Windows XP Media Center enters Europe

Microsoft's home entertainment system Windows XP Media Center Edition is coming to Europe. Thirty OEM manufacturers will be building PCs based on the operating system.

Media Center is, like the name suggests, intended to be used in the living room as the central hub for digital entertainment. It's features include personal video recorder, DVD player, and Internet connectivity. It remains to be seen how keen consumers are to purchase devices based on quite expensive PC technology. The prices will quite likely be much higher than those of regular home entertainment devices, such as DVD-players or game consoles. Building an entertainment center around the Xbox concept might prove to be more successful.

More information available at Media Center homepage.

Source:
The Register

Written by: Jari Ketola @ 6 Aug 2003 11:16

Advertisement - News comments available below the ad

6 comments

A_Klingon

Poison. It's All Poison.

Self-serving. Restrictive. Expensive. Proprietary. Propaganda. Non-compatible. DRM-riddled. Have credit-card ready. Ham-strung. Crippled. We're talking about Microsoft here, people. End of the free world. CSS, Region Coding, and DRM all-rolled into one big blur, right before your unsuspecting eyes, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. What you buy now will be obsolete two hours from now, and you will have to "upgrade" to something else (more $$$) which will be obsolete in just two hours more than that.

You will be controlled. Resistance is futile.

Quiet, understated, bespeckled Willy Gates wants his grubby little fingers deep into all your pockets. Forever.

*** THE CURE ***

a) Get yourself a decent, unrestricted, modern computer. Assemble it yourself if necessary.

b) Choose your add-on components carefully. Add only microsoft-free hardware.

c) Download and/or buy only decent, honest, functional software from companies and authors who you can trust.

d) Keep the computer and stand-alone components (mostly) apart (they each serve separate functions). But if you absolutely must have integration....

e) Then combine them in a logical way to suit your personal lifestyle, not Microsoft's, and save $$$ in the bargain. Run a damn patch cord across the floor or something.

I don't particularly want my dvd/cd player/recorder to randomly hook-up to the internet whenever it's controlling software decides it's appropriate to do so. If I want the Internet, that's what I have the computer for.

There is very little they can do that you can't do yourself, only a whole lot better and cheaper. PLUS you know what you've got. They have been talking about 'Home Integration' for years & years & years & ..... and they're still yapping about it. They're trying to create a demand for something that we already have in one form or another.

Poison man. Poison. Europeans steer clear. They haven't been able to screw us totally yet here in North America, so they're after you guys now. Please don't say I didn't warn Ya.

-- My Public Service Announcement For Today --

6.8.2003 18:43 #1

Oriphus

This is a very clear intrusion on the privacy of your system. I for one wont be touching it!!!

For DVD Back up info: http://www.chrismccann.co.uk
For User Guides/Downloads: http://www.chrismccann.co.uk/user_guides.htm

6.8.2003 19:02 #2

nato1200

strait wack.

7.8.2003 17:53 #3

herbsman

This is the next step from the intrusive WMP9

M1crosh1t never surprise me anymore (tw@ts)

I give you all these seed bearing plants & 'erbs to use...

8.8.2003 04:59 #4

carlitob

I Love Microsoft :)

Don't ask a question that has been asked a million times already don't be lazy all the info you need is here: http://www.afterdawn.com/articles/

Pioneer A05
Xbox
PS2- Magic 3.1
Over 50 Movies so far to know what I got PM me.

8.8.2003 11:12 #5

realguy

most people don't want to build their own TV or fridge or hi-fi these days...

I have great hopes for MS & Apple (with their different skills) in making this immature technology useful :)

30.9.2003 09:34 #6

AfterDawn: News