I would like to thank Paul Murphy for his comment on my recent Windows Home Server post. It was interesting enough that I thought it warranted stepping into the dark and nefarious world of “The Linux Debate” for a little real world comparison. The comment to “Thoughts on Windows Home Server” goes like this:
Nice article and product breakdown, not seen these before.
Why not save a good few and go for a Linux box, any old hardware and a big HDD though?
It’s an absolutely fair question, but I think it is the question, and the thinking behind it that absolutely separates the two sides of the argument (question).
The Linux Route
Let’s first agree to set aside the notion of free as it relates to software freedom. I am the one putting the server up and I have zero problem with licensing agreements and paid software.
The real advantage for Linux here is the notion of free as it relates to price. We are assuming that you already have a spare PC laying around and putting this server up will cost you nothing. I will submit however that the Windows Home Server route comes with 1 Terabyte of space, and I will argue that any PC you have laying around will not include a Terabyte of storage space. Given that, let’s place your free solution at a total cost of around $100 for the drive you need to add to hold all of your data.
So you have invested $100 in this PC to give it the storage you need, and now you need a little software. The Linux route could be anything from a simple Network Attached Storage Device (NAS) to a full fledged storage and media server. If you are going the first route, something like FreeNAS will do what you want, and as pretty simple to get going. If you look at what WHS does, NAS is just the beginning, so we’ll need something more sophisticated.
There are probably some packages you can find to do this in an all in one install, but to be thorough, you will need a Linux install similar to Ubuntu or Fedora, and make sure to set up Samba for file sharing, VLC Media Player or something similar to stream video, SBackup for automated backup and SSH for remote web access.
So we are similar to relative feature parity, and it cost about $100 if you don’t include the cost of the computer you had laying around.
The Impact
I would start with the impact being grace. Let’s assume that you don’t mind the additional $290. I didn’t mind at all (of course I got a smoking deal, but still would have gotten one eventually.)
Form Factor
Most likely the entire setup of your Linux server required a keyboard, mouse and monitor. You can obviously unplug these once you are done setting it up, but odds are you are going to need to keep them handy when something goes wrong (and with non-embedded homebrew Linux setups it often does.)
So your server probably looks something like the machine pictured to the right.
There is nothing wrong with this really, but there are a few things worth pointing out that you lose as compared to the Windows Home Server solution:
- Adding additional storage requires tools and a reboot. With Windows home Servers you can pull out a drive tray, add a hard drive with no tools, pop it back in, open the admin control on any PC on your network and add the new drive to your storage pool with a 3-click wizard. You don’t even have to power off the machine.
- The WHS does not require a keyboard, mouse or monitor ever. In fact there is no place to even connect a monitor.
- Pure size. Of course you can get mini cases for PCs, but the odds are that you didn’t have it laying around, and it probably won’t hold 4 Serial ATA hard drives through externally accessible drive bays.
Alright, I admit it. I am willing to pay a few bucks for something that’s sexy. When you look at the Acer server, or any of the HPs, admit it, they are loads sexier.
Pretty hard to argue this. It’s not much taller than our cable modem and maybe 5 times as wide.
Ease of Use
I have already talked about how easy it is to add storage. Let’s talk about how easy it is for the average home user to set it up. The un-boxing process was about as difficult as setup. Once you have it plugged to power, Ethernet and powered on, you stick a client CD in your computer. (After that, the software is available via a share that’s visible on any machine on your network)
The first time the client software is run, it goes through a setup that is literally this simple.
- Enter the password you want to use to access your home server.
- Accept or rename the name the home server uses on your network.
Wait you say. I don’t have to configure stuff or setup things? The home server is pretty smart. When you add a client to the system it will create a user. It automatically sets up a shared folder for that user and creates a backup of all the volumes on the client machine.
It also gives you the ability to tailor folder access by user and to create additional shared folders if you need to.
Management User Interface
I can actually take you through the entirety of the Home Server configuration and user interface in 17 screens. Let’s take a look at the first 5 that make up the main configuration tabs:
The first tab manages backup. This is where I can look at any of the machines on my network that are being backed up. I can see all backups, configure backups and delete backups from this single screen.
It’s a simple interface and provides feedback to show you what has happened.
User accounts are the backbone of any network system. It’s super easy to create, manage and delete user accounts.
This includes changing passwords, changing remote access settings, shared folder access and disabling accounts temporarily if you need to.
The next tab allows you to manage all of your shared folders in one place, as well as see the amount of storage they are consuming.
You can create new shared folders here, set duplication settings, change folder access and remove them if you need to.
Literally add more storage space on the fly in 3 clicks. Need I say more?
Notice the pie chart depicting storage usage, the drive health status and the ability to repair storage when you get pesky storage problems.
System information isn’t much about configuration. You can configure the LED brightness, set remote wakeup settings and monitor performance.
It also gives you some information about the system itself. Not much to see here.
