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Vol. 2, # 33 - Aug 19, 2010 - Issue # 49 |
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WHS: Still Protecting and Serving |
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- WHS: Still Protecting and Serving
- Follow-up: Discount Pricing
- Follow-up: AT&T - A Second Opinion
- Quotes of the Week
- 12 Tips for speeding up Windows 7
- Make Win7 look like a Mac
- Internet Explorer turns 15
- Tab lovers, take note: now you can add tabs to Office documents
- Take Flight with new Microsoft game
- How to turn your Win7 computer into a wi-fi hotspot
- Adobe releasing out-of-band patches
- How to put programs in the system tray instead of the task bar
- Blue screen/Stop error when you remove an SD card
- Gadgets intermittently don't start
- This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff
Editor's Corner
News, Hints, Tips and Tricks
How to: Using the New Windows 7 Features
Windows 7 and Vista Security
Question Corner
Windows 7 Configuration and Troubleshooting
Fav Links
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Editor's Corner |
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WHS: Still Protecting and Serving
No, WHS isn't the acronym for World Health Service or some other governmental-sounding agency. We're talking about Windows Home Server, which in my opinion is one of the most overlooked and under-appreciated of Microsoft's consumer products. Almost everyone I've talked to who's tried it likes it, but the vast majority of non-techie types I know had never heard of it until I brought it up.
WHS was introduced way back in January 2007 at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and was officially released in November of that year. Even though it's been available for almost three years now, it hasn't caught on as quickly as the company had hoped. And that's a shame.
Maybe the average computer user is intimidated by the idea of having a "server" in the house. Perhaps most consumers associate the word with the big, powerful, expensive, mysterious machines that live in the datacenter at work, and think they need to be IT pros to run a server at home. And of course the techie types want something more sophisticated; like me, they're running their own Exchange servers, SharePoint servers, Office Communications Servers, etc. and so they use Windows Server 2008 to create a domain environment.
But consumers need not be afraid of WHS. Even though it's built on the same code as Windows Server and includes many of the same technologies, it's designed to be easy to work with. The user interface is different and more user-friendly, and you don't have to become an MCSE to configure it. Once you have it set up, there's a lot it can do for you, including backing up the computers on your network (up to 10 PCs), ensuring that they all have antivirus and firewalls configured, and of course providing a central place to store files that can then be shared by all systems on the network. It also acts as a remote access gateway, through which you can access and control the desktop of any computer on the network when you're traveling or at work or otherwise off premises, and as a centralized print server, and handles media streaming.
I think one thing that puts off some potential users of WHS is its "headless" operation. When you buy a Home Server from an OEM, it doesn't have a video card so you can't plug in a monitor. Instead, you access and control it over the network after installing the console client on one of your PCs on the network. Although remote administration is old hat to IT pros, some regular users don't seem to be comfortable with the inability to log onto the Home Server locally.
Another concern for some users (in this case, those with a bit more tech knowledge) is the fact that you can't buy the WHS software and install it on your own hardware. Instead, you have to buy it preinstalled on a machine from an OEM. Acer, Asus, HP, Lenovo and a handful of other companies have offered WHS computers. But in general, it seems that buyers don't like the idea of an OS that has to be purchased preinstalled. When Windows Media Center was a special edition that could only be purchased preinstalled on a special Media Center computer, it didn't sell very well. Once Microsoft started including WMC as part of Vista and then Windows 7, it gained a lot in popularity.
I also don't think Microsoft and OEMs have done a very good job of marketing WHS. You don't see many ads for these devices, and even though you can get them through most of the popular electronics outlets - Best Buy, Fry's, NewEgg, Staples, TigerDirect - I haven't seen any of those retailers really push them or even put them out front where customers would discover them.
