Microsoft have just published an article on their TechNet site on how to use Windows Home Server to backup your clients on a Small Business Server (SBS) 2008 network.
You can read it here.
New Version of AutoExit Add-In for Windows Home Server
Nick Asseloos has been in touch to let us know that he has released a new version of AutoExit, that great add-in for Windows Home Server.
This version includes:
Shut down your machines over the Windows Home Server network.
It can be used to shut down, reboot machines in your home network from within the console. Wake On Lan is also supported, this enables you to easily boot up machines remotely.
You can put the machine into hibernation, sleep, log off the user or lock the machine.
The server can also be shut down from the toolbar now.
You can execute these actions per machine or for all machines.
Changes in AutoExit 2009 (minor update):
– Wake On Lan all clients.
– Send a message to all connected clients.
– Warn users when the server is going down.
– Support for Windows 7.
– Possibility to the Wake On Lan port to send to.
– Possibility to enable easy logging on the client side.
– Mac-address of the server is retrieved when opening the diagnostic dialog and the Mac field being empty.
– When downloading an update, it is automatically saved to the ‘Server\Software’ or ‘Server\Logiciel’ folder, if none of these exist the browse directory dialog is shown.
– Fix: On some machines the actions did not work and an error 998 was displayed, this has been fixed.
– Fix: Fixed issue that settings in Vista/Windows 7 weren’t read correctly and made the AutoWOL Server function not work.
– Fix: Now when a client comes out of sleep, a WOL packet is sent to the server if enabled.
– Fix: Small improvement to the update dialog to show the product name.
– Fix: When using hibernate/sleep, the machine sometimes couldn’t be enabled again.
– Fix: Detects if Remote Desktop is enabled on a Home Edition.
– And some other minor adjustments.
For more information, including how to download AutoExit, click here.
Review of VMCMOTE
This is my first review for UsingWindowsHomeServer.com and I thought I would start by reviewing a Remote Control Media Center App called VMCMOTE. Yes, I did say App so that means that this review is more for the owners of the Iphone or Itouch who own Vista Media Center running 32 bit, it will not work with the 64 bit version. VMCMOTE has two functions, the first is being able to access your media center music library and play any album, song or playlist instead of using a Media Center remote, let’s be clear, this does not stream music to your Iphone/Itouch but remotely controls your media center. After synching VMCMOTE to your music library you can easily scroll through your library searching by Album, Artist, Genre or custom search. Once you choose your music to play the album art and info and timeline will be displayed as well as some basic functions like play and pause. You also have the capability to add more songs to a queue or create and play a playlist and view your queue. Keep in mind that this is all done over your wireless network so line of site is not an issue. The second function in VMCMOTE is a remote touchpad that replaces the clunky media center remote and has all the normal functions as well as a keyboard. A couple things I would like to see is have the Iphone/Itouch be able to act like a gyration remote using the built in accelerometer, a volume control on the now playing screen, also the remote function does not work with the Netflix app.
VMCMOTE comes in two flavors, the lite version (demo version) is free and is limited to synching only 100 tracks from your library and the remote does not include some functions. The full version is $7.99/5,99€, while this might seem a little pricey for a web app just think of what it would cost you for a touch screen remote that has this type of functionality? I went ahead and bought the full version, one so that I could do a full review and two because I like the idea of not having to buy a special remote to get this functionality, plus who needs another remote to add to their collection? Installation is very easy, besides downloading the app from Itunes you also have to download a media center addin from the authors website and follow the basic instructions and make sure you have .net framework 3.5 installed.
If you are interested in VMCMOTE I suggest you try the lite version first, for more info and a ton of more screenshots plus the media center addin and instructions please visit Thomas Mangel’s site at http://vmcmote.blogspot.com/.
Update: I upgraded my test Vista Media Center box to Windows 7 Media Center (RTM, 32 bit) today and VMCMOTE works perfect with it.
Geo Webb
ITunes Links:
Review of the Asus Eee PC 1005HA Netbook
As we have stated previously, Netbooks are currently all the rage. They are small, light, cheap, and are great for taking everywhere with you if you only want to do certain tasks – such as surfing the Internet, sending email, etc.
Asus are probably the biggest supplier of Netbooks on the market – it seems every time you turn around, they have another new one out there – which I suppose from a consumer perspective isn’t necessarily a bad thing!
