Paul Thurrott: Back in January, I posted a preview of Microsoft's Windows Home Server, a product that should send shivers of delight down the spine of any home computing enthusiast. Windows Home Server, or WHS, is the product we've been waiting for quite a long time, and then some: In addition to the expected digital media sharing features, WHS also offers a pervasive platform for full-home PC backups, hot-add expandable storage, and remote access. And best of all, it will be made available both as a standalone software package (which you can install on any PC or server) and as a bundle with specially-made home server hardware.
WHS is expected in late 2006, but since my initial preview, Microsoft has made a number of improvements to this product. First, the company released Beta 2 (see my screenshot galleries), the first beta version of WHS to ship to users outside of Microsoft. WHS Beta 2 offered a decent look at the features I'd described back in my preview, so I didn't provide an overview of that version. But since then, most recently, Microsoft has shipped another beta release. Dubbed the April 2007 CTP (Community Technology Preview), this WHS release offers dramatic improvements and a near-feature-complete look at this evolving product. The April CTP also comes on the heels of news that Microsoft has shipped a software development kit (SDK) that will allow enterprising third party developers to ship WHS software add-ons that will extend this product in exciting ways. Taken together, we now have a much better idea of how WHS is shaping up.
View: Full Review @ The SuperSite for Windows
WHS is expected in late 2006, but since my initial preview, Microsoft has made a number of improvements to this product. First, the company released Beta 2 (see my screenshot galleries), the first beta version of WHS to ship to users outside of Microsoft. WHS Beta 2 offered a decent look at the features I'd described back in my preview, so I didn't provide an overview of that version. But since then, most recently, Microsoft has shipped another beta release. Dubbed the April 2007 CTP (Community Technology Preview), this WHS release offers dramatic improvements and a near-feature-complete look at this evolving product. The April CTP also comes on the heels of news that Microsoft has shipped a software development kit (SDK) that will allow enterprising third party developers to ship WHS software add-ons that will extend this product in exciting ways. Taken together, we now have a much better idea of how WHS is shaping up.
View: Full Review @ The SuperSite for Windows
I just installed this CTP last night - it looks fantastic. I can't wait to do more testing when I get home.
I just installed this CTP last night - it looks fantastic. I can't wait to do more testing when I get home.
If it had Aero, he probably would have been the first person to say it looks "bloated."
::EDIT::
Never mind found my answer.
In Beta 2, there was no way to configure remote access, but that functionality has been added in the CTP. You can see it in the Windows Home Server Settings window via the WHS console, where a new Remote Access section now lives. WHS will attempt to configure your home router automatically, which should work on most UPnP 2.0-based routers. If your router is not compatible, however, you'll need to manually configure port forwarding using instructions in the Help file. The Remote Access section of this window also lets you set up a custom domain name for your home server. During the beta, Microsoft is using the livenode.com domain, but a different domain will be made available when the product is finalized. You can also use Remote Access to configure whether your internal Home Server site is available externally.
Last edited by dl0711 on 19 Apr 2007 - 09:22
And I think it looks quite nice.
Think of a windows home server as a smart nas device.
It is meant to be remote desktopped into to make changes but thats it.
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