What's the difference between Windows 7 and Windows Home Server 2011?

T

Trackr

[H]ard|Gawd
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I'm building a NAS, using FlexRAID and I have a choice between Windows 7 and Windows Home Server 2011.

I've been told that Windows 7 is perhaps easier to use, but what do I gain from WHS? I've never used Windows Home Server before..

Thanks.
 
If you just want a box that has a shared drive that you can copy files to, then Windows 7 is all you need. If you want a box that has a client-server relationship, user accounts, shared storage, etc., then you want WHS.
 
SuperSubZero said:
You can read about Windows Home Server here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Home_Server
There's a link to the 2011 version with the changes.

Windows 7 wiki is here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7
Click to expand...

Yes, I know Wikipedia still exists.

I actually just wanted the gist of it.

bigdogchris said:
If you just want a box that has a shared drive that you can copy files to, then Windows 7 is all you need. If you want a box that has a client-server relationship, user accounts, shared storage, etc., then you want WHS.
Click to expand...

What I want is to link the NAS drive pool to 5 other computer, wirelessly and via LAN.

But I also had a thought to host some kid of 'Server', hence the Windows Home Server idea. My internet connection isn't that fast, but it'll be nice not to have to upload anymore.

EDIT: This is one of the features of WHS - "File sharing - Offers network shares for computers to store the files remotely, acting as a network-attached storage device." Doesn't that sound like exactly what I want?
 
Ehren8879 said:
I would go with WHS. It's very simple to use.
Click to expand...

Hmm.. now I'm being told that Windows 7 already has those features, or that they can be added via third-party software..

Question is - which software, and would installing it be worth the task when it's built-in to Windows 7?
 
If you can somehow install WHS 2011 and try it for 30 days then you'll know if it'll work for you or not. I've been very satisified with WHS on my home network and I'm normally more of a DIY kind of person with these things at work.
 
I don't think there is anything in WHS that can't be done on 7 with some other software/tools. That said, WHS puts it all together and makes it very simple to get setup and going. The way I look at it, if you want to tinker then run a different OS and go at it. If you want to set it and forget it, then WHS is the way to go.

With less time lately to play around with things I've taken the WHS route and couldn't be happier. Then again, that isn't true, as I run WHS virtually within Server 2008 R2, so I get both worlds. Server for tinkering, and the WHS VM for just setting and forgetting.
 
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