12-07-2006, 02:52 PM
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#1 |
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Lieutenant Commander
  
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Frisco, TX
Posts: 650
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Windows XP Home vs. Media Center
I'm in the market for a new laptop and most manufactures (HP, Dell, etc) are offering free upgrades from Windows XP Home Edition to Media Center Edition. Which one should I get? I've never used Media Center Edition before. This laptop will pretty much be a desktop replacement. I'll be using it for music, photos, Photoshop, building web sites in HTML, and everyday computer usage.
Thanks in advance! |
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12-07-2006, 03:32 PM
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#2 |
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Chief of Naval Operations
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: City of The Dead
Posts: 13,552
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I have had very little exposure to Media Center before coming to a new division, here is what I know thus far:
Media Center doesn't like to network with others (XP Home & XP Pro)[According to our tech guy (at work)] Media Center doesn't automaticly recognize USB thumbdrives (found this out on my own) (USBStor.sys is present, but whenever we plug any of our thumbdrives in, the computer recognizes what it is, and then can't find a driver for it, so you can't use it) Media Center doesn't like scanners (Again with the drivers, it doesn't recognize them, thus making them handicapped) I'm sure there are more "features" that I will be finding out about, but for now those are my main gripes. I would stick with XP Home or Pro if you want to "upgrade". |
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12-07-2006, 03:34 PM
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#3 | |
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Rear Admiral Lower Half
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Colorado
Posts: 2,743
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Quote:
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12-07-2006, 04:11 PM
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#4 | |
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Chief of Naval Operations
Join Date: May 2001
Location: City of The Dead
Posts: 13,552
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Quote:
I have two computers with media center on them (HP Pavilions) and they both have similar issues. |
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12-07-2006, 11:31 PM
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#5 |
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Admiral
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Maryland
Posts: 6,578
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My wife has a Dell with XP Media Center and I haven't seen the problems you encountered. My gripe is that Media Center plays movie DVD's funky and no way to ALT screen out of it.
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12-08-2006, 06:33 AM
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#6 |
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Vice Admiral
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: In the kitchen...skinning onions...
Posts: 4,946
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Media Center edition is kind of worthless. Yeah, it helps you organize all your photos and music....but the software that it uses is funky. Go with the regular Home Edition.
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12-08-2006, 06:56 AM
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#7 | |
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Secretary of the Navy
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Chillin' N Da 'Hood
Posts: 34,997
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Quote:
I think you might have already identified the problem. 
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12-08-2006, 07:20 AM
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#8 |
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Fleet Admiral
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Michigan
Posts: 9,390
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 I think hardware is a bigger issue than the OS!  Media Center is nothing more than XP Home with some additional goodies tacked onto it. I wouldn't pay for an upgrade, but if Home & Media Center are the same cost, I'd go with Media Center. |
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12-08-2006, 07:43 AM
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#9 |
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Rear Admiral Lower Half
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Colorado
Posts: 2,743
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Definitely get it if you're planning to get a TV tuner too. It actually works quite well for that. (And by quite well, I mean OK. The menus are pretty slow and clunky)
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Linear Mode
