Chapter 25. Hardware Features and Options for Media Center PCs

In This Chapter

• Overview of Media Center hardware features and options

• Desktop and tower-style Media Center designs

• Compact and SFF Media Center systems

• Portable Media Center PCs

• Gateway's "all-in-one" Media Center system

• External tuners and "beanbags"

One of the features that makes Microsoft's Windows XP Media Center Edition Software unique is that it's among the very few Microsoft products that can't be purchased by themselves . You must buy the operating system as part of a configured Media Center PC ”or you can't have it at all.

There are those who have circumvented this policy, of course, but they are on their own. Microsoft does not support them, and neither does this author. Of course, when Media Center Edition was first made available, hardware systems were running in the high-flying $2,500-and-up range. At those prices, one could hardly blame the poor souls who lusted after the Media Center experience but couldn't quite afford it. Today, however, Media Center machines are available at all the major PC price points, including systems for well under $1,000. Practically everyone who can afford a new PC should be able to find a Media Center system that fits their budget.