No Drive Extender? No HP MediaSmart!

[Hooch Tan]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/01/hp-dropping-windows-home-server-to-focus-on-webos-wont-be-hitt/' target='_blank'>http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/01/...s-wont-be-hitt/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"More bad news for fans of little Windows servers for home. HP, makers of the MediaSmart boxes that defined the first release of Windows Home Server, has confirmed that it is canceling plans to support the next major release of the OS, codenamed Vail."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1291229221.usr20447.jpg" style="border: 0px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>I can hardly say that I am surprised that HP is pulling out of the Windows Home Server market.&nbsp; Whether the removal of Drive Extender support in Vail is a good move or not, the negative buzz across the Internet makes it seem like no one is going to buy a server based on Vail.&nbsp; I do admit that Microsoft's decision has affected me and am already looking at alternatives to Windows Home Server and Drive Extender for my next NAS solution.&nbsp; Maybe Microsoft is right and with multi-terrabyte drives, drive pooling is not really needed anymore by the average home user.&nbsp; What I can see is that Vail no longer looks like a step above other NAS solutions and if my own needs were meager enough, cloud computing would even be enough.</p>

[Sven Johannsen]

Yea, this is bad news on top of bad news. Don't know if the MS announcement about dropping Drive Extender figured into this, but it certainly kills some of the differentiation a WHS has over other offerings. There was some slight indication that Balmer was going to see what was up based on someone's direct communique and the uproar. Hope that gets some traction. The tech is great for home users, even if not scalable to the enterprise.

I have been runing WHS for some time and absolutely love it. Have recommended to many with multi PC/Laptop households. Big plus was the simplicity. I threw mine together out of an old PC and a pile of older external USB drives. Was really considering getting an HP unit when V2 came out.

[OKCrew]

HP is not doing this because of lack of Drive Extender or other features or lack thereof in Vail. They are hitching their horses to their WebOS purchase. That is why we lost Windows 7 HP slate as well.

I don't blame MS for this. I blame HP and believe it is a wrong course. I have a Windows 7 HP tablet and a HP MediaSmart WHS. I would have bought an HP Windows 7 slate and would have upgraded to a Vail MediaSmart.

[Sven Johannsen]

HP is not doing this because of lack of Drive Extender or other features or lack thereof in Vail. They are hitching their horses to their WebOS purchase. That is why we lost Windows 7 HP slate as well.
Strange thought, since there isn't anything in WebOS that files this niche, uless you are just thinking they are re-aligning priorities.

The Windows 7 HP Slate isn't quite dead BTW. Get your credit card out. HP Slate 500 Tablet PC overview - HP Small & Medium Business products (http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF05a/321957-321957-64295-3841267-3955550-4332585.html?jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN)
And orders are being filled, though slowly. The scuttlebutt was it was shifted to the small business group, they planned a run of 5000, and got orders for 9000 when it went on-line. Maybe they will figure out there is a demand.

[OKCrew]

Credit to Alex Kuretz at MediaSmartServer.net...

Allen Buckner the Marketing Manager for the HP Home Server Group says "With the recent acquisition of Palm, HP’s Personal Systems Group is transferring the MediaSmart Server team to the Palm Global Business Unit to help with future development of the webOS."