Folks,
Releasing firmware updates is a long and complex process. A complete regression test is required so as to ensure that changes have not caused stable features to "break". In a nutshell, most manufacturers, these days, release new firmware updates to:
- address significant deficiencies as a result of early release to market and to reduce any "bad press"
- introduce new features to increase market share or remain competitive
Releasing firmware updates is expensive, it essentially means keeping resources allocated to working on non-revenue generating initiatives.
As such, it becomes increasingly important to perform pre-sales due diligence on any technology product one wishes to purchase so as to ensure that one doesn't needlesly spend hard earned dollars.
It's unfortunate that folks who purchase 1.5TB HDD's were mis-informed by their local technology resellers. The lessons learned here ... always check the vendor website support FAQ's, product specifications, and most importantly, download and review the product documentation when possible.
As a last resort, call the manufacturer pre-sales team and get those folks to validate your desired configuration.
Cheers,