Monday Update for April 27th, 2009 Thoughts and opinions on the recent HP Update
Last week was a little crazy for the HP MediaSmart world. I had a follow up planned for Podcast 41 (HP owners speak up about the HP MediaSmart Server 2.5 update), but I don’t think I can state it any better than how Alex Kuretz of MediaSmartServer.net has stated the situation. In his article, Alex goes over the past updates that HP has provided to MSS owners as well as some of the issues with WHS and the MSS server throughout those update releases. Please take some time to read this well written history of events with the HP MSS.
I stated in Podcast 41 that I would provide you some additional material to show you the CPU comparison I was speaking about. Here are those graphics as promised.
Here you will see the comparison of the HP MediaSMartServer EX470 processor to the newer EX485. I have put a red line on the edges to hi-light the two but it’s a bit difficult to spot them in the list. To make it easier, the EX470 is at the bottom and the EX485 is at the top.
This next graphic shows the comparison between a popular upgrade to the EX470 and the new EX485. To get more in depth listen to Podcast 41 (HP owners speak up about the HP MediaSmart Server 2.5 update).
Now, my opinion. I believe that us early adopters(HP EX470/475 owners) enabled the newer EX485 product. I think we had a hand in making it what it is today. From the simple home user that is doing backups to the enthusiasts that are daisy chaining drives off of the back. The programmers writing Add-In code to better their servers to the defiant screwdrivers that are popping off the cases. We all had a hand in making this product better for the community.
Having said that, I don’t feel that HP really owes me additional feature updates. I’m not at all as “passionately pissed off” as WGS readers have voiced. If improvements to drivers or security issues are abound, Yes, I expect that HP would provide those to me for several years beyond the sales date but newly written feature software I do not expect for free just because I purchased an older version of the hardware.
I also feel that early adopters of Windows Home Server enabled Microsoft’s PP1 and PP2 updates and fixes. We purchased and tested Windows Home Server until it came into it’s popularity as the “Worlds 1st Stay at Home Server.” We stuck with the product and offered to make it better. Inevitably Microsoft will introduce a new version of WHS but I don’t expect them to give me a copy for free. I would like the ability to upgrade however.
Here is what I think any reasonable person would expect. Give me choices. Allow me to upgrade. I don’t need the 2.5 update to my MediaSmart Server but If I were able to purchase it and add it at my discretion I would no doubt already done so. I also expect a little bit more feedback from HP on why the update is not available to my hardware. There is a statement that was released to WGS and I think it just rubbed everyone the wrong way. There were many lines stating how they listen to you, appreciate you, and please keep giving them feedback. Then there is the two sentences in the middle that say, tough, you can’t have it. I think they could have done a better job at explaining the issues. This is a tough crowd HP. Enthusiasts, early adopters, hackers, and a few home users as well. You didn’t come off very well in your explanation. Also, that statement came from who?
So in conclusion 470 owners, I think an update like this was inevitable but unfortunately for HP’s sake, mishandled. I think it’s too late but I’ll leave it up to you to comment. If HP had released the update for a small fee would you have been equally as mad? I think there are many out there that would have. It’s hard to look back after it’s already happened and give a true opinion.
I certainly hope we can move on now. If not, please leave a comment on this post. Your free to leave your opinion whether you agree or disagree with me. I gave you mine, now tell me yours.
Dave
homeservershow.com
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Category: Windows Home Server
First, I do not own a HP MediaSmart Server. I've listened to the podcast and see some blog post about the new capabilities introduced for the latest HW version. I have no way of knowing for sure, but I doubt the lack of release to earlier HW versions has anything to do with money. If HP has done the testing and seen that the old HW simply cannot run the video encoding they probably done wisely in not releasing it to the 1st generation media servers.
If they had released the update and if it would have made the old HW perform really poorly then users would have complained about that. Even worse if the released the SW to the 1st generation, charged for it, and the SW then runs poorly on the server then people would have been even more angry.