XP Media?

[autodidact]

I'm reading it but I can't believe it , you have to have XP before you can use XP Media? At Circuit City all the new computers have Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005 as the OS. I read where XP Home support will be up by this December and the media will be supported for years or I suppose I could get XP Pro to put on a new build. Maybe I should understand but I don't really get it. What would be the best OS to put on a new build excluding Vista. Thanks



Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005
System Requirements: Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 is available only on Media Center PCs. A Media Center PC is a complete, Windows XP-based computer that is enhanced for home entertainment, a digital media hub that brings together your entertainment choices and allows you to access them with one remote control.

[EzyStvy]

Windows XP Media Center is an OS all by itself.

As far as what's best - it just depends on your needs...

[Stuey]

MCE is mostly for heavy duty media centers such as a dedicated video recorder or living room computer. You can purchase it as an OEM, but it's only worthwhile if you don't already have a copy of Windows to use on a new computer.

If you already have a copy of XP, there are programs which provide similar media functionality to MCE, such as Beyond TV and similar software.

I can't see MS stopping support for XP home for a few more years. As for XP Home, Pro, or MCE, you've got to decide what your needs are.

[autodidact]

Thanks all: I got confused when I read system requirements. I guess I'll go with XP Home if that will allow me to edit my pictures which this old computer won't let me do so without saving and rebooting half way through the process. I also want to copy and edit old family movies which with my home recorder takes forever and sometimes stops recording cause the signal changes from the tape.Ever watch family movies for hours and have to start over?

[glc]

Stuey, M$ will be dropping support for XP Home as soon as they can get away with it. They would like to drop it next summer. Just because they drop support doesn't disable the OS, it will still *work* for years to come.

Editing pictures and movies can be done by any current OS, you don't need MCE. It's all in the software you use to do it.

[Stuey]

Originally Posted by glc Stuey, M$ will be dropping support for XP Home as soon as they can get away with it. They would like to drop it next summer.

I was only going by the assumption that MS would have applied the same time frame they used with Windows 98; I was under the impression that they waited quite some time after XP's release before they dropped support.

[pizzapie]

what are the differences between xp media and pro? im gettin a new dell laptop and it'll cost $10 more to get xp pro. Is media simply an enhanced version of pro with everything pro has and more? or is it a bit lacking as far as networking and configuration is concerned?

[EzyStvy]

The attached pic/chart will show you the differences.

[glc]

MCE is now an enhanced version of Home, not Pro. The original MCE was based on Pro but not the current one.