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HP Dumps Linux for Windows XP MCE in New Media Player
An anonymous reader writes "There hasn't been much said about this, but HP's new z545 Digital Entertainment Center appears to be a Windows-based re-spin of an earlier Linux-based model that HP unveiled three years ago at the Tech X NY trade show in New York, and which was sold for some time as the de100c Digital Entertainment Center. Seems like the joint's gone downhill ever since Perens left."
Those specs were from the Linux based predecessor of this device. This device has a 3 GHz Pentium 4 processor and 200 GB internal hard drive. Also, I don't think linux needs to be "ported" ... it already supports the hardware.
The question is whether the application software (not OS) functionality can be mimicked closely enough.
Seems like the joint's gone downhill ever since Perens left.
The joint started going downhill when Carly Fiorina took over.
So the answer to your question is yes. Now I really didn't want to give it free advertising, as I think that it's wrong to encourage proprietary, closed formats like WMA.
War doesn't prove who's right, just who's left.
MythTV would do the application part quite well. Comparisons between MythTV and MCE have made it to Slashdot before.
You can mod your friends, you can mod your nose, but you can't mod your friend's nose.
So since it would be easier to buy compatable products then try to recreate compatable ones in Linux while facing legal hurdles and patent problems.
Except there is supposed to a version of Windows Media, with DRM support for embedded Linux.
I posted the link earlier, but Intervideo have a license to produce WMA/WMV with DRM products for Linux.
Microsoft stated they wanted to be the major company for home media, and following that trend of embrace, extended and buy out, you can expect more companies to choose microsoft due to cheap contracts with almost free support.
Microsoft is already trying to take the HDDVD consumer market with WM9, this is just another area for them to get a foothold.
It will be the same tactic they have used in the PC Vendor market for years. Microsoft will give the product away, vendors will bite, use the product, then get locked it.
And companies no longer look for the long term goals, just what makes money the next quarter. If HP was smart, they would stick with linux, develop the software they own, and pay no licensing fees. You think they would have learned from their past experiences with Microsoft.
Call me jaded, but I see the trend everywhere, sell/buy now, whatever makes my books look good this year. This is how CEO's dump and run companies, and why mergers are so common.
Now, think 5 years from now, HP's product will look like everyone elses, what will be the difference? Nothing, they use the same software, the hardware is off the shelf. The CEO's will sell HP, another merger. Meanwhile, another billion for Microsoft.
It's good to be the only vendor, the only one choice. Er, lack of choice I should say. I bet Microsoft's stock goes up again tomorrow from this news.
I find it hard to compare the functionality of these 2 systems.
The first one had:
- a cd rewriter.
It offered:
- playing of music.
The second one has
- 2(!) tuners
- a processor which can easily decode 3 dvd's parallel
- a video card which will be able to play doom3 (once the linux install is done)
- look at the I/O (which is the most important thing)
So, it is easy to see why the first one was a big miss: It didn't have/promise any functionality.
The big minuses about this system:
- a fan/harddisk. You don't want fans or harddisk hums in your living room. They are really anoying!
- $2000 for that?
- No DVB (digital tv), so it is already outdated before it is selling. (you can attach a DVB-USB device. Ah, and which software is going to support that? Just wait for the linux install guys).
HP has lost it completely. In their zeal to compete with Dell, Gateway and IBM they made a couple of accidental gunshot wounds to the head:
* Spun off several sources of invention and innovation when they spun off Agilent.
* Purchased Compaq in an ill advised grab for market share. Their reason: they wanted Digital's professional services...
* Alienated their dealership channel by trying to be Dell and sell direct.
They will lose their independence sometime in the next few years when someone else wants to try to knock off IBM and Dell and wants HP -er- COmpaq -er- Digital's professional services unit.
And HP's CEO is an idiot.
-- $G
Now they've degenerated into yet another money-hungry company who're afraid to tread new grounds or create something from scratch.
Perhaps you should try reading more...
ProCurve Networking by HP Launches Gigabit Switch Series that Offers Intelligence at the Network Edge
HP Introduces a Powerful, All-Digital Printing Solution for the Label Market
HP Makes Storage Networking Simple and Affordable for Growing Small and Mid-size Business Market
HP's New High-end Storage System Scales to Twice the Capacity of the Competition Without Disruption
HP Introduces Fall Lineup of Digital Photography, Music, TV, Home Projection and Entertainment Offerings in Time for Back-to-school and Holiday Shopping
HP Labs
Because HP doesn't recreate the transistor everytime it releases a new product does not mean they do not innovate. Meaningful innovation includes using the best technologies, or most adopted technologies in the market, and improving and enhancing them to improve the customer's satisfaction. There isn't much point to spending millions of dollars to recreate the iPOD, when everyone wants an iPOD and there are already a slew of other competitors out there. So... license the iPOD, add the ability to print customized skins to the iPOD, bundle iTunes with new HP PCs and offer customers the opportunity to bundle an iPOD with their HP purchases or through their normal HP sales channel.
I lost my job with HP because they exported my job to India. If you'd like to voice your opinions to her directly, her email (the last time I checked) is carly.s.fiorina@hp.com
If you're unable to reach her, its probably because she had her email account closed due to too many inquiries. Its not like she can't call India and have them give her a new account anyway.
-- Game Developers: Stop porting badly-textured games from crappy console systems!