ReadyNAS OS 6 already running ReadyNAS Pro hardware?!?!

[peet1]

Okay now I'm a bit confused JabbaTheHutt is saying in the announcment post http://www.readynas.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=70131 that:

Even with the factory default option, there are hardware limitations on the previous generations which would need to be overcome.

But page of the Netgear B2B marketing document http://support.apple.com/kb/HE36clearly shows a screen shot of ReadyNAS OS 6 Running on a ReadyNAS Pro 4:



What gives Netgear?

[TeknoJnky]

an initial guess, might be that the os6 is too big to fit in legacy devices flash ram.

but that is just a wild guess, there may be other hardware differences (network cards/sata/usb controllers etc that would require driver support).

That said, there is likely little doubt that os6 has been in development for a long time and was probably developed on pre-os6 hardware.

[peet1]

There's 265MB flash in a ReadyNAS Pro 6. There's 128MB flash in a ReadyNAS 516. They're using the same/similar basic *nix flavor so drivers are not really an issue.

It just doesn't seem like a technical issue or a worry about user data. it seem to be one of two things:

1. A revenue 'enhancement' to push users to be forced to buy new hardware and to increase the bottom line. Why this doesn't make sense to me is that an almost negligible percentage of their current install base is going to run out and buy a new NAS because of these new features. If your NAS is running, it's running. All this does is make their current customer base feel slighted and cause them to seriously reconsider any sort of brand loyalty with a company that makes them feel second class to customers that they don't yet have.

2. Netgear believes that support calls will increase dramatically with from users that can't handle doing a full restore of their ReadyNAS units. If that's the case, why not charge for an upgrade. As a longtime ReadyNAS user it's OBVIOUS that Netgear/ReadNAS/and whatever's left of Infrant put *A LOT* of work into this OS (It's even more obvious when you look at how updates and bug fixes have suffered for 4 and 5). There's obviously some licensing going on with the inclusion of Paragon's drivers. So why not charge us for it? Find a price point that covers your licensing and percieved support costs and gives you a bit of a margin and go for it. They're not going to hear the same complaints or have an exudes of users like they are now.

[Balrog76]

Agreed. I sure wouldn't mind paying for an OS upgrade from my Ultra 6+. As it is I will be looking for a new NAS late this year.... NOT readynas if this stays as is.

[peet1]

@Jedi Council any sort of feedback from Netgear/Readynas?

[tarkeen]

Do want payed upgrade for NVX to Ready OS.

[TeknoJnky]

I don't want paid upgrade. That is a slippery slope.

Once you start paying for upgrades, the next thing you start paying for fixes, then paying just to log in to your damn machine.

[Balrog76]

Paying for an OS version upgrade in other spaces is business as usual. Look at Mac OSX or Windows. You want to be running Windows 8(I doubt it!) and you're currently running Windows 7? Pay for the OS upgrade. I have no problem paying for an OS upgrade for my readynas in that fashion. I DO have a problem for a company to drop support (which it seems they have by lack of updates) from their almost current product line entirely.

[tarkeen]

Ready OS work on old models. Do no work on NVX 😞 Make use direction viewtopic.php?f=51&t=70133

[bozolino1]

forget it people. this company has cut its own throat. jump ship while you still can

[brett_l]

peet1: "and cause them to seriously reconsider any sort of brand loyalty"

I did this about two and a half years ago when I discovered that the RDND6 v2 processor was below the specs on netgears own website.

I had also spoken on the phone with netgear Australia before purchasing to confirm the device specifications and was emailed brochures that confirmed, or so I thought, this was the device I needed.

Netgear Australia claimed it was impossible to supply a device that met their advertised specification. (Unwilling might me more appropriate as a CPU of the correct specification was readily available and can be installed in about 3-5 Minutes. I know this because I did it)

I made a complaint to the ACCC (seems with a bit of googling they are known by the ACCC for a number of misleading claims regarding several of their products)

bozolino: "forget it people. this company has cut its own throat. jump ship while you still can"

I did this also and have not purchased another netgear product since (nor have any of my clients).

As a result I researched and subsequently purchased netgear's competitors products and have found them to deliver product and performance as advertised.

I have found in business that happy and un-happy customers have one thing in common, they tell others about their experience.

[slinky1]

Wow... so it seems I'm not the only one. I look at the numbers for downloads for apps and the numbers here are paltry. When I found out that Netgear wasn't supporting OS 6 on the NAS devices I bought for family just this past year, I decided to relegate them to file servers only. I ended up getting other NAS devices from competitors and don't need to deal with the hassles. I'm looking at the Ultra 2 and Ultra 2 Plus and their specs are easily better than some of the devices currently out and on the list of officially supported OS 6 devices. Crazy. While they can try to spend money on marketing, a lot of home NAS buying is on personal representation and reviews, especially for streaming media. Oh well.