This particular Netbook, the Eee PC 1005HA, part of the new Seashell range, is one of the latest ones, sporting a 10 inch screen, an Intel 1.6GHZ ATOM N270 processor, 160GB Hard drive, Windows XP Home edition and weighing it at around 1.3KG, so it is quite light.
For those of you interested in a little more specifics:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Thoughts and Conclusion
This particular Netbook is very nice – with a whopping 350+ minutes of battery life, which is in part due to the 6-cell battery so you can really got a lot of use out if without the need to carry the power supply around (which actually is pretty small itself). Asus themselves claim you can get around 10 hours of battery life, but this will have a lot to do with what you are actually using it for,plus there are 3 different battery models for the 1005HA, so make sure you pick the one you want.
I liked using the 1005HA, in fact, I didn’t want to give it back, so you should really consider taking a look at this one if you are in the market for a Netbook. Like a lot of things, choosing this particular model will probably be more to do with personal taste than anything else, so if you can get a good deal on one, take a look today.
The retail price for the 1005HA (with the biggest battery) here in the UK is £379 (from Amazon) but look around as there are probably some deals to be had.
New Version of KeepVault Now Available
Back in May, we reviewed KeepVault 3.0 for Windows Home Server. We received this information from KeepVault yesterday that might be of interest:
We have an upgrade to KeepVault for Windows Home server. It is version 3.10. With this release we are proud to announce a sister product, KeepVault for Windows, which allows you to protect all of your PC’s to the same KeepVault storage account used by KeepVault WHS. A single storage account for all your devices at one low price. In the coming months we will be releasing KeepVault for USB (protect your files directly from your USB storage device; no software to install) and KeepVault for Mac OSX. More detail can be found on our newly designed website http://www.keepvault.com. We’re also working on a new and exciting WHS sync/archive product.
Changes from the previous KeepVault version 3.05:
· Compatibility updates to share storage with other KeepVault family products (KeepVault for windows, WHS, Mac, USB Key)
· Network retry optimization
· General bug fixes
Installing the latest version of KV for Windows Home Server:
· Uninstall your existing KeepVault via the WHS Console
· Download the latest version http://www.keepvault.com/builds/current/KeepVaultWHS.exe
· Run KeepVaultWHS.exe on any PC connected to the WHS Console (or run directly on the WHS via RDP) to extract the MSI installer file into the WHS add-in’s folder
· Launch the WHS Console and install the new KeepVault add-in from the Settings page
You can download KeepVault for Windows client here http://www.keepvault.com/builds/current/KVWinSetup.exe to install on all of your Windows-based PCs. Use the same login information you use for KeepVault WHS.
Installing the LX195 Windows Home Server on a Friday night
Today I am in the lovely city of Reno, Nevada for the Hot August Nights car show and to visit my sister with her dead Buffalo. While I am here I will be replacing that Buffalo NAS with a new $200 HP MediaSmart LX195 Windows Home Server.
Background
My sister called me last month and said the Buffalo NAS drive I had bought her was no longer accessible. She lives over 500 miles away so there was nothing I could do to help her. Knowing that I could not remotely fix this drive, I decided not only to try and retrieve the data on my next visit but to also come up with a solution for future access issues. The solution was a LX195 by HP. Since I was coming up to go to Hot August Nights in a few weeks I thought I would surprise her with the new HP LX195 and write an article about the installation.
Her main use of the Buffalo L320GL NAS was for music and PC backups, when she remembered to perform them. In all fairness, with the birth of her son last year, she really has not had the time to maintain her backup policies. In addition, two of her four Dells are wireless so using the XP Backup Utility was a pain, unreliable and did not always work across the wireless network.
Enough of the background. Everyone needs a WHS. No reason to keep justifying it. Seriously.
Lets set this pig on fire!
Equipment Needed:
- LX195 MediaSmart Server
- Six Imported Beers (provided by my sister but always optional)
- The First Five Add-Ins
- UPS Power Supply (Optional – CyberPower UPS 550VA UPS on sale at BB today)
- A copy of the Windows Home Server Users Guide to leave with her so she can get to know and love her new WHS as we all do
LX195 Description
Once out of the box the LX195 has a nice look that should fit in with any home or small office. The size is just right for her needs as she has been using a 320GB Buffalo and still has a little space left. I am so used to my Dell PowerEdge that when I see something this small I have to take a step back and appreciate the technology. If she really starts using the storage capabilities we can always add a 1TB drive later on.
