Michael Kogeler: Media Center and Domotics at our new home

Michael beat me to it … I thought I had a cool setup at home with MediaCenter, Extenders, HomerServer, etc. Michael has gone beyond that with Domotics.

On the other hand we can all benefit from Michael’s learning curve :-)

I’m working hard to get my new home ready – next to interior, kitchens and gardens (which Katrien manages basically) it will have a huge load of Consumer IT installed (if all goes well). BTICINO MyHome Domotics – integrated in the Media Center network environment, 1 HomeServer, 2 Media Centers, 2 Extenders, 6 TB of data, touchscreens in the walls to control the music, some webcam’s to watch the little babies and some more stuff. Lot of people are asking me what I am doing and how. So I’ve decided to start to document it in my blog over the next weeks. Simple, plain and Consumer friendly. So wait for step 1 – the requirements.

Source: Media Center and Domotics at our new home

Windows Home Serve Power Pack 1

The long awaited update for Windows Home Server is there. Due to my “non blogging” holiday I am rather late with this “news” but I think it is important enough, so here it is :

This morning the Windows Home Server Power Pack 1 update package and release notes went live on the Microsoft Download Center.

We have posted this news on our team blog and our community is already starting to run with the news. 

Power Pack 1 fixes the data corruption bug as well as delivers significant new functionality including:

· x64 support for home computers running Windows Vista

· Home Server Shared Folder backup

· Improved remote access experience

· Improvements to power consumption and performance

· Localization support for Japan and China

AG: Thuisservers nemen hoge vlucht

Timing is alles zeggen ze wel is. Ik heb juist afgelopen dinsdag een vurig betoog gehouden op Lifehackingacademy Groningen voor de ‘thuisserver’ van Microsoft en alle mogelijkheden die deze biedt.

Thuisservers voor het centraal opslaan van muziek, foto’s, films en documenten zullen over enkele jaren een hoge vlucht nemen. Van een niche-product, geleverd door de pc-industrie, worden deze ‘home servers’ een gangbaar stuk consumentenelektronica.

Bron: Thuisservers nemen hoge vlucht

Forrester: Home Servers In The Digital Home

Looking at the advantages that Microsoft HomeServer has brought me in the last couple of months since I own one, I think Forrester is underestimating its uptake. Nevertheless it is good to see that there's recognition for this category ...

Consumers' growing digital assets in the form of music, photos, and video will require backup, management, and streaming. In multiple-PC households, complexity has grown, while backup behavior has stalled. Home servers can address these concerns and can also act as hubs for the digital home, streaming content across PCs and into the living room itself. While the need for home servers is clear, articulating their value proposition to most consumers will be very difficult. Technology marketers must overcome consumers' ignorance and significant retail challenges to overcome some very high marketing hurdles. Expect Microsoft's launch of Windows Home Server in 2008 to raise awareness and give a jolt to adoption of this product. But it will take a long time for the home server market to take off. Forrester's forecast suggests that home servers will become an important product category for the digital home by 2012.

Source: Home Servers In The Digital Home
"J.P. Gownder"
Date Published: Fri, 01 Feb 2008

Bart Wessels: Peter laat Home Server Remote Access zien

Ik ben zo trots op mijn nieuwe HomeServer setup thuis, dat ik Bart en wat andere collega's een korte demo gaf van de remote access en andere functies. Wat een superprodukt :-)

Vanmiddag staan we in Barneveld voor een Leap sessie, en tijdens het opzetten laat Peter zijn Home Server Remote Access even zien ... read more)

Source: Peter laat Home Server Remote Access zien
Author: Bart Wessels
Date Published: Thu, 29 Nov 2007

HomeServer - Backups in progress

"Filling" the HomeServer this weekend. I've backed up all the home PC's and the MediaCenter already.

I also offloaded some of the content on my Tablet PC such as PPT's and Videos.

I've still got "some" storage left :-)

HomeServer installation

Yesterday my HomeServer kit finally arrived (order was waiting for the systemboard). The housing is somewhat bigger than I anticipated, but on the other hand it can store up to 11 disks ...

Installation of the software is just a breeze ...

Today I will 'centralise' the media content and move the majority of files off of our MediaCenter.

Also I will set up 'all' of the Home PC's up so that automatic backups will be made.

During the weekend I will dive into the remote access scenario's.

So ... enough to play with :-)