14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has delivered on the last aspect of the availability of Windows Home Server. The Redmond company is now offering users the 120-days evaluation edition of Windows Home Server for close to nothing. Microsoft released the operating system to manufacturing in mid July 2007, half a year after the product was initially introduced by Chairman Bill Gates in January. The brain child of Charlie Kindel, General Manager of the project, Windows Home Server was born as a concept in 1999 and took four attempts for the company to O.K. it, therefore receiving the codename Quattro.
The RTM version of Windows Home Server was followed by the system builder edition in the next couple of months. But Microsoft had also promised the 120 days evaluation variant by the end of September. A deadline that was missed by the Redmond company. At the end of August, Todd Headrick, the product planner for the Microsoft Windows Home Server, revealed that the WHS team was cooking an update for the operating system designed to enhance the out-of-the-box experience of home server solutions, while increasing usability. On September 24, the update shipped, improving functionality from Remote Access Configuration to the introduction of product keys during setup.
And now, the 120 days evaluation edition of Windows Home Server is up for grabs. "Can't wait to centralize and showcase your family's memories and media? Order the Windows Home Server 120-Day Evaluation Kit today. You're just a few clicks away from a new digital life. This software is intended for evaluation purposes only. In order to preserve your existing data, you must backup prior to installation. The setup process for server installation will erase any existing data", reads a message on the official website for Windows Home Server.
Users will be able to order their evaluation edition of Windows Home Server for under $10 per copy and up to five items. The package will contain the Windows Home Server Installation DVD, the Windows Home Server Connector CD and the Home Computer Restore CD. Orders can be placed here.