Jim Jamieson
Province
Automatically backs up Windows computers each night
What is it? HP MediaSmart Server/Windows Home Server
Price: $$749 (one terabyte) or $599 (500GB)
Why you need it: You’re a high- volume consumer and collector of digital media, but you’re running out of room to store it.
in the house is more than enough for you.
OUR RATING: RATING 3
Anyone who has a digital camera or a teenager (or two) knows the impact both have on the computer.
Before you know it, you have 10,000 photos and enough songs on your hard drive to slow down the NASA mainframe.
It’s great to have all that content at your fingertips, but what happens if you have a system crash? Sure, regular backups. We’ll get to that right after we rotate our tires.
With the sheer volume of digital data skyrocketing, Microsoft has launched Windows Home Server, a new solution to help families easily protect, connect and share their digital media and documents.
The concept is to create a user-friendly way for consumers to take advantage of server technology — the HP MediaSmart Server — in the home.
Windows Home Server automatically backs up Windows XP-based and Windows Vista-based home computers each night, provides a central place to organize digital documents and media, and includes a Windows Live Internet address so the home server can be accessed remotely to share content.
It also monitors the health and security status of home computers and can stream media to other devices in the home, such as the television.
The package will be available on Nov. 26 online via Future Shop and Best Buy and is coming to other retailers in January.
© The Vancouver Province 2007