Home Server, amazon or another host?

[steviem]

So I have a few domains that I don't use yet and one in particular that I'd like to use for a bit of blogging.

I also want to go away from Google 'looking after' all of my email/calendaring/contacts. I have a Dell SC440 which I'm actually using as a Mac, but this is where I come to my point.

What I want is the following:

-Email, Calendar and Contact sync between my Mac, iPad and eventually iPhone or iPod Touch.
-Hosting 3 sites, one of which being more used than the others.
-To be cheap to run (either at home or if hosted, not expensive)

I have a static IP at home, so that shouldn't be too much of an issue.

One thing I just saw was this: http://www.bigoffers.co.uk/product.php?product=BAREBONE-001

Which if given 2GB RAM and a 500GB or 1TB drive would do the job pretty well, and more energy efficient than the SC440 I have (hopefully).

Although, if I'm going to be moving to America later this year or early 2011, I don't really want to be thinking about relocating my hardware. Most of my stuff will be sold apart from my iPad, the drives with data any other small electronics I can take in my bags.

Any good/cheap ideas please?

 

[satcomer]

For file sharing between devices I sure you have heard of DropBox.

For cheap web site host I would suggest SquareSpace.

Plus look at syncing applications at MacUpdate.

 

[foshizzle]

hosting your own email is more trouble than it's worth. Most hosting sites will host email for you when you sign up with them. I'd go find a reliable host for your 3 domains and let them take care of it.

That is, if you really want to get away from google. It's certainly a personal decision, but I find that, between Dropbox and Google, I can have my email/calendar/contacts and any important files synced between my mbp and iPhone with no issues and very little setup. Hosting your own mail/contacts/calendar server or even having it hosted for you will probably add quite a bit of headache if you don't know exactly what you're doing.

Either way, stay away from hosting something at your house. Especially if you're moving in 6 months.

 

[Les Kern]

Seriously consider heeding the advice above. I third it.

 

[steviem]

Ok, squarespace looks good for the web hosting. Does anyone have good email/calendar/contact hosting?

 

[dmmcintyre3]

Google Apps will work, it's free. (standard edition that is)

 

[timbos]

Ok, squarespace looks good for the web hosting. Does anyone have good email/calendar/contact hosting?

If you've got a VPS, Davical is a calendar hosting solution that you can install yourself. I'm syncing my iPhone, iCal and Mozilla Calendars with it rather nicely.