Beta 2 of Windows Home Server, which already has been tested by more than 1,000 Microsoft employees, software and hardware partners, is now available, Microsoft said. The company soon plans to extend the product's beta program; and those who want to test beta 2 of the OS can sign up at this Web site.

Microsoft Monday also unveiled the Windows Home Server Blog, which will track the progress of the software's development. Additionally, Charlie Kinder, Microsoft general manager of Windows Home Server, also maintains a blog where he will post about the product.

Microsoft introduced Windows Home Server at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January. Hewlett-Packard Co. will have the first server built on the OS, a product called the HP MediaSmart Server, later this year. Currently, Microsoft only plans to make Windows Home Server available through OEMs, not sell it directly to consumers.