1 November 2004
Windows Media Center 2005..should i or shouldn’t I???
Posted by Mick (SplaTT) Stanic under: Geek Toys; Microsoft .
I know to a lot of people it looks like a buy a lot of my gadgets on impulse, but that is not really the case. I have been waiting a long time for the launch in Australia of the Microsoft Windows Media Center 2005 Edition PC’s.
As i said, i don’t actually buy on impulse, i have this internal struggle that often goes on for days on whether or not a really need a particual gadget, and when the Media Center i am looking at is going to cost me between $2,500 and $3,000 AUS…believe me…it’s a struggle.
But in the end i often give in to the one i call the “gadget monster”. You should have seen the battle between myself and the “gadget monster” that went on for four days to decide if i should have bought the Sony Aibo i bought on my last trip to San Fransisco. “The Battle of the Aibo” would be worthy of having songs being written about it by bards with lutes. It would both enthrall and terrify all who listened to the tale of woe.
Well…”The Battle of the Media Center” has been raging for three long days and nights, and i am finally admitting defeat. So I will shortly leave the stronghold that is my office, go out into the dangerous wilderness that is the electronics superstore in my local shopping mall and return with a HP m1199a Windows Media Center PC.
Ohh the shame of defeat….but damn…will i have a blast playing with my new toy :) Expect a lot of posts on it in the next couple of days. Here is a link to the HP m1188a, which is the model below the one i am getting. Essentially the same, but the m1199a has 1Gig of RAM and a better video card….damn that “gadget monster”…will he never be defeated???
5 Comments so far...
Will Luu Says:
1 November 2004 at 8:37 pm.
Nice! :)
I had a look at that model yesterday (after the visit to the Telstra shop!).
My first thought was the remote control was a little bit confusing. I pressed the media button and it turned the menu. (Actually, the Myer Megamart guy did it).
Then the guy demonstrating it to me couldn’t turn it back to computer mode.
I’m sure there’s probably an easy way, but you’d think store sales people who come up to you asking if you need help would know how to do that!
Thomas Hawk Says:
2 November 2004 at 2:57 am.
My rant on why to not buy an HP MCE machine:
http://thomashawk.com/2004/10/hewlett-packard-makes-play-for-your.html
Also from this morning’s San Jose Mercury News Press on the HP machine:
“The only big problem: There’s no provision for upgrading the Digital Entertainment Center for HDTV, even though the product’s spec sheet recommends connecting the box to an HD display. HP says it will offer a version with an HD tuner early next year. I’d wait for that model unless you’re absolutely convinced you’ll never want to watch HD.”
Although the article is generally speaking pretty positive on the HP machine:
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/columnists/mike_langberg/10068415.htm
brad Says:
3 November 2004 at 2:26 am.
Be careful of DRM. MCE may encrypt your files so you cannot move your recorded content to other machines.
Mikal Says:
3 November 2004 at 8:37 am.
Herm. MCE isn’t very useful in Australia without guide data… I’d get a TiVo instead (especially when it’s $90 US).
How loud is the HP?
kym Says:
15 November 2004 at 4:36 pm.
I am caught up in the same (I want that media center mode)Have only found model m1199a at Harvey Norman do you know any other stores that carry this model?
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