Microsoft has started offering Windows Home Server for download via its online hotspot dedicated to developers. As of March 23, 2009, members of the MSDN community will be able to grab the Windows Home Server with Power Pack 1 installation disk, this even though the software giant has already launched Power Pack 2. The bits are offered for 32-bit systems just in English, and weigh in at approximately 830 MB. At the same time, Microsoft is offering the product keys designed to activate the operating system. The installation disk is packaged as an ISO image.

“At the Professional Developers Conference last fall, we received a huge amount of interest in Windows Home Server from the developer community (standing room only in information sessions). MSDN availability will increase awareness of Windows Home Server with a larger community of professional developers and help further grow the ecosystem of software applications built for Windows Home Server. Effective today, Windows Home Server is available under Operating Systems on the MSDN Subscriptions Download Page,” a member of the WHS team revealed.

In addition to Windows Home Server with Power Pack 1 - Installation Disc (x86) - DVD (English) (en_windows_home_server_installation_disc _x86_dvd_x14-24276.iso), Microsoft is also offering the Windows Home Server with Power Pack 1 - Connector Disc (x86) - CD (English), as well as Windows Home Server with Power Pack 1 - Restore Disc (x86) - CD (English). The move is obviously aimed to attract more interest from developers. Windows Home Server is not only designed to offer backup, storage and remote access, but can also be leveraged as a platform.

“A key benefit of Windows Home Server is the versatility and power it offers as a development platform. Even when Windows Home Server software was still in the beta stage, we published a software development kit (SDK) so that 3rd party developers could develop interesting add-ins for the product,” the WHS team representative added. “There are currently 100+ add-ins developed for Windows Home Server (up from 70+ in January of this year).”