Installation of the LX195
Installation of the LX195 is easy. There is a power cord with external power block and one Ethernet cable to connect. I am also adding a USB cable to connect to the UPS to the WHS. Installation complete. I press the power switch. The pig is officially on fire.
Mental note: Hope this goes fast and easily. I cannot wait to play Keno in a Casino in Reno. What’s in your wallet?
Setup and Configuration
Setup of the LX195 is simple. Put in the WHS Connector CD and let the first connected PC do its thing. You probably should not leave it unattended since your firewall program will need you to make some allowances during the set up process.
Setup took me 19 minutes from the time I plugged it in to the time I could start using the WHS console. Keep in mind I was also doing screen shots during this time so it probably was actually half that time to get it running.
Each step is self explanatory and no additional directions are needed. I will spare you the the step by step in the main body of this article and put the screen shots at the end. The HP guide and setup process is very nice. Being an OEM myself, and installing my parents EX470 long ago, the new software interface has a nice feel to it.
Mental note: Our OEM versions miss out with the customization and support that companies like HP offer with their systems. My OEM does not have the iTunes server, McAfee (TBD good or bad) or the HP Online Backup.
Installation and setup is complete and I am ready to install some Add-Ins to enhance the functionality of the HP LX195 and WHS.
The First Five Add-Ins
In my opinion you should install five core Add-Ins before you can “walk away” from any WHS installation. The Add-Ins below are just MY core installs and are listed in no particular order.
- Grid Junction
- WHS Admin Installer
- WHSBDBB
- WHS Disk Management
- Remote Notification
Download these core Add-Ins (and many more) at:
http://www.homeserverland.com/downloads/m/whsaddins/default.aspx
I have written articles on each of these Add-In so please read those posts for detailed information on each of these wonderful Add-Ins.
The Add-In installations were quick and easy. The CyberPower UPS was recognized instantly by the Grid Junction Add-In, Remote Notification was easy and just required entering the data similar to my other WHS systems and WHS Management is for future use.
Conclusion
I am very happy with this installation. I am doing the initial backups for each system as I write this article and already feel confident about the LX195 as WHS.
Mental note: I am adding a little USB powered 160GB Western Digital hard drive to the LX195 so I can copy the BDBB to an off-site location.
The HP LX195 is now watching over my sisters network and I need to get to a casino. So much for the HOT in Hot August Nights. It was a cool 66 degrees here today. I am off to watch Cruise Night in Downtown Reno so this article is officially in the books.
See you next Friday night,
Timothy Daleo
Screen Shots of the HP LX195 Setup and Connector Installation Process
and finally…
Windows 7 RTM is Live on MSDN and TechNet
If you are a subscriber to either MSDN or to TechNet then the RTM version of Windows 7 is now available for you to download.
All the versions are there, in both 32bit and 64bit were applicable.
Have fun 🙂
Preview of the Asus U80V Laptop
Asus have recently launched a new series of laptops, known as the Asus U Series. Here we take a look at one of those new laptop models, the Asus U80V laptop, which is due out soon.
When you press the power button on the laptop you get a really cool little lightshow on the keyboard track pad. Well, ok, I liked it, but I suppose eventually I would be bored with it! However when you are using the track pad in Windows the little lights track your movement, which is amusing. The track pad itself is multi touch – so you can use it to zoom in, out, etc. This sounds pretty cool, but to be honest I had a lot of problems with it and found it to be fairly unresponsive at times. Also, considering you would would to use this feature, its probably a little too small!
Also, depending on the light wherever you are using the laptop, the keyboard is backlight. Unfortunately you cant see that very well in the following two pictures, but believe me when I say it is very nice.
One of the selling points on this laptop is a feature called Express Gate V2. This features enables you to boot up the laptop in around 8 seconds or so in order to quickly gain access to applications such as Instant Messenger and Internet Explorer.
The specifications for the U80V are as follows:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The dimensions on the laptop are (in mm) : 351 x 243 x 25.4 and it weighs in around 2.15 Kg.
The laptop comes preinstalled with Windows Vista Ultimate – and below is the Windows Experience Index for it.