The good news is that, unlike the business-oriented server operating systems, WHS is inexpensive. Just as an example, you can buy an Acer WHS machine from Amazon for only $349.99. It's hardly a powerhouse; it comes with an Atom processor and just 2 GB of RAM, but it includes three hot-swappable drive cages for up to 7 TB of storage space so it will make a nice file server and it has a gigabit Ethernet card for fast network transfer (assuming, of course, that your other network devices support gigabit speeds).
http://www.win7news.net/0JQTJT/100819-Acer-Aspire
The Asus TS mini is even cheaper at under $300, but along with an Atom, it has half the storage space. Some models are a little more powerful - and a little more expensive. For example, the HP EX495 Mediasmart costs $579.99 from Amazon, but it has a dual core Pentium processor, comes with half a terabyte more storage space, and has a total capacity of 9 TB.
http://www.win7news.net/0JQTJT/100819-HP-Mediasmart
There's a good reason for even the most techie folks to run WHS instead of a domain if they don't specifically need domain functionality. I haven't seen any WHS machine that was much more than $1000 for both hardware and software; that's less than the cost of the Windows Server operating system software alone. Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard Edition lists for $1029 with five client licenses. Additional CALs are $199 per five-pack.
http://www.win7news.net/0JQTJT/100819-Windows-Server
Windows Home Server allows up to 10 clients. The down side is that you can't buy extra client licenses to increase that limit, so if you have more than 10 computers on your home network, you won't be able to use a single WHS machine to back them all up. An alternative would be to purchase a second WHS computer to handle 10 more systems. Also, not all of your computers have to be enrolled with WHS. You won't be able to back up those that aren't, or access them remotely through the server gateway, but they can still access the WHS computer's file shares.
Microsoft has been working on making WHS better. The next version will give you the ability to have the server send you alerts via email and there's a new storage summary that makes it easier to see at a glance the status of your folders, hard drives and backup drives. Integration with Windows Media Center and homegroups has been improved. For some folks, the most exciting change will be the new support for Mac clients. If you have a Mac or two on your home network, now you can use WHS to make Time Machine backups in addition to backing up your PCs.
Although you can't buy the WHS software, you can download the preview of the next version (code named "Vail"), which just became available on Microsoft's website if you're signed up through the Connect program. You can find out more about that here:
http://www.win7news.net/0JQTJT/100819-Vail-Preview-Build
Be careful, though. This is not a final release and you can expect that there will still be bugs. Also note that you may not be able to upgrade it to the RTM. You can read more caveats here:
http://www.win7news.net/0JQTJT/100819-Preview-Released
Bottom line: WHS has some really nice features, at a very low price. I hope they not only get the technology right but also get the marketing right, so more people can benefit from this product. Tell us what you think. Have you tried WHS? Had you never heard of WHS? Is a home server something that you'd like to have on your network, or do you think it's unnecessary? Is WHS too much for home users and not enough for businesses? We invite you to share your thoughts and opinions in our forum at
http://www.win7news.net/0JQTJT/100819-Forum-Discussion
Follow-up: Discount Pricing
In last week's editorial, we took a look at the issue of discount pricing, specifically in the case of Windows 7 and the deep discount that Microsoft gives to students. Wow, did that one generate a lot of discussion, both on the forum and in email responses. And many of those responses wandered far from the beaten path of the original topic, delving into things like whether Microsoft's top management should be replaced and equality (or lack thereof) in taxation.
It was interesting to see how many people think Windows should be priced at $29 for everyone. I always hear people complaining that Windows is overpriced. Interestingly, I rarely hear folks complaining about the price of software such as Adobe PhotoShop and Acrobat. Some people point to Mac OS X, noting that "Snow Leopard" was priced at $29. Well, yes, but Snow Leopard was hardly a new version of the OS. It was really more like a service pack - for which Microsoft charges nothing. And yes, it's true that the price of an actual new Mac OS is "only" $129 - but that's not taking into account the fact that you pay much more for the hardware than you do for a PC.
