The other day I was talking with a friend about my Windows Home Server configuration and thought I would post a little something about what addins I’m running or as the the title said my Fav 5. I like to keep my WHS running light and simple so the addins I like to use take advantage of features already built into windows 2003 and don’t put any extra strain on the server. But I still like to play around from time to time with some extra stuff.
WebGuide for Windows Home Server enables you to remotely access, listen, watch and stream your music, photos and videos stored on your home server while away from home.
@WHSTweet is a Windows Home Server Add-In that allows your home server to tweet you if there is a problem with the error. This is a handy little tool if you travel or don’t use the Home Server Console App on your pc. Check out my server twitter account http://www.twitter.com/delliewhs
Windows Home Server Disk Management is an Add-In for Microsoft Windows Home Server. This Add-In is designed for users who need more detail about their server’s storage status than what the standard WHS Server Storage interface provides.
There are many great sites out there to find Add-ins on Home Server Plus
First let me start by saying Microsoft allows you to download any of there new operating systems for trial period usually 120 days but some are 90. My 120 day trial period for windows home server ended on September 15th. I waited all the way to 121st day to upgrade even though I knew by the 90th day I was planning on buying it. So when I finally got around to getting a licensed copy, which I actually ended up getting it for my birthday. Now if your unfamiliar with Windows Home Server it’s basically the stay at home server and monitors all your houses computers for issues and backs them up just in case something happens and it feeds media to our TV’s and PC. You don’t need to have advanced skills to use it. Just set it up and forget about it will take care of you. So after sending the last 120 days getting to know the Home Server product. So here what I learned first 512MB of Ram is good start but if your going to use addin’s your going to need a little more I didn’t go all crazy, I doubled the memory and now I’m getting great results. Second configuring remote access on Comcast is easier then think. you just need to configure the right ports and your done. Third there’s a addin out called WHIIST it’s the greatest thing basically what it does is builds on the the built-in IIS and remote access feature and allows for you host other site as well as customize your own remote access site. The fourth thing I learned and this wasn’t until the end was be very care how you reinstall your plug ins once you decide to buy the full version. I ran into problems when I reinstalled all my plug ins at once. I turned to We Got Served for help cause I could any information about my issue on the Microsoft forum. Which leads me to my fifth thing I learned The support community outside Microsoft is far better then the one provided them. This product is truly led by it’s enthusiast of course the tops one work for Microsoft or are recognized by them as MVP’s. The community is so supported that even Microsoft points users to theses community sites for news about recently developed addin’s and other product information. Now my biggest beef with product isn’t even the product its the fact that Dell doesn’t have a product out there currently that is built around Windows Home Server I freaking A your getting killed by HP, Acer, and mine others. By the ways what the point of having your own blog with followers if you can’t poke fun at others stupid Dell get with the times.
My rack holds my HP PSC 2350 printer which is connected to my WHS on the top. The next shelf holds my cable modem, Rosewell G Wireless Router, a extra 5 port Linksys/Cisco router. Then on the next shelf is the Windows Home Server built on a recycled Dell Dimension 4400 with extra memory and a upgraded hard drive. On the bottom shelf is just extra network cables, different kinds of paper and some other random items. Oh & Btw the little silver box on the far right corner of the picture is a Netgear MP101 this little guy plays all our music in our home office.
So as the 2009 season wraps up unhopeful unless a major blessing happens, today I started playing with the photo collage feature on Picasa 3 and I thought I would put together a White Sox one from all my photos over years with family and friends.
OMG I so happy I heard about Pandora Radio, after the cost of my XM online radio service went up again I decided to bail on them in search of a new source of music while at work. I use to carry any iPod but after while I got tired of carrying that damn thing to and from work, then I tried Last.fm for a month or two. But I didn’t like the recommendations as much as iTunes Genius. So I decided to plug up a 4 gig flash drive to my computer and load songs and iTunes on that too but that only lasted for a week or two before I was board again. So that’s when a coworker mentioned that they used Pandora on there Blackberry, so I figure hey why not give it a try too. After the first week I was hooked on the service. You can basically find any artist or any song you like in their database. I started making my own stations that have some great mixes of artist like Jay-Z and Kenny
Chesney. Of course you can’t get something for nothing so in exchange for music they slip ads in the blackberry version and along side their website too and they put a limit to the number of hours you can use the service per month to 40 hours for free and unlimited for the rest of the month for $0.99. This is not too bad for good music and all you can listen too. If your not a blackberry user and your looking for a solution for music on the go they also have applications for the Palm Pre, Windows Mobile Phones, and the iPhone along with iPod Touch and of course there fabulous website.
Last week i got the new Blackberry 8520 Curve and i though I would write my first five things similar to ones did on the blackberry blog site. Since i this my third blackberry I’ve got my steps setting up down pretty good.
Download Google Mobile Apps; OMG this has got to be my used applications on my blackberry. First the Google sync is one hell of an application it syncs up my address book and calendar to my Gmail account. Then instead of using the blackberry maps application i would rather use Google maps. Google
Download Facebook and setup app so that it downloads pictures to my contacts, calendar events, and what not’s
Pull down a new service book; so that my work, Jaycees, and personal emails start flowing to my new device.
Ping all my friends with my new pin; Blackberry messenger has to be one of most easy to use messenger clients out there, btw if you want my PIN text me and I’ll give it to you.
Set my background; of course i use one the White Sox. I pulled one that i took last year while me and Ann was at the sox game down from my Facebook mobile pictures album.
This new Blackberry device has way more capabilities then my last model. First I’m taking full advantage of the Apps World and second OMG Pandora runs so smooth and fast on it just like playing a song from my iTunes Library.
and on the second day of week i learned to write some statements in new ways maybe they'll work better maybe they won't lolabout 3 hours agofrom TweetDeck
if something failed 10 days in a row why would it work tomorrow if nothing has changed?about 11 hours agofrom TweetDeck
Had so much fun yesterday at the Illinois Jaycees State bowling that i went back again....... Because i forgot my card at the bar lol12:47:38 PM March 07, 2010from TweetDeck
running light and simple so the addins I like to use take advantage of features already built into windows 2003 and don’t put any extra strain on the server. But I still like to play around from time to time with some extra stuff. 
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