Thoughts and Conclusion
So at first glance this laptop looks quite sexy – its sleek, fairly light, has that cool light show on boot up, a nice backlit keyboard and has a very clear LED screen (which works well in a number of different lights) and quite a good spec. Oh, and the battery life is really good as well – around 6 hours or so in average use.
But you know what? I was quite disappointed by it. Nothing really jumped out at me when using it that made me want to use this laptop over and above anything else.
Don’t get me wrong though, it’s not horrible or anything, it’s just not amazing. Perhaps running Windows 7 would make it better? Unfortunately I didn’t have it long enough to try.
Currently there are no prices in the UK for this laptop, so if Asus really want to do well on this model they will have to come in at a really good price point.
Given a really good price, and trying it with Windows 7, it might be worth taking a good hard look at it.
Not reviewing the LX195 Windows Home Server on a Friday night
I just received my $199 LX195. The HP special last week was too good to pass up. There is not much to talk about. There is no reason to take it apart. I am not even going to review it. So why did I buy it?
I already have a home built WHS and this little LX195 was not purchased for me. I am giving it to my sister and her husband. Why? Well let me explain why you should do the same. If you are reading this article then you probably already own a Windows Home Server. Being the proud owner of a WHS you know all the benefits of having centralized storage, daily backups and remote access. My sister however, really does not care about these features. She just wants to use her existing PCs and keep some old files on a letter drive. Why buy her a WHS then? Is this not a waste or overkill?
Mental note: I have always been bewildered by some people that are serious computer professionals yet have a difficult time maintaining their own personal equipment. My mechanic has a crappy car. Is it the same thing?
Background
I bought the LX195 because my sisters Buffalo took a crap. I bet you have never heard that excuse before. Anyway…the Buffalo NAS drive I bought her two years ago stopped working three weeks ago. It goes into some safe mode, from what she tells me, but I am 547 miles away and cannot remote access to her network to try and fix it. Since I am the sole employee of Daleo Family Tech Support it is my job to get it fixed. I paid about $150 at CC a few years back and to replace it with a modern version would cost about the same today. The price is close enough to the LX195 for me to pay for the upgrade. I ordered the LX195. Sweet.
Equipment Needed:
LX195 MediaSmart Server for $219.49
Six Imported Beers (to be provided by sister)
One Dead Buffalo
Why buy the LX195 for someone who could careless about WHS?
My sister does not know, or care, about WHS. Yet. I do not expect her to care, yet. So why do this? $219.49 is a lot to pay for a gift to a sibling but it makes financial sense if you take the time to do the math. She needs the LX195. She just does not know it yet.
She is so far away I cannot service her PCs quickly so “when” a drive dies or she has system errors someone else will have to fix it. Best Buy is just down the street from her but they want $299.99 for their standard repair service.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8545988&type=product&id=1188560394765
In addition, she currently forgets to regularly backup her systems (one Dell laptop and three Dell desktops) and is just rolling the dice for future issues. When you consider the time it takes to restore a drive or fix some serious errors the HP LX195 is the only way to go. She does not need TB size drives, Windows Media Center or even Add-Ins. The WHS is a Windows supported insurance program. Seriously.
Conclusion
Not much to conclude here. The LX195 showed up as ordered and was at a great price. Viva HP. Viva WHS. Seriously.
See you next Friday night,
Timothy Daleo
Message for WinHomeServer.com – Stop Ripping Off Our Posts
This is a message for the owner of WinHomeServer.com – STOP RIPPING OFF OUR POSTS!
I have no problem with people linking to our posts, what I do have a problem with is people taking the entire post, screenshots and everything, reposting them claiming that it is their own work.
Everyone who writes for the site, and other sites, spends a lot of their free time doing it to help the community and it is really frustrating when someone comes along and basically STEALS their work.
And it’s not just our posts, its posts from other sites as well!
So Mr Tony Loosle, seeing as you dont provide a way to contact you easily, I am posting this for you, and everyone else to see. Maybe it will appear as a post on your website later!
PLEASE REMOVE ALL OF OUR POSTS IMMEDIATELY OR I WILL TAKE THIS MATTER FURTHER.
Perhaps you failed to notice the COPYRIGHT notice on the site?