Some readers remind me that things are not the same all over. Several wrote to say that the colleges they've gone to didn't assign them email addresses at all, but required that they use Gmail or Hotmail. This practice is probably spreading since it costs the schools money in hardware and administrative time to maintain mail servers to support student addresses. Others said the community colleges in their areas are over-enrolled and it's not possible to take a simple course and get an .edu address. Obviously these are issues that Microsoft didn't consider (or wasn't aware of, just as I wasn't) when they set the criteria for the student discounts.
Quite a few of you say Vista users should get a discount (or free OS). Stephen A. probably put it best: "While Vista is a working OS, the usability, logic and layout of both XP and W7 puts it to shame. I'm glad I'm out of that quagmire, but every time someone asks me how much it would cost to move to W7, they mouth 'Oh...' and their eyes turn glassy. I don't think it's right to expect that upgrade for free, but if Microsoft offered every existing Vista user a 50% reduction from the XP upgrade price, I bet a good lot would jump on it."
As always, thanks to everyone who emailed or participated in the forum discussion!
Follow-up: AT&T - A Second Opinion
Two weeks ago, I interjected my opinion of AT&T into a blurb about rumors regarding it being the sole carrier of Windows Phone 7 phones. That opinion was based on my own frustrating experiences with AT&T a few years ago and the shared experiences of some friends with iPhones. In response, I received an email from an AT&T representative and very long-time employee that impressed me. Rather than being defensive or combative, it was cordial and reasonable, acknowledged the problems the company has had with customer service and outlined the company's efforts in making big changes.
The well thought-out message convinced me that there is at least one person at AT&T who really does care about the customers, and made me realize that what was true in the past doesn't necessarily hold true for the future. So I have to retract my statement that I would "never" use AT&T. I would have to see those changes demonstrated in actions, not just words - but I'm going to keep a more open mind.
 'Til next week,
Deb Shinder, Editor
PS: Did you know this newsletter has a sister publication for XP users called WXPnews? You can subscribe here, and tell your friends:
http://www.win7news.net/0JQTJT/100513-WXPNews
And for IT pros, there's our "big sister," WServer News, at
http://www.win7news.net/0JQTJT/100513-WserverNews
Look for the Win7News fan page on Facebook!
Quotes of the Week
"In seeking wisdom thou art wise; in imagining that thou hast attained it - thou art a fool." - Lord Chesterfield
"Delay is preferable to error." - Thomas Jefferson
"Don't be afraid to see what you see." - Ronald Reagan |
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News, Hints, Tips and Tricks |
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12 Tips for speeding up Windows 7
Most of the readers who write to me are pretty pleased with Windows 7's performance, but occasionally I get complaints from someone who thinks it's slow. In some cases, that's due to the hardware; in others, it's about extra software that has been installed by the computer vendor or by the user. Sometimes it has to do with the way Windows is configured. This article offers a dozen tips for speeding up your Win7 machine if you don't think it's peppy enough.
http://www.win7news.net/0JQTJT/100819-Speed-Up-Win7
Make Win7 look like a Mac
If you like the look of OS X but prefer the functionality of Windows 7, now you can have your cake and eat it, too. The Snow Transformation Pack is easy to install and it gives your Win7 computer the look of Snow Leopard. You don't lose the features you love, either. Hmmm ... this might be a good way for former Mac users to transition to Windows. Check it out here:
http://www.win7news.net/0JQTJT/100819-Snow-Transformation
Internet Explorer turns 15
The IE web browser is now right in the middle of its teenage years. Can we expect a bit of a rebellious streak in the next version? I can still remember back when Netscape was the dominant browser - and that was quite a while ago. In honor of its birthday this month, here's a brief and whimsical history of IE's life history told as if it were a person instead of a piece of software:
http://www.win7news.net/0JQTJT/100819-IE-Bday
Tab lovers, take note: now you can add tabs to Office documents
Tabbed browsing is a big hit - it's a feature that has quickly spread to all the major web browsers. That's understandable, as tabs make it easy to keep track of the web pages you have open, right in one window. What if you could do the same thing with your Word docs, PowerPoint presentations and Excel spreadsheets? Well, now you can, with Office Tab. It's from the same company that brought us the Classic Menu for Office 2007/2010, and you can check it out or download it here:
http://www.win7news.net/0JQTJT/100819-Document-Tabs
Note that there is one caveat: this works with Office 2003, 2007 or 2010, but it's for 32 bit Office only, so if you have 64 bit Office 2010, you won't be able to use it.
