MS Windows Home Server

When can I get a copy of WHS – Suppliers keep giving us different dates of release?

Todd Headrick part of the Windows Home Server Team has the answer:

With a version 1 product in a new product category, it takes awhile for System Builders to get it on their radar and order the product. Once an order is placed through a distributor, then the distributor has to get the part number in their systems and place an order with an Authorized Replicator (AR), the discs get manufactured by an Authorized Disk Duplicator. And the manuals get printed by yet another company.

In smaller countries, these companies may be one in the same or in very close proximity to one another. In larger geographies, there are many companies involved and there is transit time. The manuals get printed in Canada, the disks get built in Mexico and the whole assembly is put together in Puerto Rico. And getting back to the first point, it all starts by a System Builder placing an order.

After a new product gets added to everybody’s systems, then new releases and versions are easy (and quicker) to deal with.

Some companies also put the information on their web sites to start taking pre-orders. Other companies set-up the pages and track the number of times the web page is viewed to determine interest. Some system builders don’t like to carry any inventory and will only order from their distributor when they get 10 orders in their system.

So Microsoft is doing nothing to delay the shipments, it is down to the way the OEM chain operates and some distributor’s in some countries are getting them out quicker (or not) than others.

Will the September 2007 Updates be Included in OEM copies?

Contributor haole over on the WHS forums asked if the new updates scheduled for this month (September, 2007) would be included in the OEM copies or will they have to be downloaded separately?

WHS Product planner Todd Headrick replied stating that:

New media will be slip-streamed into future System Builder packages as part of the manufacturing process. Existing customers will get the updates delivered via Windows Update.  The current plan is to have the updates available as part of the September Windows Update.  If someone buys an “older” version in the channel, the updates will get applied during the initial installation of the Windows Home Server software from the Windows Update site.

Thanks for the info Todd, so for your reference future OEM copies will have the updates incorporated into the CD/DVD.

Also the updates are some additional text strings, a little updated UI (Remote Access config, User Accounts), and some more help files. The updates are really more in the realm of “feature pack” rather than “service pack”.

WHS Team will need Testers

Last week we informed you that the WHS Connect site was allowing feedback again and to keep your suggestions and ideas coming. WHS product manager Todd Headrick has added that all the existing suggestions have been analyzed and incorporated into a large “wish list” for future versions of Home Server. The Windows Home Server team will be getting together for a 2-day offsite next week to work through these lists feature area by feature area to get a first cut at prioritizing a list of features. Remember that you do not need to re-enter your suggestions on the connect site – however, the team will keep track of the vote counts on the existing ones.

He also added that these lists would then be tested via quantitative customer research of both existing home server users and people that do not yet have a home server, but do have a broadband connection and 2 or more active home computers.

So it looks like we could have the privilege of testing these listed items quite soon.