Tranquil PC Reduces the Price of the SQA-5H Windows Home Servers
Tranquil PC today announced that the are dropping the price of their SQA-5H series of Windows Home Servers.
The new prices are now as follows:
SQA-1000 1GB/500GB (4x HDD slots free) was £439 now £419
SQA-2000 2GB/1TB (4x HDD slots free) was £499 now £469
SQA-3000 2GB/2TB (4x HDD slots free) was £678 now £599
These prices are effective immediately.
For those of you interested, I reviewed the SQA-5H only yesterday!
Review of the Tranquil PC SQA-5H Windows Home Server
There are a number of manufacturers out there that sell Windows Home Servers – HP, Acer, etc, but only one of these is British – and that is Tranquil PC. Tranquil have been around for a while and sell all sort’s of cool kit, including PC’s, Windows Home Servers, and more. Did you know for example that Tranquil actually sold one of the first Windows Home Servers?
Well that was then, and this is now. Tranquil’s latest offering is the SQA-5H Home Server. Well actually there are three variants – the 1000 (with 1GB ram and a 500GB HDD), the 2000 (with 2GB ram and 1TB HDD) and finally the 3000 (with 2GB ram and 2TB HDD).
The first thing you will notice about this unit, compared to pretty much all the other Windows Home Server’s on the market is that it is white. That’s right folks, its not black or grey its white! Ok, if you really want it in black you can, but actually there is something kind of retro about the white look.
As well as the colour options, when you place your order you can also order additional hard drives (at quite reasonable prices, unlike some of the other WHS manufacturers).
Inside the Box
When you first receive the box, even that has a picture of the SQA-5H on it, which I think goes to show how much Tranquil want to make a good impression.
Once you get inside the box, you have the SQA-5H itself, an 80W power supply, an Ethernet cable and a Media Pack. This Media Pack contains the initial setup DVD, Connector software and Server Recovery DVD, along with a silver credit card looking object, which is in fact a USB key used for Server Recovery – but more on that in a moment. The initial setup DVD also contains instructions and manuals for setting up the SQA-5H. Now when I say manual, what I mean is actually a 38 page presentation that presents you with simple easy steps to follow, and they are just that.
Every single item in the box has been checked and tested by Tranquil prior to dispatch, so if there is anything wrong or damaged, it is likely to have happened during transit. And if that is the case, they are very quick to put things right (from what I have read in their forums and discussions with Tranquil themselves).
SQA-5H Specifications
Again, a change from the norm when it comes to Windows Home Server is the fact that the SQA-5H has 5 internal drive bays, instead of the usual 4, so that’s just one more internal drive you can use if you have it.
The observant amongst you have probably noticed a small panel on the back of the unit below the USB ports. Well this is the service plate, and if you remove it you have access to some additional connectors, including a VGA connector for troubleshooting problems, if you need them!
The drive bays are very simple to use, and are a bit like the drive bays on the HP MediaSmart servers.
Just one little click releases the handle, pull that down, slide the bay out, clip the drive in and slide it back into place – very simple, and no fuss whatsoever.
There are also a number of LEDs on the front panel which signify a number of different things – but don’t worry as Tranquil include a label on the underside of the SQA-5H to explain each one. You can even tell how much storage has been used by checking the LEDs, and you can even dim them if you so wish.
Finally there is a blue button on the front panel called Backup. This is used to run a server backup to an already configured backup drive. This server backup is initially configured from the Windows Home Server Console, but instead of continually going back to the console to run the same backup again at a later stage, you can just press the button – which is nice.
For those of you interested in the exact specifications, below are the specs for the 1000.
Installation and Configuring
Taking it all out of the box and plugging it together is simple and within a few minutes you can be up and running. Just pop the server initialisation DVD in and follow the instructions.
For those of you who like to see the screenshots, here they are:
Then its the usual Server configuration:
Now unlike most other Windows Home Server’s you have to type in your product key here rather than it already being entered for you. Important thing to note here is the Product Key is actually on a sticker that is on the underside of the SQA-5H so either write it down before you start the installation, turn the unit upside down now, or don’t enter the key now and do it later from the Windows Home Server Console (you have 30 days to do this, so don’t worry!).
Currently the SQA-5H comes with Windows Home Server Power Pack 1 so you will have to perform some updates to bring it up to date with Power Pack 2 and all the usual updates, although because it is already PP2 the updates shouldn’t take that long.
