We Got Served

APC reports on an interview with Joel Sider (Senior Program Manager for Windows Home Server). In the course of the interview, Joel reveals:

1. Microsoft are considering an OEM release of the Windows Home Server software.

“There’s no absolute final confirmation on that” cautions Sider, “but it’s fair to say that we think it’s the right approach to make it available to that enthusiast audience, to the do-it-yourselfers, so we’re just fine-tuning that decision and working out how to do that, and hopefully we’ll have confirmation on that soon.”

2. A new, widespread beta build will be released before RTM (Release to Manufacturing).

While Windows Home Server has already hit Beta 2, Sider flagged that there’d “certainly be at least one more test version, either a beta or a release candidate. That test version will be even more publicly available and widely distributed (than the current Beta 2 edition), and then we’ll RTM”.


3. Microsoft will shortly be releasing a Software Development Kit (SDK) to allow third-party developers to create new applications for WHS.

“One of the exciting things about home server is that it’s Windows Server, it’s an application platform, so we’re expecting to see a lot of third-party applications” says Sider. “When we release the SDK and post the documentation on MSDN we’ll be giving developers the means to start building Windows Home Server applications.

“This could include centralised family schedule management, or maybe some syncing capabilities so as you record your favourite TV shows on your media centre they’re automatically going onto Home Server in a very easy hands-off way. You could also think about webcams and security applications”.


4. More hardware manufacturers will be coming on board shortly with support for WHS.

“There are no names I can reveal today but those you would guess are probably on the shortlist”

APC make the assumption that Joel is referring to manufacturers such as Dell and Acer.

Whilst nothing has been confirmed, an OEM release would be a very wise move to support the enthusiast community. Thousands of people on the Beta have already self-installed the software on homebrew machines, so there’s already a desire (and a widespread user-base) for an OEM release.

Windows Media Center received a huge boost in sales when Microsoft agreed to release an OEM version in 2005 (previously, WMC was only available on a new PC due to exacting hardware requirements). Whilst self-installing WMC was sometimes a pretty laborious process, with the OS and then multiple drivers to install (I’ve been a WMC beta tester since Harmony - Media Center 2004 so had to reinstall a couple of times a month during the beta), Windows Home Server is far easier, so shouldn’t cause concern for most self-installers, or indeed those new to building their own system.

It’s great to see Microsoft (hopefully) thinking about the enthusiast community - fingers crossed they confirm an OEM release soon.