Velocity Micro Home Server based on Windows Home Server
By Ryan Block 
posted Jul 19th 2007 1:12PM
posted Jul 19th 2007 1:12PM
Update: Our bad, the Home Server's drive expansion box will launch Q108, but the server itself will launch when Windows Home Server is released. Also, zoomed-in pic after the break.
Considering it was on CNET hours ago, I wonder where you got it? Trying to play coy, eh?
Josh - I emailed Ryan directly, I appreciate his discretion with not naming names as I didn't explicitely say he could mention he got it from me, but that is of course not an issue. He'll have more info for you directly from me on this product as well. We love Engadget and keep them informed - Rich @ CNET must have been typing faster today. =)
Rich is on the east coast, a few hours ahead of me. Bummer!
With the exception of the exclusivity of a cable-card (cablelab bastards!), there is absolutely NO reason to buy a pre-built media server or HTPC.
unless, of course, you're stupid. if that's the case, you probably shouldnt play with gadgets to begin with... :P
You misread the post. This is not an HTPC and it does not have a cable card tuner. This is based on the new Windows Home Server OS and is actually pretty cool. The prebuilt solutions are all shaping up to be nice additions to homes with several computers sharing lots of data. I have been on the beta test team for this for quite a while and I have been impressed with the OS. It runs smoothly and makes operating a file server easy. The coolest feature I have played with so far is the internet based Remote Access. It is easy to set up and configure and has allowed me to get papers off my machine while I am at one of the university terminals.
No one could possibly mistake this for a media server or HTPC
unless, of course, you're stupid... :P
Oh, I think there are reasons. I've got about 4 machines in my room alone (of course they're rarely all on at once). NAS has become an necesity, and my little 10/100mbps box from ADS serves well enough. It's even got a built in Bittorrent client. Trouble is I want to access my email+schedule from all my machines and have everything remain synched up. You need Exchange for that. But Exchange won't run on my NAS box. True I could build a system myself, maybe even ITX based, slap Windows on it and call it a day. But if I did it in a cost effective way (old parts) I'd end up with a full sized, noisy, power hungry system. If I built it from new parts it would cost too much. I could even buy something like an Aopen system, but it would probably STILL cost more than this device will, and provide me with functionality that I don't need but still have to pay for.
In short the reason people will buy systems like this is the same reason they call out for pizza. It's cheap, it's easy, and it satisfies your immediate needs.
So, you know...4 star home cooked meal...Round Table combo #5...to each their own...
1) I never said this was a HTPC, but it is, essentially, a media server. (That's the primary function of WHS).
2) I too have beta tested WHS for months now, and it's decent software. However, rumor has it that MS will force you to buy a prebuilt machine to get your hands on WHS. If that's the case, they can go screw themselves (like the folks at Cablelabs), and I'll just stick with Linux for my centralized home media server needs.
3) FYI saintrobyn >>> remote access to your home computers has been around for decades. My current suggestion is Hamachi for your Windows and *nix boxes:
https://secure.logmein.com/products/hamachi/vpn.asp?lang=en
g'day.
I am a serious troll in need of some sweet, sweet spam: luciusseptimiusseverus@yahoo.com
I can see it now:
Friend: "DUDE! A projector! Let's watch a flick!".
Me: "Um no, that's my new Velocity Micro Home Server (tm)!!!!"
Friend: "oh..."
Just put a couple of antennae on that box and it looks kind of like the Tivo mascot, only wider.