11.25.10
Thanking Microsoft for Another Product Cut
Summary: Windows Home Server keeps having features stripped off and its very existence — let alone poor performance — becomes suppressed or marginalised (GNU/Linux reigns this segment)
TECHRIGHTS no longer tracks Microsoft as closely as it used to. With around 60 dead products (probably more by now), it is clear that Microsoft’s days as a technology company are coming to an end; as a patent agitator Microsoft would not win, either.
It only seemed reasonable to post a quick update about a Microsoft candidate for deletion (bad market performer [1, 2]). That would be Windows Home Server, whose “major feature” predictably “Fails even before launch”:
SOFTWARE DEVELOPER Microsoft has managed to do a good job of all but destroying Windows Home Server (WHS) by removing one of its main features.
The Vole announced its impending removal of the drive extender feature from the upcoming version of WHS, codenamed Vail. This has led to widespread condemnation from current users, as drive extender was one of those rare things from Microsoft, a feature that was not really a bug.
Drive extender allows users to plug in additional hard drives with WHS automatically expanding a logical disk volume to make use of the new drive. This in itself isn’t exactly cutting edge technology but it worked well and for many users it offered an easy way to expand storage capacity. Well not any longer, thanks to Microsoft’s bewildering and ultimately incorrect analysis of customer feedback.
Here is the corresponding message from Microsoft. It’s worth remembering that it’s not the first “major feature” of Windows Home Server that gets axed. It might not take long before the whole product meets the cliff because Linux competition is more reliable, affordable, and often boasts more features. Microsoft should have never entered this area. It no longer spends much money marketing Windows Home Server. Like a cornered animal it just clings onto attacking its rivals (or trying to buy their means of attack). █
twitter said,
November 25, 2010 at 5:51 pm
LVM is great but it would not be so wonderful if it were automatic. I wonder if M$ can manage either in any of their software.
The Mad Hatter said,
November 28, 2010 at 12:17 pm
I know several all-Windows families that bought Apple’s Time Capsule to use as a home server/router. In North America at least, the price is competitive, and it’s easy to setup. And that’s what Microsoft is competing against on the low end, which is why Drive Extender was so important to Home Server, because it allowed them to compete on a slightly higher level.
However it seems that Microsoft is incapable of making good decisions. Wonder if I was right about when they’ll hit Chapter 11?
Dr. Roy Schestowitz Reply:
November 28th, 2010 at 12:26 pm
They have just spent a lot of money buying many patents rather than buying software/companies (Microsoft has not acquired any major company in a very long time, maybe since that Bing-related acquisition).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerset_%28company%29
The Mad Hatter Reply:
November 28th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
Let’s face it. If you hear Microsoft is interested in your company, the price automatically triples, because you know there’s lot of others would be interested too.
And of course, who wants to be purchased by a pack of incompetents? That’s the reputation they have now.
Dr. Roy Schestowitz Reply:
November 28th, 2010 at 3:27 pm
They don’t buy companies now, Google does.