server

You can check out our slide show, posted last week, for a rundown of the main features of Windows Home Server. We don't want to award anyone before the final product is out, but we'll say that we came out of the closed beta very impressed. We suspect it will take a while for the non-tech-savvy to really grasp the benefits of Home Server, but thankfully, this week Microsoft threw the doors open to the general public to download and check out its newest Home Server release candidate.

Go here for the download. You'll of course need … Read more

Yesterday, Microsoft announced a public beta release candidate for Windows Home Server, the home-networking software that Bill Gates first showed off at the Consumer Electronics Show back in January.

The application for the release candidate requires filling out a simple survey that was only 10 questions for me. The beta-testing program has apparently been quite popular, so I'm not sure how much longer the application process will be open. According to the program information for Windows Home Server RC on the Microsoft Connect site, the "(b)road Public Beta RC is setup to track all of the people … Read more

Microsoft's Home Server software is one step closer to reality.

The software maker on Tuesday released a near-final "release candidate" version of Windows Home Server, a custom version of its Windows Server 2003 operating system. A final version is expected to come out later this year. Microsoft is pitching the software as an option for multi-PC households to manage burgeoning collections of media files.

Chairman Bill Gates announced plans for the product at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, saying that HP would build a product based on the software. At last month's Windows Hardware Engineering … Read more

Presenting a new generation of blade servers at a presentation in Washington Wednesday, Sun talked a lot about speed and open source and efficiency of operation. The company mentioned saving money several times. And, of course, there was much about competitive advantage.

Then, not for the first time, but with significant emphasis, Sun talked green. In this video we hear how the servers save energy, and that they contain no plastic. Sun's CEO Jonathan Schwartz says the new Sun-engineered blade servers are 100 percent recoverable materials.

We look at cool, modern Transformers toys; a GPS device that does so much, it required four CNET editors to test it; a preview build of Microsoft's Windows Home Server; and two slim phones comprise this photo roundup.

Photos: Transformers Transformers hits the big screen this July 4, and that means there's a whole lot of merchandising going on. Among the hordes of Transformers toys is Hasbro's Real Gear Transformers, a series of toy electronics that turn into robots. Remember Soundwave, the Transformer that became a tape deck? Well, this is the next generation of Transformers. And … Read more

LOS ANGELES--For the second time in recent days, Microsoft has inadvertently confirmed Windows Server 2008 as the official name for Longhorn Server.

Microsoft France had the name up on its Web site as of 10:30 p.m. PT Sunday, though it may well take it down (Credit to bink.nu and other Microsoft enthusiast sites for bringing attention to the posting). The move follows an earlier slip-up on its U.S. press site.

The company is expected to officially give the product its name this week at the Windows Hardware and Engineering Conference (WinHEC) here.

Zyxel's new NSA-220 NAS drive plus media server offers two empty drive bays so that you can bring your own SATA drives, up to 1.5TB. The drives can be arranged in a RAID-0 or RAID-1 array, and the included Memeo software lets you set up autobackup of your data. Two USB ports let you connect additional hard drives or thumbdrives, and a "copy" button allows you to quickly duplicate the contents of an external drive (or an MP3 player or digital camera) to the NAS-220 without touching your PC.

Aside from acting as a repository for … Read more

At CES 2007, HP announced its MediaSmart server, a centralized media and data storage and server solution for the home. It has four drive bays and the unit will ship with only one or two SATA drives, allowing you to fill the remaining bays with your choice of SATA I or II drives. Additionally, it sports four USB 2.0 ports so you can add USB hard drives for expanded capacity. The total supported capacity is 6TB. You can also use the USB ports and built-in print server to network up to four USB printers. A Gigabit Ethernet port lets … Read more

Though far from the most exciting thing you'll see at a show like CES, small "backbone" devices like print servers are an indispensable part of a home or small office. At CES 2007 today, Linksys announced the immediate availability of its WPSM54G print server, which distinguishes itself by supporting multifunction printers that fax, scan and copy. A print server takes on the overhead required to network a USB printer, freeing your PC from having to be on 24/7. Not all printers are supported, though; you can find a list of devices supported by the WPSM54G at … Read more