mControl v2 is now available from Embedded Automation. This purported “Home Edition” of EA’s home control solution is a free upgrade for users of v1, and is available for sale through their website store. The second edition of mControl adds a few noteworthy features, including a high-fidelity user interface, new and enhanced subsystem control drivers, a driver development kit for users inclined to write their own drivers, and enhanced macro functionality.
I wrote an entry in July about the Windows Home Server, and questioned whether it would deliver on the home automation front. I mentioned Embedded Automation in that post, as the company was an official WHS “Partner.” This new version of mControl should add some legitimacy to the claims that WHS can improve and augment one’s home automation experience. I like that current v1 users can upgrade for free, and I appreciate that they’ve catered somewhat to the developer/customer. We’ll have to see just what kinds of freedoms are granted to the explorative user. Macros are, of course, essential to the home automation control experience. Let’s hope the “enhanced macro functionality” permits truly comprehensive settings incorporating all the controlled subsystems.
I look forward to hearing of some first-hand accounts from users of mControl v2.