Windows Home Server On the Cheap... sort of.
My buddy, Robert McLaws, recently posted about how he built his beta Home Server for under $500 (he says that he's using it during the beta and will buy an OEM one when it's released... I actually think that building your own is the best bet).
Not to be outdone (no, this is not a batwing reference), I decided to spec out my own Home Server box using Robert's system as a guide.
Here's the stuff I stole from Robert's list:
And here's the stuff I added:
For a grand total of $891.37. It's not exactly the cost-effective system that Robert built, but I likes me da storage...
So, let me explain what I've done here. I got the same motherboard, memory, and processor that Robert did. After that, I added a a 40GB IDE drive to install the OS on, and a quad-drive external enclosure with a 500GB SATA drive, along with the components to attach the enclosure. Might I just say - the storage enclosure is just damned hot, and I can add new drives as I choose to. I have two 250GB SATA drives that I could add without having to purchase, so I might do that.
Oh, and I didn't forget the DVD-ROM drive. I'm just going to use one that I already have.