If you haven't updated your event calendars lately, here's one to make sure you have on your agenda: the Microsoft Professional Developers Conference 2008, or PDC as we affectionately call it. Taking place in Los Angeles, CA from Oct. 27 - 30, this year's PDC is gearing up to be one of the biggest events of the year, and your friends from Windows Home Server land will be well represented!
Last week, a couple of my colleagues from the Windows Home Server product team and I sat down with the kind folks from Microsoft's Channel 9 and 10 to do a couple informal video interviews about our PDC efforts (and extensibility story in general) as well as provide an update on the product.
We thought you might enjoy them, so here are the quick links:
Spread the word about PDC 2008, and perhaps we'll see you there! Let us know what you think.
- M
A coworker recently forwarded me a program that he heard on Puget Sound Public Radio. This call-in radio show was based on the following premise, "Pretend you had five minutes to get out of the house. What would you save? Your family and pets are already safe, so don't worry about them. What possession is irreplaceable to you?"
As he listened to this program, he told me that he thought about Windows Home Server.
Many listeners wrote and called into the show to mention their precious memories. The Windows Home Server team has received many remarkable stories as well! Check out this thread in the Community Forums. Windows Home Server has saved the loss of a stolen home computer, failed hard drives, and, in a few cases, saved people from themselves when they goofed and accidentally deleted important files.
What would I save? I'm installing a carrying handle on my home server as you read this sentence.
Steven
Last year our Japanese subsidiary took the English version of Windows Home Server and packaged it up for the Japanese market. We here in Redmond were amazed at how well it has sold! This success in Japan encouraged us to build a Japanese language version of Windows Home Server and I’m excited to announce that today we’ve officially launched it!
From the song “Big In Japan” by Alphaville (I’m a slave to 80’s pop music):
Aah when you're big in Japan-tonight... Big in Japan-be-tight... Big in Japan... ooh the eastern sea's so blue Big in Japan-alright, Pay! -- Then I'll sleep by your side Things are easy when you're big in Japan Oh when you're big in Japan
The following Japanese companies have announced that they will be shipping Windows Home Server powered home servers or Windows Home Server related products in Japan: Epson, NEC, Mouse Computer Japan, Logitec, Thirdwave, Unitcom, Tsukumo, PDX Japan, Clevery, Regin, Applied, Sofmap, Sycom.
The launch event was held today (August 20) in Tokyo and included demos of the new Windows Home Server products from Epson, NEC, and Mouse Computer Japan. Here’s some links to a few of the new home servers now available in Japan:
· Epson Windows Home Server (shown below).
· Mouse Computer Japan Windows Home Server
· Clevery Windows Home Server
· Applied Windows Home Server
Terry over at We Got Served has some more deets on the Epson device here.
You can now buy Windows Home Servers in over 50 countries. It is available in English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese (Simplified, Traditional, and Hong Kong), and Japanese. This broad availability coupled with the growing ecosystem of 3rd party products (including over 60 software Add-ins) that support Windows Home Server further demonstrates the great momentum we are enjoying.
Charlie Kindel