Additional Settings
There are 12 more tabs that make up the settings for Windows Update, Backup Settings, Password Policies, Windows Media Center Extender Access, Media Sharing, Remote Access, Add-In configuration, System Monitoring and Alerts, Network Address Configuration, Digital Media Server settings, iTunes Sharing settings and general resource information. This is also where you would shut down or restart the server. Here is a collection of these screens if you want more context.
Clicking each of these will give you the entire picture of not only what Windows Home Server can do, but how easy it is for any user to setup and maintain this little powerhouse.
Remote Access
Remote access is actually pretty interesting. Your Linux solution would probably require either SSH and command line work, or maybe a vnc connection over SSH to do remote screen control.
Windows Home Server’s remote console gives you web based access to your files, remote admin of the server, and Remote Desktop access to any machine you have it enabled for. All it requires is that you sign in with a Windows Live ID, make sure your router is configured accordingly, and choose a domain prefix to your liking. If your router is uPNP enabled it even configures your router for you.
Conclusion
The thing this all boils down to is perceived value. We are talking about $290 here. It’s still a lot of money to some people, but consider that it’s probably close to the cost of the digital camera that takes the photos you are protecting. It’s way less than the cost the machines it’s protecting. It even gives you warnings when machines on your network are missing important updates or have virus protection out of date.
I don’t have a problem quantifying the ease of use, the reliability, the elegance of the solution and the overall look and feel into $290. Being a gadget freak as it is, it’s not a big leap at all. The other thing I love, is that when I explain this to a friend or relative, and tell them how cool I think it is, I have zero reservations in telling him to go get one because I know for sure they can handle it by themselves.
To wrap things up, this goes directly to the heart of the Linux/Windows(or Mac) debate. Sure Linux PCs are always going to be cheaper in actual dollars spent. But I feel like my time is worth something. If I pay for an application that I think feels better to use or just has the extra features and polish that make me more productive, I feel like I have justified that cost.
If you set the “Free Software” argument aside, and agree that most people could care less about a user’s right to modify and redistribute code, this argument comes straight down to cost.
When you take it down to that basic level, it’s probably the same reason I buy Dr. Pepper and you might buy Dr. Thunder. I would rather pay a bit more, and get the taste I expect instead of something that’s cheaper, similar, but probably not as good.
That’s the reality. The Linux solution would work. It just wouldn’t be as pretty. It wouldn’t “feel” as nice, and in the end, it’s just not as good.
This is all of course, just my opinion 
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Woah, more depth than I expected but another nice article
It’s really good that companies (Acer in this case) do offer a server solution at a really competative price point. I think systems like these have, in the past, been over specified and priced out of the market to people who know what they’re doing and could build a Linux server box. I totally agree that Acer ofer superb value for money and at $290 (a mere 180 of our British pounds) you’re hard pushed to knock up any solution for this.
I have to admit, I’m totally with you about the pimp value of how the server looks, if I was building a new server I’d have to splash a few pounds on a nice media cente case
You can’t beat an out of the box solution and that’s a fact. Samba can be a bit finicky in my experience.
I’ve never used Server 2003 or any windows server for that matter but I’d have to assume it’s running well on the atom processor. A major benefit of Linux how minimal and bloat free you can have a system running but I’m very impressed if the Acer system holds its own.
You’ve almost got me convinced that this is the way forward. Alas though “… in the end, it’s just not as good” will be forever the subjective decider.
This is definately something that will make me think twice in the future. Kudos on a convincing and well presented argument.
ok i skimmed, but you have not mentioned (or at least not highlighted) the WHS data duplication that is not raid, but is actually in many ways more reliable than raid (if you want to buy cheap hardware) – but i have not followed freenas in this respect)
plus, for WHS avoiding restart on adding disk space depends on good SATA implementation, i don’t think it’s a prereq for WHS. maybe SATA alone supports this?
and as far as not requiring a monitor, my first generation hp470 has bios set to not power on after a power failure. only way to change this reliably (as in not using a stop watch and pure faith) is with a monitor. and i’ve found for true troubleshooting that the whs interface isn’t enough, i have to remote into the console….
finally the itunes sharing is all oem addons, not a feature of WHS per se.
[...] You can read Jason’s article here. [...]
Excellent article.
For what it’s worth, if you want to do a direct comparison between a FreeNAS solution and a WHS solution on the same hardware, you can purchase an OEM copy of WHS from Newegg for $99. So, the incremental cost between identical FreeNAS and WHS solutions is less than $100.
I’ve done this with an old Dell Dimension 4100 that I had hanging around: I added a couple of high-capacity hard drives and installed the WHS software. Other than not having hot-swappable hard drives, you get all the advantages of WHS for an amazing price. Of course, it’s not quite as sexy as the Acer or HP, but it certainly does the trick.
I am all for WHS.
However to really convince people about WHS rather than to act as a marketting tool to HP, Acer, and others.
Also with the fairness of Comparing Oranges with Oranges, and Not HP/Acer with Oranges.
One has to compare…
Your old computer with FreeNAS vs. the same old computer with WHS OEM.
