More info on Windows Home Server

Gizmodo has an interesting post that mentions a couple points often overlooked about Windows Home Server. Windows Home Server only backs up one instance of a file that appears across your system. So think of it this way, if you are using WHS to backup your 5 Dell XPS laptops (lucky you), each freshly formatted with Vista and holding all of your MP3s, the amount of storage required to back them up isn't going to be much bigger than the amount of space required to backup one of them. Read more about the disk system here (pdf). Another cool feature with Home Server is sharing the printers across your home network. Seems like I could run a small Kinko's out of my house and I was always at the wrong computer to print what I needed; text at the photo printer, pictures at the laser printer. Now all my printers are shared across the network - even available to visitors.

In the Gizmodo comments, DJ Anakin asks: "My plan for the near future has been to build a computer running Windows Media Center, then use it as a NAS/backup machine. I plan to be able to rip all my DVD's to the machine then just watch them on the TV. Essentially it would be an expanded HTPC. Will Windows Home Server be able to play media ala WMC?"

Media Center and Home Server are two distinct products with two different uses, but they work together. Your Media Center PC can play content from your Windows Home Server, and any extender can be used to play content from either (BTW: out of all the V2 extenders to date, the best value is the Xbox Arcade - with HDMI output.) Of course you could always plug a USB TV Tuner to the HP Home Server (but I wouldn't do it).

Remember, Windows Home Server is available as an OS so you can build whatever you want. You might want to use your Home Server for security with a 4/8/12/16 port DVR card to capture from cameras around your house. Just make sure the capture device works with Windows 2000, the supporting foundation under Home Server. While the HP Home Server doesn't have a monitor output jack on it, you might build one with this in mind. My main TV at home has a VGA input on it, I could hide my Home Server behind it, use a Media Center wireless keyboard, and basically create what DJ Anakin is talking about.