I’ve been using Windows Home Server Beta 2 for about a month now and I must say it has been enjoyable testing this software. The Windows Home Server operating system is going to provide home users with a new way to control and administer a home network setup. Devoid from the new operating system is the complicated operations that we normally associate with server software. Microsoft has made the system easy to use by incorporating what is called a ‘console’ where all of the elements of the system can be controlled. So what is the main purpose of Windows Home Server? Microsoft describes their product as:

“Windows Home Server provides:

· Automated computer backup with simple restore for all of your home computers.

Windows Home Server provides you with the peace of mind you want by automatically backing up all of your home computers and your important files every night, making it easy to restore an entire home computer or just a file to a previous point in time.

· Access everything from anywhere.

Your home server enables you to easily and more securely access your files and personal computers from inside and outside of your home. You can use your home server to store all of your important files in a central location, for access anytime and anywhere.

· A server that grows with you.

Your home server grows with you to meet your needs, today and into the future. It is incredibly easy to add hard drives as you need more space for your documents, photos, music, and videos.

Windows Home Server is an easy-to-use, affordable solution that enables you to unleash the power of your home network.”

The feature I like the best is the ability to access your home network from anywhere. Need access to a file while vacationing at Aunt Tilly’s home, no problem. And also the backup feature of ALL of your precious files is a real nice touch. Plus being able to restore any system on the network is a benefit as well.

System requirements as stated by Microsoft are a 1G processor, 512MB of Ram, 80g hard disk, DVD. But this to me would be on the low side. I’m running Windows Home Server Beta 2 on a AMD 2800 cpu, 1G RAM, 200G Sata, DVD-RW and the system works extremely well. Oh yes, for those who are not familiar with server software, it is a little different than Windows XP. It kind of resembles Windows 2000. Support operating systems on a network include Vista, XP and Media Center.

My overall experience is that I like this software a lot. When it becomes available I’m going to build myself a server to run this puppy ASAP. Good job Microsoft. This software is a winner!

Oh, almost forgot. Once you have Windows Home Server setup, you can remove the monitor, keyboard and mouse. The system can than be administered from any other computer on the network.

Now the big question? Who can use this software? I think anyone who has a home network with multiple systems attached or who is running a small home office would benefit from using Windows Home server. The ability to access information on all connected systems, auto backup of all of your stuff and remote access and great features that would prove beneficial to anyone using the software. Plus it’s simple to use.

When will it be released and how much will it cost? I’m not sure but we will find out soon. NDA prohibits me from saying more or speculating further. That sure sounds a lot better than I don’t know.

[tags]windows, home, server, beta 2, review, [/tags]