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Microsoft's dropped feature is Linux's gain

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zridling:
Microsoft's dropped feature is Linux's gain? Not sure why Microsoft would do this, but the coding complexity of making it work might not be worth the time?
http://www.networkworld.com/community/windows-dropped-feature-linux-gains



"Companies usually spend time and money developing new and interesting features to drive upgrades, but Microsoft is taking a different approach with the 'Vail' release of Windows Home Server (WHS): It’s dropping the popular Drive Extender feature that lets users 'pool' hard drives to increase storage. In response HP is kicking WHS to the curb and using WebOS for its MediaSmart systems."

Engadget has a short report, too:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/24/windows-home-server-vail-drops-drive-extender-support-ms-sugg/

skwire:
As one of the beta-testers, and current user, of WHS, reading this announcement a few days ago really pissed me off.  The Drive Extender feature was the ONE thing that attracted me to WHS in the first place.  All the other stuff was gravy.  I'll just stick with the current version of WHS for the time being.  It's really a great product.

Stoic Joker:
Damn that does suck, I had a ball playing around with it back during the original WHS beta testing.

40hz:
Supposedly, it was primarily motivated by reliability concerns. I never encountered any serious reliability problems with WHS after they got the first batch of problems ironed out - but there ya go...

I think a large part of it is product differention. WHS is showing up in a lot of small offices where it performs admirably within it's intended range of functions. Unfortunately, Microdoft is discovering it's hard to sell a small office on the advantages of dropping semi-serious money on SBS or their stripped-down entry-level server products when you can score a tricked-out little gem like WHS for about $150. Network backups, storage media pooling, simple workable RAS, media server features, good system management tools that don't take an MS Certification to understand and use - what's not to like?

So it may be they were concerned about data/file integrity issues.  And who wouldn't with drive capacities now in excess of 2TB!? BUT... I still suspect it's at least partially motivated by the need to make WHS a little 'less good' than it currently is.

Just my tuppence anyway.   :-\

timns:
Does this mean that one day I'll auto-update my WHS and discover I've lost its most important features?  :'(

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