And that is it, you are ready to roll – or rather do your first backup and install those add-ins that you feel you want and need.
Server Reinstallation
So do you remember earlier I mentioned the silver credit card looking USB thing? Well, this, along with the Server Recovery DVD, is what you use if you have to perform a server recovery – so whatever you do, keep it safe!
It is very simple to use, you just push out the little USB clip, plug it into the SQA-5H, switch the SQA-5H on, pop the recovery DVD into one of your networked computers and start the process.
You have two options – a recovery keeping your data (assuming you had more than one hard drive)and a full factory settings restore, which completely wipes your drive (this is the one you would use in the event of a primary drive failure).
The process is pretty slick – it searches for your server, and when it finds it the drive is wiped and repartition for you. When this process starts you can pull the USB key out and just sit back.
The process itself can take anywhere from about 10 minutes to half an hour on a clean drive. Once this is done you just pop in the server initialisation DVD again and start from scratch.
Just don’t make the same mistake I did and rush to do that final step – you need to be patient and wait until the SQA-5H reboots and is ready. My problem was I didn’t notice it at first as it’s rather quiet! Watch out for the lights on the front of the unit to know when it is ready.
UPDATE : Inside the SQA-5H
Here are some images of inside the SQA-5H:
Thoughts and Conclusions
I really like the SQA-5H, it has some very unique qualities about it, from the retro white look, to the backup button on the front panel. It is quiet (partly because of the Green drives that Tranquil ship with it) and it has 5 internal drive bays (which are so simple to use), plus the usual USB ports and an eSATA multiplier port, which once again beats out the current HP MediaSmart EX48x series as it can be used to connect several drives to it instead of just the one drive that HP now support. Plus throw in the USB recovery key and you are on to a winner.
Also, Tranquil offer a 36 month return to base warranty provided you have registered it within 28 days of purchase.
The 64 bit processor that is used also ensures that it will be upgradable in the future when the next version of Windows Home Server is shipped, not to mention that is makes it really fast now.
This is certainly the best Windows Home Server you can currently buy in the UK – and Tranquil will even ship this outside of the UK if you need that.
Tranquil have done a really good job with the SQA-5H, and I am eager to see what they come up with next.
Pricing wise, the 1000 starts at £439 (excluding VAT), the 2000 starts at £499 (excluding VAT) and the 3000 starts at £679 (excluding VAT).
UPDATE: As of the 3rd August , Tranquil have reduced the prices to £419 for the 1000, £469 for the 200 and £599 for the 3000 (all excluding VAT).
To see more information about the different SQA-5H units, and to place an order, click here.
Europe to get PROPER Windows 7
Microsoft announced yesterday that Europe would get the “proper” version of Windows 7 and not the horribly reduced E version as previously stated!
For those of you who haven’t been following this, the E version of Windows 7, just for Europe, would not have contained Internet Explorer, because apparently the 7 or so users of a browser called Opera wouldn’t be happy. Opera complained to the European Commission about Microsoft. I didn’t see them complaining to them about Apple with their Safari browser though, but that’s another story!
This also means that existing users of Windows Vista in Europe will be able to upgrade to Windows 7, where as with the E version there was no upgrade path and Vista owners would need to do a clean installation.
Anyone who has pre-ordered the Windows 7 E version will get the PROPER version instead 🙂
Review of the WD Caviar Green 2TB SATA Hard Drive
You could easily argue that a hard drive is the most important component of your computer or storage device, and personally I agree with that. After all, it is the hard drive that stores all of your important data and serves it up to you when you ask for it.
Hard drives come in all shapes and sizes, and recently Western Digital released the worlds first 2TB SATA drive, the Caviar Green 2TB drive, WD20EADS.
Well I certainly couldn’t pass up the opportunity to play around with one of these drives. The drive itself consists of 4 separate 500GB platters – seriously, how do they manage to fit them into the same size that only a year or so ago was 1TB!
The “Green” element of the drive refers to the fact that it has a reduced power consumption of up to 40% compared to standard desktop drives but rather than reel off a lot of features, I will just paste them below from the product description.
Product Features
Reduced power consumption — WD has reduced power consumption by up to 40 percent
compared to standard desktop drives with the combination of WD’s IntelliSeek™, NoTouch™,
and IntelliPower™ technologies.
