April 18th, 2007
Microsoft delivers a new Windows Home Server test build
On April 18, Microsoft made available to testers another new Community Technology Preview (CTP) build of Windows Home Server.
Windows Home Server — a product designed to help users with multiple home PCs and devices "store, protect and share their photos, music videos and documents" — is still on track to ship this fall on new systems and appliances, company officials reiterated. Currently, 60,000 testers are part of the Home Server beta program.
The new build, which follows the Beta 2 release Microsoft made available in February, includes mostly code fixes, user-interface improvements and "feature enhancements," according to Microsoft. Among the updates in the newest test build, the Softies said:
* “Out of the Box” experience improvements: After installing Windows Home Server, users now get a guided "seven-step set-up process," via which they can define unique home-server names and replicate the configuration of a Home Server.
* Easier remote-access configuration: Users can now set up and configure remote-access directly from the Windows Home Server console and select a personalized Web address from the Windows Live Custom Domains service.
* Better control over home-network-health notifications: Users can enable/disable notifications and dictate where and when the notifications are displayed.
* Improved password setting and recovery
* Ability to add and remove Home Server add-in programs developed with the recently released Home Server software-development kit (SDK).
Any testers out there have any updated impressions to share as Home Server moves through the beta process?
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