Comments on: Review: HP Mediasmart LX195 http://www.geardiary.com/2009/08/18/review-hp-mediasmart-lx195/ Everyone can understand technology; sometimes it just takes a little translating. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:27:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Joel McLaughlinhttp://www.geardiary.com/2009/08/18/review-hp-mediasmart-lx195/#comment-48336 Joel McLaughlin Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:47:13 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=41577#comment-48336 Yes I know FreeNAS isn't a media server. The problem is that there is not a Linux distro that ties Network Attached Storage and Media Serving in a nice package like Windows Home Server. The Mediasmart server here makes it pretty easy to set these functions up with out needing a lot of the knowledge you would need to set this up on Linux. You can do it with Linux, but there's a lot of setup on Linux that you would have to do and a lot of knowledge you'd have to have to do it. A Mediasmart server user would probably not want to go to all that effort and to be frank, I as a Linux user don't want to do this either. Linux distros need to be easier to use. They are already pretty good, but sometimes they assume too much. Yes I know FreeNAS isn’t a media server. The problem is that there is not a Linux distro that ties Network Attached Storage and Media Serving in a nice package like Windows Home Server. The Mediasmart server here makes it pretty easy to set these functions up with out needing a lot of the knowledge you would need to set this up on Linux. You can do it with Linux, but there’s a lot of setup on Linux that you would have to do and a lot of knowledge you’d have to have to do it. A Mediasmart server user would probably not want to go to all that effort and to be frank, I as a Linux user don’t want to do this either. Linux distros need to be easier to use. They are already pretty good, but sometimes they assume too much.

]]> By: spamicushttp://www.geardiary.com/2009/08/18/review-hp-mediasmart-lx195/#comment-48334 spamicus Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:25:06 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=41577#comment-48334 One could also say that the author has a lot to learn about the Linux Community. Please note that Linux community in many ways leads the way, as you already noted in your post "did surprise me a little is seeing software such as Apache Tomcat and ImageMagick in use." And as we all can learn something from this post, a simple web search using Google or Bing for "linux home server" yields in the top 5 results the Amahi Home Server, www.amahi.org. Another thing, FreeNAS wasn't designed to be a media server as it's focus is Network Attached Storage. FreeNAS wasn't designed to provide remote access or many of the additional features available in Windows Home Server. It's unreasonable to compare these two solutions. While there is a sharing of features, each has a different focus. One could just as easily say the the Microsoft Home Server is a boated batch of software for a NAS when compared to FreeNAS, which takes less than 32MB once installed on Compact Flash, hard drive or USB key. Perhaps a comparison of iSCSI support would be fair? I suggest a better comparison in the future. The information was interesting, but the comparisons flawed. Your title is catching and I took the bait and present it back to you for revision. BTW - I use, recommend, install and maintian WHS, Amahi home server, FreeNAS, Openfiler and many other Microsoft and Open Source solutions at home and to friends and clients. WHS is a very slick product for the home and SOHO market, but certainly not a solution from which the Open Source community has a lot to learn. The education in this market space goes both ways with competition driving innovation and product improvement. One could also say that the author has a lot to learn about the Linux Community. Please note that Linux community in many ways leads the way, as you already noted in your post “did surprise me a little is seeing software such as Apache Tomcat and ImageMagick in use.” And as we all can learn something from this post, a simple web search using Google or Bing for “linux home server” yields in the top 5 results the Amahi Home Server, http://www.amahi.org.

Another thing, FreeNAS wasn’t designed to be a media server as it’s focus is Network Attached Storage. FreeNAS wasn’t designed to provide remote access or many of the additional features available in Windows Home Server. It’s unreasonable to compare these two solutions. While there is a sharing of features, each has a different focus. One could just as easily say the the Microsoft Home Server is a boated batch of software for a NAS when compared to FreeNAS, which takes less than 32MB once installed on Compact Flash, hard drive or USB key. Perhaps a comparison of iSCSI support would be fair? I suggest a better comparison in the future.

The information was interesting, but the comparisons flawed. Your title is catching and I took the bait and present it back to you for revision.

BTW – I use, recommend, install and maintian WHS, Amahi home server, FreeNAS, Openfiler and many other Microsoft and Open Source solutions at home and to friends and clients. WHS is a very slick product for the home and SOHO market, but certainly not a solution from which the Open Source community has a lot to learn. The education in this market space goes both ways with competition driving innovation and product improvement.

]]> By: rothgarhttp://www.geardiary.com/2009/08/18/review-hp-mediasmart-lx195/#comment-48276 rothgar Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:48:58 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=41577#comment-48276 I have been loving my ex485 since I bought it. I really do hope that someone makes a reliable Linux distro for these but even if they don't. I am not disappointed to use a Windows Server (or to recommend a Windows Server). I am at least hoping that more hacks (or addons) come out to really make these servers thrive. I have been loving my ex485 since I bought it. I really do hope that someone makes a reliable Linux distro for these but even if they don’t. I am not disappointed to use a Windows Server (or to recommend a Windows Server). I am at least hoping that more hacks (or addons) come out to really make these servers thrive.

]]> By: HP MediaSmart LX195 – The Linux Community has a lot to Learn « MS Windows Home Serverhttp://www.geardiary.com/2009/08/18/review-hp-mediasmart-lx195/#comment-48231 HP MediaSmart LX195 – The Linux Community has a lot to Learn « MS Windows Home Server Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:37:07 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=41577#comment-48231 [...] Read the review here. [...] [...] Read the review here. [...]

]]> By: Ernie Varitimoshttp://www.geardiary.com/2009/08/18/review-hp-mediasmart-lx195/#comment-56863 Ernie Varitimos Wed, 19 Aug 2009 06:41:45 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=41577#comment-56863 <span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">Review: HP Mediasmart LX195 | Gear Diary http://bit.ly/18ZtXk</span></span> Review: HP Mediasmart LX195 | Gear Diary http://bit.ly/18ZtXk

]]> By: Joel McLaughlinhttp://www.geardiary.com/2009/08/18/review-hp-mediasmart-lx195/#comment-48168 Joel McLaughlin Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:18:22 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=41577#comment-48168 Ack! Thanks! Darn spell checker! I fixed that. Yes that is exactly what Windows Home Server is. They attempt to make it easy to manage and are pretty successful at it. It's not perfect and grandma couldn't use it but for people who have decent windows skills it should be possible to set it up. Ack! Thanks! Darn spell checker! I fixed that.

Yes that is exactly what Windows Home Server is. They attempt to make it easy to manage and are pretty successful at it. It’s not perfect and grandma couldn’t use it but for people who have decent windows skills it should be possible to set it up.

]]> By: jkj1962http://www.geardiary.com/2009/08/18/review-hp-mediasmart-lx195/#comment-48167 jkj1962 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:04:48 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=41577#comment-48167 "DLNA or Digital Living Network Alliance is a well supported standard and is available in many different forms from, Network Attacked Storage machines to set top boxes." LOL! "Network ATTACKED Storage". Darn those hackers! Seriously, I've installed the Windows Home Server Evaluation on a PC, and I'm really trying to justify getting one of these to replace my Maxtor Shared Storage drive. Windows Home Server seems to be a customized version of Windows Server 2003. “DLNA or Digital Living Network Alliance is a well supported standard and is available in many different forms from, Network Attacked Storage machines to set top boxes.”

LOL! “Network ATTACKED Storage”. Darn those hackers!

Seriously, I’ve installed the Windows Home Server Evaluation on a PC, and I’m really trying to justify getting one of these to replace my Maxtor Shared Storage drive. Windows Home Server seems to be a customized version of Windows Server 2003.

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