BEIJING, Nov. 6 (Xinhuanet) -- HP's MediaSmart Server, the first product under Microsoft's Windows Home Server (WHS) line, goes on sale worldwide Monday, media reported.

    Pre-orders will be taken on the websites: Amazon, Best Buy, Buy.com. Circuit City and CompUSA. Shipping and availability through other retailers occurs later this month.

    The AMD-powered unit is priced at 599 U.S. dollars with 500 GB of storage, or 749 dollars with a terabyte of disk space. It allows families to share files and multimedia between computers and view them through their televisions.

    WHS, loosely based on Windows Server 2003, provides automatic backup, data restore, file and printer sharing, and remote Web-based access for up to 10 Windows XP or Vista PCs on an Ethernet or wireless network.

    Other companies are set to launch devices based on the WHS platform later this year and into 2008.

    "With the launch of Windows Home Server, Microsoft and its partners are creating a new consumer product category that will help people keep their digital media safe and make it easier for them to enjoy it with friends and family," Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said in a statement.

    (Agencies)