It’s official, no more Windows Home Server editions.
Microsoft’s new Windows Server 2012 Essentials frequently asked questions (FAQ) document has Microsoft’s statement:
Q: Will there be a next version of Windows Home Server?
A: No. Windows Home Server has seen its greatest success in small office/home office (SOHO) environments and among the technology enthusiast community. For this reason, Microsoft is combining the features that were previously only found in Windows Home Server, such as support for DLNA-compliant devices and media streaming, into Windows Server 2012 Essentials and focusing our efforts into making Windows Server 2012 Essentials the ideal first server operating system for both small business and home use—offering an intuitive administration experience, elastic and resilient storage features with Storage Spaces, and robust data protection for the server and client computers.
So, what does that leave us? Windows Server 2012 Essentials. The cost for the Essentials software is $425 compared to $49 for the Home Server software.
I am almost tempted to download the BETA of Windows Server 2012 Essentials just to check it out, or not.
August 1, 2012 at 11:41 am
Amahi. Has drive pooling which MS took out of WHS awhile ago.