Or $0 vs. $99
I would take the $99 WHS any day, but the reasoning would be in part different, with different emphasis then the above article.
That’s totally fair Jack. I agree. I still think for my purposes I would rather have the Acer or HP, think about it. You paid $100 for WHS. $280 more gets you a 1TB Hard Drive ($99), a nice mini case with externally swappable hard drive caddies ($100 at least), so $80 is covering 2GB Ram, Motherboard, CPU and any 3rd party add-ins that they package. Plus it comes with a single disk restore and the entire solution is totally elegant.
So in short, I am ALL for putting home server on your own box if you have one handy. But I think that the boxed solutions are an incredible value as well. If my choice was between buying a box or buying the parts to build one, there would be no question which way I would go.
I’ve been reading the thread and the exchanges and it’s very interesting to see everyone’s responses and the different viewpoints. I just want to declare an interest: I’m the European product marketing manager for HP’s X510 Data Vault product, so obviously I have a vested interest in WHS as a solution. I completely understand the points made about Linux so just thought I would share HP’s thinking behind our Data Vault positioning. We are really targeting very small, emerging businesses with the DV, firms who may be very low on IT skills and IT time. In that respect, HP hopes all the additional software refinements of a product like the X510 will make it as easy as possible for these businesses to protect their data. We don’t expect to sell DV to customers with larger networks or who have a lot more tech savvy because they either need more IT sophistication to back up their network or have the knowledge to do a lot more themselves.
I have another confession at this point: my degree was in English and whilst I consider myself IT competent, if anyone had witnessed my struggles with the Ubuntu netbook that my mother bought from Curry’s to write emails and surf, you would understand that I would have to pass on building my own NAS box using a Linux distro!
If anyone has any comments or wants to contact me directly, my Twitter is hpdatavault_eu. Maybe someone would like to trial the Data Vault and see what it can do?
I thought I’d chime in with a word or two from a Linux server person.
I admit I didn’t read the entire article, mostly because it’s kinda long for reading when I’m supposed to be getting things done at work, but I liked what I read/skimmed. For my own purposes I’ve chosen a Linux solution, but I beta tested WHS back before the final release, and I was quite impressed. Given a different network setup at home, I’d probably be rocking a WHS box of my own, though I’d go for a home-built full tower with more space than any of the pre-built systems have.
That said, I usually recommend WHS to friends and family who are looking for a way to keep multiple computers and important data backed up. It’s a much simpler setup and requires almost no interaction whatsoever to keep the server up and running. It’ that dead simple, and simple is important when you’re developing a backup strategy. If it’s not simple, it won’t ever happen. You can’t get any simpler than WHS.
I like my WHS but would never opt for one of those canned systems. I already have 6 drives in the thing and I know it was cheaper to build and has better components. The pre-built systems always have no expansion and an anemic processor. (Plyon etc require some amount of power. If I just want a file server then a cheap NAS would work just as good.
Also: what do you do when it dies or you want to upgrade the OS if you don’t have a monitor. Hard to troubleshoot if it don’t boot.
I thought I’d chime in also. I sit on both sides of the fence. I’d bought pieces to build a server and an OEM copy of WHS. Since then I’ve played around with WHS, Amahi (a Fedora home server solution), Ubuntu server, etc. As far as ease of use it’s hands down WHS. As for reliability I’d throw my hat in the linux camp. There is a sharp learning curve to be sure, but once setup a linux server will take a beating. Currently I’m back to the WHS because I already paid the money and want to get that money’s worth out of it.
Also, I have to agree with Steve here. It was so much fun building a server and the knowledge gained is priceless. Plus there’s just not enough space in the pre-builts.
By the way, where did you find a Mediasmart for $290? The price alone is the best part regardless what OS would have been shipped on it. Kudos!
This is a very interesting article. I like the fact that people do not hate on one another for posting their opinions. Out right I will say that I am Linux fan, mostly for servers however. I use CentOS and Debian for my server operating systems because of the dependability both offer. I will give WHS the nice interface and ease of use (I have used it before), but for me something like webmin on CentOS is all I need to get going and build a perfect home server. (I still use command line predominantly ) I do think that for basic networking and easy setup, Microsoft hit the nail on the head. For those of us that like to tinker and play with hardware, building our own machine from scratch is nothing short of exhilarating. For me to buying a pre-built machine is just not fun and it never feels as my own. I agree with everyone here and I think everyone has good point, however in the long run, I think its all about preference.
I’ve had the ACER Aspire Home with WHS for a few years now, and filled it with 7 TB . It’s the slickest and relatively cheapest way to securely backup & restore Windows. I installed VMWARE server on the little cube, so in addition to WHS running, I have a Ubuntu Linux running simultaneously on very this very low power green hardware, no keyboard, no monitor, and I can access it from anywhere securely. There is limited RAM and CPU, so I don’t push it, but since the WHS is pretty idle all day and just does the backups in off hours, it makes a great virtual Linux machine with a ton of drive space – the best of both worlds.