CES 2012 Day 3

Posted by Paul Braren on Jan 13 2012 (updated on Jan 15 2012) in
  • CES

    • Another fantastic day, packed in a lot of visits, and squeezed in a lot of questions, and actually got a lot of on-the-spot answers.

    Also got some more informal interview videos at Seagate and Ooma and others, will post details and pics and videos when I get back home, where the internet actually works!

    Here's some of the other companies I visited today:
    Belkin, ASUS, Samsung, Sony, LG, Microsoft, Intel, Nokia, Schlage, Yale Locks, Verizon.

    Awake at 5am tomorrow for indirect route home (via 4 hr layover in San Francisco, which saved hundreds). Sure wish I didn't have to leave quite yet!

    Becky Woorley seen in the photo below, prepping for an ABC segment like this one, in the shiny, purple-and-blue Microsoft area:

    BeckyWorley

    VCP logo TinkerTry - PCs, EVs, home tech, efficiency and more, including virtualization. My opinions here. IT Professional offering part-time consulting.

    vExpert logo Paul Braren, MCSE in 1998, VCP #2681 in 2005, vExpert 2014 to 2025, Veeam Vanguard Emeritus, 2015 to 2019.

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    Necessity to sunset SuperServer Bundles

    SuperServers These systems still work great for many even 9+ years later, mine included, even with (unsupported) vSphere 8 and Windows 11 Version 21H2. But unless you added the optional TPM module, it may be the end of the line as far as repurposing them for running the latest Windows 11 Version 24H2 and beyond.

    After 6 successful years testing then shipping well over 1,000 Xeon D Bundles, Wiredzone had to stop SuperServer bundles in mid-2021 due to cost, supply, and logistics challenges. Bare bones system sales continued for years longer.

    What's next in 2025? I don't yet have my answer for my home lab, especially now that VCF certification is required to keep non-production home lab licenses going, even as a vExpert and VMUG Advantage EVALExperience customer.

    As for a SuperServer follow-on, the Xeon D-1700/2700 (Ice Lake D) was a minor refresh for 2023, with Xeon D-1800/2800 (Granite Rapids D) refresh slightly better in 2024, and hopefully Xeon 6 (Granite Rapids-D) much better in 2025 featuring PCIe Gen5, MCRDIMMs, and 100GbE networking, wow! Feb. 27 2025 update update looks promising, but pricey. Infortunately, it's become clear to me that Supermicro is less focuses on the mini-tower form factor these days.

    As for the CPU industry, it's unfortunate that Pat Gelsinger was apparently ousted from Intel's helm in these challenging times, but I'm also grateful to have had the honor of working at VMware when he was the CIO there. I'll leave it at that, given the whole Broadcom thing.