Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 Beta
Adds Windows 7 Support and More

Windows Home Server product to support new features in Windows 7, such as Libraries and image-based backup. Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 (now available in beta via Microsoft Connect) provides the Windows 7 support Windows Home Server needs, but that's not all that's new.



What's New in Power Pack 3 for Windows 7 Users?

Because Windows Home Server is designed to provide a Windows-ready back end for backup and file organization on a home network, many of the changes in Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 add Windows 7 compatibility. These include:

* Windows 7 library support, including Windows Search 4 integration to enable WHS to search libraries and EFS (encrypted) files
* Windows 7 Action Center backup integration
* Windows 7 power settings support for scheduled backup

Other improvements include:

* More reliable file restore and image restore
* Improved backup repair
* Support for displays with resolutions as low as 1024x600
* Automatic TV recording archiving from Windows Media Center to
Windows Home Server in your choice of formats
* Console view of Windows Home Server from within Windows Media Center

The production version should be ready by the end of 2009. See the Microsoft Connect intro site to learn more about joining the program.

DFI Hybrid Motherboard Runs Two Systems at Once

Mainboard maker DFI has a rather interesting product on the way. The upcoming Hybrid P45-ION-T2A2 motherboard is capable of running two computers on a single board. It supports both a high performanceP45/LGA775 based systems, and a low power Atom/Ion based system.

They include a small external button assembly that can be used to switch on the fly between platforms. The two platforms can both be run at the same time, or you can shut down the one you aren’t using. The back panel is a bit confusing. There are some shared ports as well as dedicated ports. It has a block of four shared USB ports that are available to both systems. The audio and DVI ports are also shared. Each system has a dedicated set of USB ports and an Ethernet jack as well. The Ion chipset on the Atom side has its own dedicated HDMI port for some low-wattage HD video action.

Overall, this is a terribly impressive feat of engineering. Watch the video at the link to get the full effect. The possibilities for true multitasking are a bit staggering. Imagine encoding video on the LGA775 platform while outputting HD video with the Ion from the same box.