Hardware innovation: Tranquil PC T7-HSA

I'm writing this post from the Kodiak auditorium on the Microsoft campus while waiting for the Code2Fame judging to begin. Code2Fame is all about software innovation, but what about hardware?

When we started this whole thing we hoped this kind of thing would happen, and we tried hard to drive it the best we could with things like the Hockey Puck concept design, evangelism, and partner programs.  But we know it's not really possible to dictate how innovation in a new category ecosystem will develop.

All you can do is try to light a fire and see how it burns...  And it appears to be burning very nicely!  I don't know if we'll be able to have a post on a cool new piece of hardware every week, but between all of our current hardware partners, new ones we don't know about yet, and enthusiasts throwing their own boxes together I can't see the end.

Terry over at We Got Served has a detailed review of the Tranquil PC T7-HSA Harmony Home Server running Windows Home Server, so I'm not going to bother re-hashing all the details.  Here are some of the things that are interesting about the T7-HSA:

  • Near silent operation because it is completely fan-less. I hope someday solid-state storage will be cost competitive with spinning media...
  • Very small packaging. I love seeing the reaction of people who see these home server designs in person. By far the most common reaction people have when they see the HP MediaSmart Server or our Hockey Puck concept in person is "Wow, I had no idea it was so small." 
  • Can be wall-mounted.  An age-old question about home servers is "where will people put them?" Our pat answer has always been "wherever they want", but we know many people dream of the home server that mounts on the wall in the garage near the furnace...

One of the most fascinating things about the Tranquil PC home server is the fact that we had no idea they were developing it until they announced it. To me this means a couple of things: we did a pretty good job of starting the fire and the folks at Tranquil are pretty savvy.

-cek