Win an HP MediaSmart Server LX195

The blog Mommy Goggles is giving away an HP MediaSmart Server LX195. You can click here to read the details, but the contest ends on June 24, 2009. Actually, I've entered the contest just by blogging about it. Sweet!

Windows Home Server Add-In Idea Challenge

Home Server Blog and We Got Served are sponsoring an add-in idea contest. They are lining up loads of prizes so be sure to check it out. Click here for more information. Note that this is an "idea" contest so no programming is necessary. Good luck!

Books and Beers: The Mommy Book Winners

Today with the help of my lovely hand model Alyssa, I did the drawing for the Mommy Books. And as you can see from the “action shot” below, we actually did use a hat! (Does anyone recognize the logo?)

The grand prize winner is “Michael” who wrote “Mikey Sayes Me To” on May 23rd. Michael will receive the collector’s edition "Mommy, Why is There a Server in the House?" book signed by Home Server General Manager Charlie Kindel.

The three runners up and winners of the paperback edition are: “Life as I know it”, “Ten Of Zero” and “Mark H”. All four winners will also receive two Windows Home Server beer koozies.

If you are one of the four winners, pay attention because here is what you need to do to collect your prizes. Send an email to mommy@domain.com (where domain is homeserverhacks) with your U.S. postal address (as I stated, the contest was open to U.S. postal addresses only). I will then reply to your email with a “secret code”. Post a comment here with that code so that I can verify that you are in fact the winner and not an imposter. I will match the profile URL of the original post with the one that you use to post the secret code. If they match, then you are legit.

After you check out, I’ll get the prizes in the mail right away. It sounds complicated, but it really isn’t (It’s like validating an email address as we’re all used to by now). Congratulations to you all and thanks to everyone for participating.

Mommy, Why is There a Server in the House?

Some of you have heard of the book "Mommy, Why is There a Server in the House?" but who out there actually has a copy? (unless you went to CES where Microsoft was handing them out by the truckload) It's actually a beautifully illustrated book that Microsoft came out with as part of a odd-ball marketing scheme to promote it's Windows Home Server.

It does have value as a children's book, I guess, but don't take it too seriously. It's written by the fictional author Tom O'Connor, Ph.D. My favorite quote from the book is "Or your uncle who smells like bark". Bark? (I also like the part where the dog pees on the laptop.)

Anyhoo... You can peruse through the first few pages of the book above, read the whole thing at Stay At Home Servers, order a paperback copy from Amazon for USD$5.95, or...

Want a copy for free?

As it just so happens, I have a few copies of the book available to give away for free: three are paperback and one is a special hard cover collector's edition signed by Home Server General Manager Charlie Kindel (seen here in this video explaining the various capabilities of the WHS). Thx Charlie!

What do you need to do to be eligible to win? (This is complicated so you may want to write this down) Simply reply to this post and I'll put your name in the hat for the drawing (I really do use a hat). That's it!

Any reply will do (ex: "I'd like a free book!" or "me too!"), but why not use the chance to say something profound. Tell people how you use your Windows Home Server. If you built it yourself, what is your hardware configuration?

Multiply your odds

Here is where it really gets good. Tell your friends about the give-away. For each friend who replies to this post and mentions that he/she was referred by you, not only are they eligible to win, but you will get another chance to win (limit 5 referrals). Make sure that they mention the exact name you use to post (ex: "referred by SkinnyPuppy"). In other words, refer five friends and your name goes in the hat 6 times!

With 4 books available and only 8 readers of my blog, your chances are pretty darned good .  (You know I'm joking about the 8 readers, right?) Heck, I'll even toss in a couple of Windows Home Server beer koozies with each book! I don't even need your email address (unless you win).

I'm closing the contest and drawing 1 grand prize winner (for the signed hardcover) and 3 runners-up(for the paperbacks) on June 12, 2008 and will announce the winners in a follow-up post a few days later, so check back to see if you've won! As with the other contest, this is open to U.S. residents only (sorry). Good luck!

FREE Windows Home Server OEM DVD

That's right. We are shamelessly giving away a free copy of the Windows Home Server OEM DVD to one lucky winner. What do you have to do to win? (warning, this is where it gets shameless).

People seem to like the in depth how-to articles that we publish (like the HP EX470 2GB Memory Upgrade article, for example) and how we try and keep the Windows Home Server news articles (Terry over at We Got Served does a great job with news) and "fluff" posts to a minimum. We want to spread the word and so we are recruiting your help. We'd like you to mention Home Server Hacks (and link to the blog) on any or all of the following:

• Your blog as a post
• Someone else's blog as a comment (please no spamming, only comment where relevant).
• On forums (also where relevant)
• Add HomeServerHacks.com to your blog roll
• or anything else you can think of

The contest is open starting right now and will run until May 10, 2008. After the contest ends, send an email to contest@domain.com (substitute homeserverhacks for domain) containing the link or links to each of your mentions. There will be a random drawing held on May 17, 2008 from each link received (i.e. for each link, you will get one chance to win). The more links you send, the better your chances of winning the drawing (up to 5 links). But, and I can't stress this enough, DO NOT simply spam the web with unrelated Home Server Hacks links. For example: don't try and get a link on http://www.jackbauerfacts.com.

We also have a lame second prize. While out at the MVP Summit this week, I met with the WHS team and picked up some WHS swag. The second prize winner will receive these three WHS beer koozies (sorry, beer not included). Ok, they aren't lame, but compared to a WHS DVD...

I will announce the winners after the contest ends and the lucky ones have been contacted. Good luck and thanks for all of your support!

Donavon West

**** UPDATE ****

I'm starting to get quite a few emails with links attached. Thanks! But instead of just telling people about the contest (of course link to that too) why not take the opportunity to also do one of the following:

• Link to one of your favorites posts here on Home Server Hacks (HP EX470 CPU Upgrade or Memory Upgrade perhaps).
• Tell people what you love about Microsoft's Windows Home Server. Is it the automated backup? The remote access?
• If you built your Home Server yourself, tell us what's under the hood and how the build experience was.

Basically, take the chance to promote Microsoft's WHS too. The more that people know about WHS, the stronger our community becomes. That way we all win.

And now the very non-legal fine print:

• This is an actual unopened WHS OEM DVD but for purposes of the contest, the stated value of this (and all prizes) is $0.
• I can ship prizes only to a U.S. postal addresses.
• Chances of winning depend on the number of people who enter and the number of links sent by each person.
• There are no warrantees expressed or implied on any of the prizes and are presented "as-is".
• Remember this is a random drawing so anyone can win, even if you send in only one link. Of course your chances improve with each link submitted, with the following exception:
• We are setting a limit of 5 links/person to cut down on spaminating the countryside.
• Fraudulent or spammed links will be rejected at my discretion.
• Mentions must be clearly dated between 11:00pm PDT 04/16/2008 and 11:59pm PDT 05/10/2008.