Re: RE: RE: Re: RE: Windows XP Media Center Edition Review

["BEN.MCCORMACK" <ben.mccormack@xxxxxxx>]

Time will tell.

Microsoft may well win any battles as they are the bigger name and they
wil=
l throw huge amounts of money at the solution.

I think you of the big issues is how much to 'lock' the system down. If
you=
really lock it down then you surley reduce crashing as you can block the h=
oles, but if you open the system up you please more people but then more
cr=
ashing follows as the range of setups increases. A difficult one to solve.

Out of interest has anyone seen a 'Roadmap' for Microsoft's Media PC
produc=
t line?

Ben

> That's my point...
> Microsoft's Media Center is the 21st Century equivalent of the midi
syste=
m - it
> _will_ sell lots.
> The fact it doesn't work as well as buying a separate TiVo, picture
frame=
, MP3
> player and DVD player is irrelevant. Most people will go for the
big-name=
,
> easy-install, single-box solution.
> M.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: BEN.MCCORMACK [mailto:ben.mccormack@xxxxxxx]=20
> Sent: 9 January 2003 14:18
> To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: RE: Re: RE: [ukha_d] Windows XP Media Center Edition
Review
> Mark
> I agree with you in general but you are forgetting that many poeple
have =
more
> than one hifi, you may have an expensive seperates system in the
Lounge a=
s well
> as a =A3200 Midi System in the Kitchen, Bedroom and in the Kids room.
You=
could
> argue that you are always going to sell more midi systems.
> Ben
> > Gerard,
> > For the last 15 years, UK consumers have been able to buy
separates=20
> > audio systems from Richer Sounds for =A3300 that sound way better
than=
=20
> > the "all in one" midi systems from the high-street
multiples. Applying=
=20
> > your standard of "device not as good as separate
devices", midi=20
> > systems are, to use your term "worthless". By your
logic, midi systems=
=20
> > will not sell in any numbers. The last time I looked, Richer
Sounds=20
> > had a far smaller market share of the domestic music player space
than=
=20
> > Dixons, Currys, Comet etc. Likewise, midi systems sell in far
greater=20
> > numbers than separate amps. This might suggest that there is
something=
=20
> > wrong with your model of consumer behaviour...
> > M.
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Gerard McGovern [mailto:stuff@xxxxxxx]=20
> > Sent: 9 January 2003 10:56
> > To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
> > Subject: Re: Re: RE: [ukha_d] Windows XP Media Center Edition
Review
> > > If you look at the indivisual costs of the following
> > >=20
> > > Tivo - =A3300
> > > Network mp3 player - =A3200
> > > Digital Picture Frame - =A370
> > > DVD Player - =A3150
> > >=20
> > > TOTAL =A3720
> > >=20
> > > Not far off what this media PC should cost.
> > >=20
> > > The Media PC should be able to do all of these and more in
the=20
> > > future
> > But the converged device is NOT as good as the seperate devices.
That
> > makes it worthless.=20
> > You'd have to add a sound card with Dolby Digital output to make
the=20
> > system useable as a DVD player ... another =A380. Now we have
video=20
> > quality. Every PC I have ever dealt with unless running through
VGA/DVI=
=20
> > produces a horrible output.
> > It's a nice idea in theory but crap in practice. And most of all
we are=
=20
> > forgetting that even with a P4 processor and the MPEG encoding
handled=
=20
> > by a seperate card it STILL has high-CPU usage and suffers
from=20
> > slowdowns. That alone is enough of a reason for me to stay clear
of it.
> > G
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