Oh dearie me, Microsoft has just unleashed the Release Candidate of Windows Home Server 2011 upon the world. And as they had promised, they have surgically removed the one unique selling point that WHS version 1 had – the drive extender technology.
Frankly, this confirms to me that Microsoft has totally lost the plot when it comes to crafting consumer technology that ordinary people – as opposed to IT experts – actually feel comfortable about having.
They are, of course, putting their spin on how WHS 2011 will be wonderful, but it all has the air of them trying to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, and failing miserably. Take, for example, this YouTube video that they put up to show us how to manage our storage in WHS 2011. With WHS version 1, when your storage was getting full, you could just add another drive and carry on. Now, as this video painfully points out, you have to worry about whether you need to move your folders around to rebalance your storage across your discs.
Hello, Microsoft, wake up – Mr or Ms average consumer doesn’t want to think like an IT support person.
I, for one, will be carrying on with WHS version 1 for as long as I possibly can. WHS 2011, with the removal of Drive Extender, has nothing to offer.
Geoff Coupe's Blog 
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