HP MediaSmart Delay: Improvements to Initial WHS Setup, Remote Access Configuration, Firewall Conflicts and Help Files

Over the past two days there have been a number of reports about HP delaying release of their HP MediaSmart Servers due to enhancements that are currently being worked on at Microsoft, to make the product more “user-friendly”.

Delaying a hardware release for a few months is a pretty big decision, and I was initially concerned that MS had uncovered a pretty huge showstopping bug. So I got in touch with Microsoft’s press people, to see if they could clarify what was being worked on. They gave me the following statement:

The MediaSmart Server enhancements will focus on improving the user experience during initial setup of the home server.

HP and Microsoft agree that it is in the best interest of potential customers to include these updates at time of launch and are focusing on usability enhancements to improve the initial out-of-box experience. Specific areas we’re addressing include improvements to remote access configuration, reducing firewall conflicts and more meaningful instructions and help throughout the setup process.

So, there you go – it looks like we’ll see some improvements to the initial setup wizard, some help with setting up your router for remote access, plus more detailed help files.

Given the beta is now over, I’d be very surprised to see these updates released outside Microsoft before they hit Windows Update in a few weeks time. For those purchasing new OEM systems, however, the updates should make for an even smoother ride through the first few days with Windows Home Server.