By Jennifer LeClaire E-Commerce Times
10/11/04 10:57 AM PT
"Consumers are telling us that they don't want to be tied to the room where their PC lives to look at their digital pictures or view a program recorded on their Media Center PC," Joe Belfiore, a general manager in the Windows eHome Division at Microsoft, said.
Is Your Website Killing Customer Confidence? Your Website's privacy policy can be a key factor in a customer's decision to do business with you, and it is vital to ensuring you don't run afoul of your online legal and regulatory responsibilities. Need more reasons? Read on.
Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) chairman and chief software architect Bill Gates tomorrow will officially launch the latest version of Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 operating system, complete with extensions that play or record video, music and other media.
The update to Windows XP Professional will offer users an all-in-one system designed to take the place of a DVD player, digital VCR, stereo and TV.
Microsoft's first attempt to go Hollywood with its Media Center in 2002 was met with customer complaints of poor image quality. But analysts expect the new version, code-named Symphony, to boast better picture quality with chips specially designed for TV. Symphony also has a remote control and support for two TV tuners so users can record one program while watching another.
Second Technology
"Media Center's success comes down to three issues," IDC Vice President Roger Kay told the E-Commerce Times. "How pleasing the experience is, the ecosystem of partners and their ability to work together smoothly, and the price."
Media Center Extender, a new technology that Gates originally discussed in January, is also expected to be announced tomorrow. The program can transfer content from a Media Center PC to a TV or other display anywhere in the home.
"Consumers are telling us that they don't want to be tied to the room where their PC lives to look at their digital pictures or view a program recorded on their Media Center PC," said Joe Belfiore, a general manager in the Windows eHome Division at Microsoft.
"With industry partners, we are meeting this demand by developing innovative products that give consumers the freedom to enjoy their digital entertainment experiences anywhere in the home."
Ecosystem in Place
Those industry partners include Alienware, Dell (Nasdaq: DELL), Gateway, HP (NYSE: HPQ), Samsung Electronics, Tatung and Wistron Corp.
"Today's consumers want flexibility, convenience and personalization of content," said Louis Burns, Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) vice president and general manager of the Desktop Platforms Group. "They want to be able to download content, making their choices from a boundless online library and want to play back that content on a myriad of devices from MP3 players to TVs and PCs and everything in between."
Kay said Microsoft has the ecosystem in place to compete with Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) music solution and TiVo's (Nasdaq: TIVO) video solution. The only other competition is the traditional home entertainment center stack. Of course, that's pretty significant competition.
"Microsoft's timing is good with the upcoming holiday season," Kay said. "If they can get the prices in line fairly quickly, then it could stimulate mass market adoption."
Microsoft Releases Low-Cost Windows XP for India September 29, 2004
The India software release -- a pilot program targeting first-time and beginning computer users -- comes on the heels of a similar customized version for Russia. Microsoft also said it is working on similar stripped-down versions for Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Microsoft Asked To Change Misleading Linux Ad August 25, 2004
ASA Press officer Donna Mitchell told LinuxInsider that Microsoft responded quickly to the body's request that they change the ad in question. "They've given us assurance that they'll make the amendments, in line with the ruling," she said. "Hopefully, this should be the end of the matter."
Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 Arrives August 06, 2004
"Service Pack 2 is a significant step in delivering on our goal to help customers make their PCs better isolated and more resilient in the face of increasingly sophisticated attacks," said Bill Gates, chairman and chief software architect at Microsoft.
Related News Alerts
More by Jennifer LeClaire
The Digital Car: Cool Automotive Accessories, Part 2 January 16, 2007
Not all the latest high-tech automotive electronics are built to entertain. Many give the driver more information and more control. Vehicle tracking devices can tell where the car is at any time, software installed in a smartphone can turn off a vehicle's security system whenever the owner approaches, and diagnostic tools can tell what's wrong with the engine -- and how much it'll be to fix it.
'World of Warcraft' Wows 8 Million Subscribers January 12, 2007
"World of Warcraft," the massively multiplayer online role-playing game, has reached the 8 million subscriber mark. Since debuting in North America in Nov. 2004, "World of Warcraft" has become the most popular MMORPG in the world. The franchise is available in seven different languages and is played on at least four continents.
AT&T Bids Goodbye to Cingular Brand January 12, 2007
Starting Monday, AT&T will launch a multimedia campaign to transition the Cingular Wireless brand name into its advertising and customer communications. The campaign will integrate popular imagery, phrases and icons from Cingular's traditional advertising, including the "raising the bar" tagline, the "Jack" character and the color orange.
Headline Feeds
complaints of poor image quality. But analysts expect the new version, code-named Symphony, to boast better picture quality with chips specially designed for TV. Symphony also has a remote control and support for two TV tuners so users can record one program while watching another.
Talkback: 
