Microsoft has released a home server operating system, Windows Home Server. It is based on Windows Server 2003 with some noteworthy exceptions. The biggest of these is that you do not create a domain. In order to use Windows Home Server (WHS) you run "connector" software on your windows client machines. This connector provides services such as security, logon, and maintenance.
WHS provides automated PC backup services that you can schedule. You can also get into your network from outside using remote desktop. Some of these services require the client PC's to run XP professional or Vista Business. This is due to WHS's roots in Windows Server 2003.
I have seen an implementation of WHS on the HP Media Smart Home Server and it is excellent. The Media Smart Server can be configured up to 1 TB of disk space on multiple hard drives. The server has three "drive bays" that have slide in/slide out "sleds" in which to mount your hard drives. When you add or remove a hard drive, the Operating System (O/S) recognizes what happened and reconfigures accordingly.
Although WHS can be considered Network Attached Storage (NAS), it performs many more tasks and does them well. I'd recommend getting the 500gb HP server, and adding your own disk drives. I am also hoping that developers will write home control and similar programs for use on a WHS server to truly give owners "homes of the future".
Peace,
Dave
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