Windows Home Server or stick with Windows Server 2003?

[tinjaw]

I know there is Server 2005; which I believe is focused on the virtual server domain. There is Server 2008 which I think is even Enterprise-Grade in the Standard version. But I only have a license for Server 2003.

I have recently been thinking about purchasing Windows Home Server since it is now sub-$100. Mainly because it will just work "out of the box" with my computers and my girlfriends Vista computer. I can install the clients on her computer and it will be seamlessly integrated and easy (easier) for her to use then trying to teach her non-native applications to use.

My only question is, since Home Server is based off of Server 2003, can I "mod" Server 2003 to act like Home Server and work with the Home Server Add-ins?

I'm thinking the $100 might be worth the savings in aggravation. Then again maybe I just want to buy something new and shinny and I should just be happy with a CentOS server and try to get things working smoothly enough that she (and I) don't go crazy jumping through hoops.

Anybody feel like convincing me one way or the other? 

[40hz]

IMHO: If you're not crazy about jumping through hoops, and you value your time at more than $5 an hour, you'd probably be a lot happier going with Windows Home Server. WHS is about as easy as it gets, and it's not a bad little product now that MS has gotten the kinks out of it.

Or at least they have as far as we know...

If you want to try the open source route first, an excellent alternative is Amahi Linux Home Server.

Link: http://www.amahi.org

I mentioned it previously on DoCo:

https://www.donation....msg147544#msg147544

[Shades]

In my experience, CentOS shines when it is used as a development station. In other areas it is lacking. For servers I use OpenSuse (my distro of choice I have to add).

My (software) RAID PC was running on CentOS in the beginning...but after 6 moths I was fed up with the third rebuild (after a voltage dip that even eluded my UPS). When I moved to OpenSuse I had to do the same amount of rebuilds, but in a time-span of 3,5 years. And don't worry, me cursing at the (one and only) power company from this country didn't vary too much on a yearly basis. 

[40hz]

Fogot to mention earlier that Microsoft will let you evaluate their Home Server for 120 days free of charge.

No point in taking anybody's word for how good or bad it is when you can just see for yourself.
 (Maybe even do a review of it for DoCo while you're at it?)

Info & download links: http://www.microsoft...homeserver/eval.mspx

Direct download link: http://www.microsoft...a&displaylang=en