Just had a tip from reader Toby Hughes, who has been doing a little digging in the Windows 7 RC system files. One of the files in question, “setup.cfg” in the Windows/System32/oobe folder lists all of the various Windows SKUs, including four very interesting SKUs for Windows Home Server owners:
- x86ServerHomeStandard
- x86ServerHomePremium
- x64ServerHomeStandard
- x64ServerHomePremium
Here’s a picture of the file in Notepad:
Looks like we have confirmation that two different SKUs of the next version of Windows Home Server (codenamed “Vail”) are indeed planned. This backs up a post made by the Windows Home Server Team last year on their blog (see our coverage and reader comments on the post).
Interesting that both x86 and x64 SKUs are mentioned, given an assumption that Vail will be on the Windows 7 Server codebase (and therefore 64-bit only). Perhaps this refers to an x86 (32-bit) connector, rather than the server itself?
So, the next obvious question, what will be in the Standard product and what will be in Premium? Let’s have some fun – what are your thoughts?
31. May 2009 at 11:43 am
More importantly, wiill current users have an upgrade path. As a user of a MediaSmart Server I'd like to know if HP will be selling a new image disk or am I going to have to splash the cash and buy a new server?.
31. May 2009 at 12:31 pm
I'm going to take a punt that offering x86 and x64 editions means the next version of Home 'Server' will be based off the the client OS and pitched as your central digital data manager that belongs in your living room, connected to your largest TV.
Making Home Server a specialsed client SKU would make merging Media Centre and Home Server actually possible. Also, off the top of my head I can't think of any real server-only features 'Home Server relies on. Maybe won't be able to run the latest new version of IIS, and max number of remote file access connections would have to be tweaked upwards.
31. May 2009 at 12:51 pm
I dont think that V1 users will be update to V2, not sure why, but I just have that feeling.
As for premium and standard, I assume standard is what we have now, while premium may have the ability for more users and/or more computers, possibly aimed at a slightly larger private business crowd that is slightly too big for WHS (say 12-14 computers), but a little too small for a SBS setup.
31. May 2009 at 12:53 pm
I agree with Terry with the mentioned X86 and x64 SKUs being in reference to connectors, I see the standard and premium versions offering different amounts of clients, and maybe pre installed plugins or exclusive plugins? available in the Premium version.
31. May 2009 at 1:18 pm
i think the difference between the two will be tuner support.
Ben Drawbaugh said on the last Engadged HD podcast, an 'insider' confirmed to him that there will be tuner support in Vail. he also wrote a very interesting article on this last week.
the standard version will probably be the same as now, but more evolved and with some new features.
i hope we'll know soon enough, there is that MS podcast on friday, no?
31. May 2009 at 2:03 pm
I really hope they offer an upgrade to the new OS through the HP Models. I think as a community, if we communicate to HP that we want this, it may happen.
I think a huge enchancement will be adding the Windows 7 MC/WMP into the server software itself. If they do this, so many possibilities! I can think of one off the top, which would be the "play to" function where you could use the console to control each Win 7 HTPC without having to use 3rd party software.
I'm looking forward to this!
31. May 2009 at 7:11 pm
umm 2 SKUs for Windows Home Server too? Please no! Any house hold who uses Home Server already is advanced/ has advanced users enough!
31. May 2009 at 7:34 pm
I'm not a big fan of different versions of OS:s (Apple FTW!) because it always feels like you are missing out if you go for the more basic one. That said, I can see where it can make sense for WHS. The thing is that I think that the premium one, if it exists, will be the equivalent to the version we see today. The basic one will most likely have restrictions instead. I'm thinking a limited number of computors that can be backed up, no *.homeserver.com registration, limited transcoding or a restriction on the homegroup size and things along those lines.
31. May 2009 at 7:47 pm
I wouldn't mind seeing a Premium version that comes pre-packaged with Sharepoint and Exchange for home use.
