That's right...we've reached another important product milestone! The highly anticipated Windows Home Server Release Candidate is available today. The product team has been logging long hours and doing heroic work to finalize this new and improved build.
The community has been chomping at the bit for RC. And while with Beta 2 and CTP we accepted applicants into the beta program in stages, we'll make the RC software available to all 100,000+ beta program applicants asap, as well as all new sign ups.
Participants in the Code2Fame Challenge will no doubt be installing RC right away, as all software and hardware add-in submissions must be based on RC or later.
Come and get it. Next stop RTM!
J
There is a little debate about the water heater ...
In the 1870s, Englishmen, Maughan invented the first instant water heater. Little is known about Maughan's invention, however, his invention influenced the designs of Edwin Ruud. Edwin Ruud, a Norwegian mechanical engineer was the inventor of the automatic storage water heater in 1889. Ruud emigrated to Pittsburgh where he pioneered the early development of both residential and commercial water heaters. (source)
A lot of us now take this great invention for granted every time we take a shower or soak in a warm bath. We don't think about draining the rust out, changing the anode rod. We are happy being 'served' every day with hot water.
I have met a lot of people that are 'fascinated' with the idea of a home server. A smart always available device in their homes, a household nerve center, a digital hub, a family assistant, an automatic automator .... I have also met people that can't understand the benefits or look into the future.
My hat is off to Maughan and Ruud for inventing something so great over 100 years ago that we often take it for granted. It has become part of the fabric of our daily lives.
Where will home servers be 3 years from now? 10 years from now? 100 years from now? Will every house have one? Will homebuilders install them next to the water heater and the furnace?
t.
Today we opened up the Windows Home Server Beta program to everybody and anybody that wants to take a look, test it, or sleep well at night knowing that their PCs are automatically being backed up every night. Sign up and you are in!!
http://connect.microsoft.com/WindowsHomeServer
Don't be the last household with a broadband connection that has 2 or more PCs to take this great software for a spin. It is simple to setup, easy to use, and provides powerful capabilities including automated PC backup, easily expandable centralized storage ("no more drive letters"), remote access to your home server for downloading and uploading files, and remote access to your PCs too with your own personalized internet domain name.
We are getting close to shipping, so sign up for the beta now before it is too late.....