Acer have just announced one of the first hardware boxes for Windows Home Server 2011. The previous version of WHS was based on Server 2003.. yep, an 8 year old OS, still it worked amazingly well as a solution to storing and backing up content around the home.
The most successful home server from the first generation was the HP MediaSmart, a small, quiet, 4-bay system proving a hit with enthusiasts. Earlier this year HP announced they were getting out of the Home Server game, more recently followed by a shift away from the consumer space in general, the door is open for someone else to take the crown.
The Acer RevoCenter RC110RC111 is the best candidate so far. Running WHS 2011, the hardware looks powerfully capable. Behind the gun metal door lies 4 drive bays for those 3.5” SATA drives, 1xeSATA port and 2xUSB 3.0 ports up back as well as a USB 2.0 up front. Network connectivity is handled through a gigabit Ethernet port.
Now for the downsides.. there’s still no Wi-Fi, and the processors available are Intel Atoms. While the Win7/Server 2008 R2 codebase may be lean and mean, it just feels a little anaemic by today’s standards. Still, it can handle up to 4GB RAM (DDR2 1333 Mhz), which is probably a good option to take.
We’re still waiting for details about Australian availability and pricing. Stay tuned MediaSmart owners.. this may be the upgrade path you’ve been waiting for.
More @ Windows Team Blog