1. June 2009 at 5:33 pm
Given the lesson of MSFT History, Standard will be a useless POS and Premium will be overpriced. Continuing this caste system is going to kill W7 and Vail. Hopefully, the US DOJ and the EU will finally bust MSFT
1. June 2009 at 6:41 pm
If Vail is in development now then I doubt it will be based on Windows “7″ Server (aka Windows Server 2008 R2). With R2 server going through so many builds (internally) the platform would simply not be stable enough to build a code base for WHS from.
If Vail is based on the current 2008 server code base then it could come in x86 and x64 variations. Given that WHS is primarily intended to be a OEM platform then I don’t think Microsoft will have any problems telling them to put x64 machines together. Driver support will be much tighter on the x64 platform (as it is today) and will greatly increase the stability of a tuner-enabled version that will live up to the reliability expectations we have from other commerical PVR products. System builders like us will just have to move to x64 if necessary. Apart from us, I don’t think too many “ordinary” customers have gone the route of re-using old hardware.
I sincerely hope that the Premium edition is characterised as being a Windows Media Center enabled version. That coupled with work we’ve seen prototyped around Live Mesh and maybe even Internet streaming (i.e. Web Guide) would potentially offer a good opportunity to market WHS as both a backup and/or media solution according to the version you buy for your OEM WHS. I think this offering will bring new players to the WHS market (Dell XPS WHS? or even Sony to convert their hockey-puck to be a WHS).
I really can’t seen any justification for a Premium version of WHS unless it takes the level of functionality (& price) up a notch. Mind you, I thought that about Vista Ultimate.
1. June 2009 at 6:54 pm
Ok, I take the x64 only comment back. That’s silly. Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 share a common code base. The only reason “7″ Server is x64 only is because that is the direction of all Microsoft server products (Exchange, SharePoint, SQL) so a 32-bit version of Windows Server 2008 R2, while technically possible, has no place in the enterprise server market for Microsoft.
They could, however, use the x86 code base for WHS. That said, just because there is an entry in this file does not mean there will be a product (e.g. x86.ServerDatacenterV – 32 bit Datacenter Edition with Hyper-V…. er, no, I don’t think so).
I still think Vail will be x64 only irrespective of whether it would be technically possible to release it as x86.
3. June 2009 at 4:02 am
Let’s hope that this isn’t just an excuse for MS to screw more cash out of us! I assume it will use the Windows 7 Server 2008 code base, and it would make sense to switch to 64-bit only.
I’d like to see the “standard” version containing pretty much what WHS does today, perhaps with the inclusion of Live Mesh, and a couple of more network orientated features. Some kind of enhanced Server-backup is also essential, the most secure would involve using a more capacious version of Live Mesh to provide continuous backup to the interweb. For Anti-Trust reasons, MS would probably have to partner with other companies to provide the storage for this. Of course were this to be implemented it makes the current Remote Access parts of the system more or less redundant, as one’s data is available via Mesh at all times….
The “Premium” version should obviously be a superset of the Standard, and will hopefully be designed to provide a “One box” Media Centre supporting multiple tuners etc, and enabled to stream this content to one’s devices around the home.
I don’t see this WHS in either guise as an HTPC or PC device, but as a true “back-end” server stashed somewhere well-ventilated, where there is ample space for a decent-sized box for cooling, expansion, upgrading etc. For the Premium version, this will move the whole Media Centre\WHS game onto a more “utility” oriented level, where it operates more like plumbing – as part of the infrastructure of the home, rather than as a specific “gadget” as at present.
I’m not 100% convinced that the “extender” is dead, though I was never convinced by the hugely expensive options that have been offered to date. I suppose though that as more and more devices gain Ethernet\wireless connectivity as standard, discrete extenders become redundant. I suppose that TV’s etc will all contain sufficient processing horsepower to deal with the content streamed directly from WHS and other devices. I could NEVER countenance an XBOX in my living-room – too noisy!
31. May 2009 at 1:51 pm
I doubt very much that the podcast you refer to will mention Vail – it's focused on small business opportunities with the current Windows Home Server PP2 edition.
31. May 2009 at 2:13 pm
ok, thanks