Windows Server 2016 Standard - 16 Core (P73-07113)

Pros: Great price to convert any desktop into a NAS.
Windows networking, services, very nice

Cons: Bitlocker sensitivity is insanely high, plug in a USB stick to trigger it.
Mandatory upgrades at any time takes the server offline (as windows 10 users are aware, an "experimental" upgrade push happens at any time, usually in the middle of the morning). When an upgrade is pending you have no choice but to reset the server and un-encrypt your keys to get it going again (oh yes not from the network as its stuck pre-boot waiting for a key entry.)

Overall Review: When will microsoft show some consideration for small operation users with their experimental releases?

Pros: - Easy installation
- Allows migration from 2012 R2 Essentials with no real snags
- Takes little disk space on system disk (~25GB)
- Recognizes most hardware-level RAID configurations without additional drivers
- Automatically creates functional forest/domain with minimal configuration
- Requires only entry-level to intermediate skill set to install and configure
- Windows 10 feel without the bloat
- Properly configures basic DNS and WINS server services automatically/easy to modify
- Allows you to enter the CoA after installation instead of forcing it prior to
- A Start button! How about that?

Cons: - Doesn't provide inherent ability to build/configure a non-GPT partition disk on the fly
- Should probably launch Server Manager instead of Essentials Dashboard after installation to simplify
- Cumulative Update KB4022715 hung on download/install a few times; had to reboot multiple times before it went

Overall Review: On a fairly complicated hardware-level raid setup (2-disk RAID-1 for a pair of 1TB SSDs, 4-disk RAID-10 system partition), the install was quite simple. As mentioned in the cons above, if your system is set to legacy/UEFI in the BIOS, it doesn't allow you to natively install the OS without cleaning and converting the partition table to GPT using diskpart (use Shift+F10 at any point during the configuration). This could, of course, be a BIOS limitation on the board I used, but it's a cutting-edge X99 chipset system. Installation otherwise is quite straightforward. It walks you through setting up a local administrator account, Windows Domain, Domain Admin account, etc.

The OS recognized virtually all of my hardware with relatively recent, stable drivers, so that's always a plus.

Shipping with a USB drive with the install would definitely be a plus to cut the installation time by about 80%.

I'd hesitated to give this a go based on reviews on the CoA peeling off characters, rendering it unusable, but this particular copy comes with a card rather than a peel-off sticker. CoA was simple to read.

All in all, I like it. Give it a try. Honestly, it has a more stable interface and feel than 2012.

Pros: With a lot of work, I was able to get it installed and configured to back up my PCs and be my domain controller for home.

Cons: Installation required a lot of troubleshooting. Several times during installation it appeared to hang. I search Google and found that I needed to start different services throughout the installation to get the installation to continue.
I've spent months trying to get the VPN connection and remote desktop through the web interface working. It's still not working. Both seem simple to install and configure but neither are working.
When I get these functions working, I'm going to tackle the WSUS functionality.

Overall Review: I did a clean installation after running Windows Server 2012 Essentials for a couple of years. I was able to get this server working fairly easily with VPN and remote desktop through the web interface fairly easily.
I may need to find a spare hard drive to reinstall 2016 to in order to configure VPN and get it working. Maybe I have a corrupt installation.

Pros: Works jus like server 2012
GUI setup easy

Cons: No cons for anyone with some knowledge of windows server

Overall Review: I would recommend their Windows Server for anyone who needs more security for their fles in a shared enviroment to grant access to specific files to users.

Pros: -Setup was pretty easy
- Server 2016
-Solid, no hiccups
-Easy to attach other devices to the Domain.
-Works great as a host for other programs.

Cons: -Cost if want a MS server since they killed the Windows Home Server Line. But, you get more features.

Overall Review: With support for WHS2011 ending and wanting to stick with a MS server solution, this is the best bet. Meets all my home network backup and media needs. Final got to play around with active domain since it's required, but it wasn't to hard to set up.

Pros: Installation process was easy and quick. This version seems really stable and responsive. Includes 25 User CALS

Cons: None.
-Only thing is it has to be the first version installed to create the domain and it limits you to 25 Users in your domain.

Overall Review: Installed this for a client with a small office, 10 users. They were using a desktop computer as a share/file server. This was the solution they needed to stabilize and secure their network.
Supermicro Mini Server X7SPA-H, 8GB RAM, ASUS U3S6 SATA3/USB3 Card. 2x 2TB WD RED