Helps enable eco-friendly PCs — By using environmentally-conscious PCs with our
WD Caviar Green drives on board, large organizations with many desktop computers can
minimize their carbon footprint and save real money on electricity costs.
Cool and quiet — GreenPower™ technology yields lower operating temperatures for
increased reliability and low acoustics for ultra-quiet PCs and external drives.
Perfect for external drives — External drive manufacturers can eliminate the need for a fan in
a high-capacity product with a WD Caviar Green drive, the coolest and quietest in its class.
IntelliPower™ — A fine-tuned balance of spin speed, transfer rate, and caching algorithms
designed to deliver both significant power savings and solid performance. Additionally,
WD Caviar Green drives consume less current during startup allowing lower peak loads on
systems as they are booted.
IntelliSeek™ — Calculates optimum seek speeds to lower power consumption, noise, and
vibration.
NoTouch™ ramp load technology — The recording head never touches the disk media
ensuring significantly less wear to the recording head and media as well as better drive
protection in transit.
StableTrac™ — The motor shaft is secured at both ends to reduce system-induced vibration
and stabilize platters for accurate tracking during read and write operations. (2 TB model only)
Native Command Queuing (NCQ) — Server feature for performance in random I/O
transaction environments. It aggregates many small random data transfers and allows the disk
to reorder the commands in a sequential order for faster access.
Perpendicular Magnetic Recording (PMR) — Employs PMR technology to achieve even
greater areal density.
Low power spin-up — WD Caviar Green drives consume less current during startup allowing
lower peak loads.
Advanced power technology — Electronic components deliver best-in-class low power
consumption for reduced power requirements and increased reliability.
Performance Specifications
For those of you who might be interested in specifications of the drive, they are as follows:
Transfer Rates
Buffer To Host (Serial ATA) : 3 Gb/s (Max)
Physical Specifications
Formatted Capacity : 2,000,398 MB
Capacity : 2 TB
Interface : SATA 3 Gb/s
User Sectors Per Drive : 3,907,029,168
Physical Dimensions
Height : 1.028 Inches
Length : 5.787 Inches
Width : 4.00 Inches
Weight : 1.61 Pounds
Environmental Specifications
Shock
Operating Shock (Read) : 65G, 2 ms
Non-operating Shock : 300G, 2 ms
Acoustics
Idle Mode : 25 dBA (average)
Seek Mode 0 : 29 dBA (average)
Seek Mode 3 : 26 dBA (average)
Vibration
Operating
Linear : 20-300 Hz, .75G (0 to peak)
Random : 10-300 Hz, 0.008 g² / Hz
Non-operating
Low Frequency : 5-20 Hz, 0.195 inches (double amplitude)
High Frequency : 20-500 Hz, 4.0G (0 to peak)
Electrical Specifications
Current Requirements
Power Dissipation
Read/Write : 6.00 Watts
Idle : 3.7 Watts
Standby : 0.80 Watts
Sleep : 0.80 Watts
Thoughts and Conclusions
My first thing when playing with this drive was to put it into my Windows Home Server and use it as part of the storage pool. The size of the drive is great for increasing my available space, and the fact that it uses a lot less power and produces a lot less heat than most other drives would be perfect. But then I decided that it might be even better to use it as the primary drive on my main desktop machine, so that is exactly where I put it, and where it is right now.
It has been running now for a few weeks and I haven’t had a single problem with it. In fact, it really is so quiet that you barely know its there! The speed of the drive is great as well – ok, it is not the fastest hard drive on the planet, but it also doesn’t claim to be. Now don’t get me wrong, it isn’t slow either! In fact, I would be hard pressed to find anything bad to say about the drive (except maybe the price, and even then it wouldn’t be a complaint as much as a quiet grumble).
I can highly recommend this drive to anyone who wants to increase their storage capacity, or even someone who just wants to use a more “eco” friendly drive.
Sorry Western Digital, you are not getting this little beauty back. Any chance of a few more – for research purposes of course 🙂
The WD Caviar Green 2TB SATA Drive retails in the UK for around £180 (including from Amazon) and around $299.99 in US. Whilst it certainly isn’t cheap, it really isn’t that expensive really considering what you are getting for the price. And like a lot of technology, this is the only “one” on the market right now so expect the price to drop eventually.