pooling than Home Server/NTFS. Does anyone on the Home Server team have any thoughts on ZFS, performance, etc?

• Anonymous
  January 01, 2003
  I currently have a desktop that I am looking to use as a file server/backup server/media server etc. I have heard a lot of great things about Home Server from a variety of sources, but I have never had a chance to see the bits in action. So my first thought was to go download the trial version off of the web.... But to my utter astonishment the only way to get a trial from Microsoft is to actually order a physical cd kit which says to expect it in 1 to 3 weeks. It blows my mind. I don't mind paying a $100 dollars, but I just wanted to mess with the bits and kick the tires before I bought it. Please for all of us geeks out here make a trial version available as a download.

• Anonymous
  January 01, 2003
  I wasn't sure where I could ask this since the more relavent posts were disabled.  I have a home server and love it! One question I have is what happens to data when a drive has an unrecoverable bit read error.  If i have it duplicated does WHS try to read that file?  I ask because I am trying to lay cause to what happened when I transferred my files to my larger WHS.  There were several files that had errors and were lost,  these weren't duplicated btw.  all the ones that had duplicated have not had any issues with so far (it is still copying) I ask this question to better understand the effectiveness of WHS as a redundant-reliable storage system and if i need to invest in an additional backuop method.  Thanks!