WHS Rocks Berlin: New Partners, New Systems, New Pics!

Berlin’s IFA is the world’s largest consumer electronics exhibition. Bigger than CES, bigger than CeBIT and this year it’s where the Windows Home Server roadshow kicks into gear. (To Charlie’s comment re: German football, at this point I should confess that I was at Wembley last week to see the Germans beat England 2-1. Gutted is not the word. But having been at the World Cup over in Germany last summer, I can say it’s a brilliant country in which to watch football. Watch out though for the Weissbier, it’s lethal )

Microsoft today offered a press preview of several of the new Windows Home Server systems hitting the market later this year, and I’m delighted to say, we had a couple of friends of the site there who have provided some great photos of the new hardware.

Whilst we were expecting to see the Fujitsu-Siemens Scaleo Home Server and HP MediaSmart systems on display, along with a debut showing of Medion’s Home Server, I was surprised to see a couple of new partners show off their systems at the event.

The photos you’re about to see have come from Sebastian Kuback from winfuture.de – they have a full photo gallery, as well as videos from the event which are well worth checking out. You can brush up on your German whilst you’re there too (hint: Google Translate is your friend). Thanks to Sebastian for sending these images over for us.

Okay, let’s check out what was on show.

First up we have a now old-friend on display, the Fujitsu-Siemens Scaleo Home Server, shown out in the wild for the first time and looking a little beefier in the metal than the press shots convey, but still a fine looking piece of kit. To its left is the new Medion Home Server, and to its right, a pretty out-there white and orange number from WHS newcomer MaxData

. More on those two later…

New Info on the Fujitsu-Siemens Scaleo Home Server

A little more information was released on the Scaleo Home Server in advance of a full press release during IFA.

Two variants will be offered at launch, the Scaleo Home Server 1900, which is a 1Tb system, configured with 2x 500Gb internal drives, and the Scaleo Home Server 1500 which will be a 500Gb system with just one internal drive. Other information released:

The Scaleo Home Server will be available in November 2007. Pricing is yet to be announced.

Medion Home Server

Medion will be releasing no less than seven variants of the Medion Home Server, from October 2007 through to the end of 2008, with a variety of models utilising both basic and premium Intel and AMD processors. Kicking off at launch will be the Medion 90110 MD Home Server with “premium” and “basic” AMD processors, followed by a suite of model updates throughout the next 12 months, as the roadmap below shows. The Intel based Medion 90111 MD Home Server with a “premium” Intel processor will follow on in Q1 2008.

So what do we know about the Medion Home Server, then?

MaxData o.Center

Out of the blue, or rather orange, comes the MaxData o.Center, a brand new entrant to the world of Windows Home Server. Details on this one are a little sketchy, but as you can see it ustilises a hinge front like the Medion Home Server, has 4 internal hard drive bays (which increasingly seems to becoming the norm for larger home servers) and, well, is white and orange. It worked for the iMac a few years ago, so maybe it’ll work for MaxData. This one is also slated for October 200, at least in Germany, if nowhere else. We’ll find out more on this and let you know.

HP MediaSmart Server – Now Shipping January 2008 in Europe

The HP MediaSmart Server was of course on show at the launch, and whilst it’s still the darling of the home server hardware scene, it appears that it won’t be launched in Europe until January 2008, so if it’s on your Xmas list, then you better take it off, Europe. Compared to it’s competitors on showe, it looks very dinky indeed, especially compared to this (apparently unapproved) system from Leo shown in the picture to its right. Interestingly, this unit is branded the HP MediaSmart Server Premier so I’m guessing the EX475 with 1Tb storage may get this descriptor.

The Leo unit is available from November 2007.

So, that’s it from the Windows Home Server press preview at IFA in Berlin. Do check out Winfuture’s pics and videos of the Fujitsu-Siemens systems, and thanks once again to Sebastian for the heads up.