One massive reply to lots of prior posts from an author
1. To "What did HP give you?"
I observe that while there may be cost parity, there is by no means funtional parity. Having now worked with all three versions of the MSS hardware and software, as well as unadorned WHS implementations, I believe that--as I stated in the story--the HP software has sufficient value and capability to warrant buying it if what it does interests you. Feel free to think and act otherwise: I was just trying to be completely transparent about what conclusion I reached and why, not simply to act as a shill for HP, but also to help you conclude otherwise if you so chose. As for the DIY hardware configurations chosen, you are correct that hot-swapping may not be necessary for many buyers, but I figured it would be nice to include a configuration that matched that capability (which HP also supports) to permit more equal comparison.
--Ed--
2. To ReadMyMind
Glad to see that what I worked through (and also did myself, with numerous replacement CPU) works for somebody else in practice as well as in theory. When the MSS 3.0 software becomes available for the EX47* and EX48* models in February, I'll be eager to see if my BE-2350 dual core CPU offers more and better performance once I'm able to take advantage of advanced transcoding and media streaming capabilities.
3. To GilaHacker
Improved transcoding and ripping performance are the biggest advantages that using multicore CPUs on the MSS provide. Some people even tried a quad core model and a dual-core Xeon server model on the EX48* and EX49* models and observed some pretty nice performance boosts for that kind of workload. I wish I could find a set of standard benchmarks that addressed that sort of thing more directly: NASPT doesn't really seem to do this justice. Maybe we should make something up?
Thanks,
--Ed--
4. To IAmTheGasman
You are absolutely on-target, and probably represent the very center of HP's target demographic in offering the MSS to the marketplace. With each new version they've done a better job of making things work without too much muss or fuss. I can't wait to see if the new software for the older units provides a "backward port" for those funcitonality improvements that came later rather than sooner.
--Ed--
5. To JonathanDeane:
Keep your eyes peeled at Amazon, NewEgg, and even eBay for older discounted (new or refurbished) units. I've seen plenty of EX47* models for under $300 now, which can be made pretty capable for under $60 (cost of a low-end, low-power dual core proc and a 2 GB DDR2-533 or better RAM stick). You can get your curiosity satisfied for a relatively modest sum, if you so choose. You'll find some great enthusiast sites out there, too (the best of which I cite in the story, with many others out there as well).
HTH,
--Ed--
6. To EsotericJester
At the time I wrote the story (about two weeks ago) that was the price from Amazon, believe it or not. I just went back to look there again, and the price is currently at $629.99. I have to guess these promotions will come and go, so timing (and luck) do play a role. You can still pick up the EX490 for $492 at Amazon, and pay $60 to replace the Celeron 440 with a Pentium E5200, and beat the other price by $70! That's probably what I would do, if I couldn't do even better on a refurb unit from HP itself.
HTH,
--Ed--
7. To Lucious
Thanks for pointing out the "recycled WHS" scenario, which I mentioned only in passing at the end of the DIY section of the story. I'm glad you took that route and still agree the MSS is worth it. Independent verification is always nice! Thanks again,
--Ed--
8. To Huron
Inveterate DIYers will always want to take the route you describe in your posting. If you are willing to cobble together all the bits and pieces that HP integrates for you, you will probably enjoy your home-built WHS environment as much as most MSS owners enjoy their home servers (me included). More power to you!
Best wishes,
--Ed--
9. To JasperJones
If you have the time and energy to pull the many various pieces and parts together to create an alternate Linux-based system, go for it. As another poster observed, the pressures of job, family, and householding can sometimes limit the amount of tinkering that certain technophiles can exert in building a perfect beast. If you have more time than money, and can find your way around the many terrific Linux distros and add-ons (I'm pretty fond of MythTV myself) it will be a cheaper and more powerful solution. But it will also take more time to put together and to maintain, so that's a tradeoff individual buyers can make when they choose what's right for them. I was just trying to observe what made the HP interesting and potentially compelling, rather than trying to exhort any and all readers to do things in one particular way, or to tout the MSS as a "one platform fits all needs" kind of solution. I wasn't and it's not!
Thanks for helping to drive that point home. Ditto to ChesterMan as well.
Best,
--Ed--
10. To RadaRay58
You are absolutely correct, and that's why I tried to provide a complete list of what formats and capabilities were supported. Lots of others have made the same choices as you, and I can definitely respect that. I've become fond of a UK package called AnyDVD that lets me bridge such gaps more or less at will, but also at some cost (for the software, and then for the time required for transcoding).
--Ed--
11. To Ossie and Cdillon:
The MSS will never compete with real fault-tolerant NAS or SAN boxes, nor was it meant to do so. It offers modest replication that can be combined with backup to ensure continued access to files in the event of a drive or device failure, but not without some effort. That said, I've been able to regain access to files within an hour or two any time I've provoked or accidentally caused an MSS failure of some kind. For me as a home user, that's entirely acceptable.
--Ed--
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