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Microsoft is targeting its Windows Home Server at mainstream consumers rather than the gadget lovers that are typically first drawn to new technology products.
Bill Gates unveiled the Windows Home Server last Sunday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The software is designed to run on a dedicated device that automatically backs up the information on all computers in a home. It can also stream media and provide remote access to documents over the internet.
The server targets households that have two or more PCs and a home network, of which Microsoft estimates there are about 40m to 45m worldwide. The price of the device will mostly depend on their storage capacity, but Microsoft expects them to retail at $500 to $1000.
"The goal is trying to take the seams out [of backup and recovery]. There are too many choices and too many knobs and we ask too many questions. And we expect the people to know the answers to the every question," Todd Headrick, a senior product manager with Microsoft told vnunet.com.
"We're designing the product for families and the second tier purchaser, the enthused follower who really looks at the enthusiast for guidance."
"The dream is that for father's day, a wife would buy one for her husband because she understands the benefits of backup and remote access."
The Windows Home Server software is based on Microsoft's Windows Server 2003 operating system. It borrows technologies from a series of other Microsoft products and offers new ones.
The ability to stream video and music to devices comes from Windows XP Media Center Edition, and Microsoft first a feature that allows users to access information stored on the server or a computer that is connected to it as part of Windows Small Business Server 2003.