Take Flight with new Microsoft game
Many of us learned to fly a plane (well, sort of) by playing Microsoft Flight Simulator. Believe it or not, that game was introduced twenty-eight years ago - and that is sure to make those who remember version 1.0 feel really old. Now Microsoft is coming out with a new take on it: Microsoft Flight. You can't play it yet, but you can see a teaser video here:
http://www.win7news.net/0JQTJT/100819-Flight
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How to: Using the New Windows 7 Features |
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How to turn your Win7 computer into a wi-fi hotspot
Want to share your Win7 computer's Internet connection with other computers wirelessly? As long as your system's wireless network adapter supports the new Windows 7 "virtual wi-fi" feature, you can do it. Intel, Broadcom, Realtek and some other NIC makers provide drivers that support this feature; you'll need to be sure they're installed. Then do this:
- Open an elevated command prompt by right clicking the cmd.exe link and selecting "Run as Administrator."
- In the command window, type: netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=MyNet key=MyPassword (replace "MyNet" with the name you want to use for the wireless network and replace "MyPassword" with your chosen password for accessing it)
- Press Enter.
- Now type: netsh wlan start hostednetwork
- Press Enter.
- Open Control Panel and go to Network and Sharing Center.
- Click Change Adapter Settings.
- Right click your Internet connection and select Properties.
- Click the Sharing tab.
- Check the box that says "Allow other network users to connect."
- Choose your virtual wi-fi adapter and click OK.
Now wi-fi enabled computers within range should see your new wireless network and others can connect to it if they know the password. |
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Windows 7 and Vista Security |
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Adobe releasing out-of-band patches
If you use Adobe Reader or Acrobat, be sure you get the emergency patch to be released August 19th, which addresses several critical security issues - including one that was disclosed at BlackHat in July. Read more here:
http://www.win7news.net/0JQTJT/100819-Adobe-Patch
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Question Corner |
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How to put programs in the system tray instead of the task bar
QUESTION:
I had Vista and now have upgraded to Windows 7. I like it better overall but there's one thing I'd like to get back. I have some programs that would put themselves in the system tray in Vista. With Win7, I get a taskbar icon for them. It uses up space on my taskbar and I wish I could switch back to the Vista way of doing this? Any suggestions? - Eric J.
ANSWER:
Depending on the program, you may be able to accomplish what you're wanting to do. Right click the program and select Properties, then click the Compatibility tab. Check the box that says "Run this program in compatibility mode for:" and in the drop-down box, choose "Windows Vista." Click OK. This will only work for those programs that were written to hide in the Vista system tray, but it sounds like that's exactly what you're concerned with. |
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Windows 7 Configuration and Troubleshooting |
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Blue screen/Stop error when you remove an SD card
If you happen to insert an SD card into your reader during the startup of your Windows 7 (or Windows Server 2008 R2) computer and then remove it after the desktop appears, you may bet a STOP error message 0x000000D1 DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
What's up with that? This happens when your SD card reader is using the PCI-E bus. Microsoft has a hotfix available to address it. To find out more and the link to download it, see KB article 978535 at
http://www.win7news.net/0JQTJT/100819-SD-Card-Error
Gadgets intermittently don't start
If you find that your desktop gadgets intermittently fail to start on your Windows 7 computer, you might need the hotfix that addresses this condition that occurs during the Windows Sidebar startup process. Find out how to get it in KB article 979164 at
http://www.win7news.net/0JQTJT/100819-Gadgets-in-Win7
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Fav Links |
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This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff
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About Win7News |
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