On a Personal Note

As a professional broadcast journalist , I've used studio equipment worth hundreds of thousands of dollars that was capable of doing only a tenth of what a $1,200 Media Center PC can accomplish. This fact may say more about my advancing age than about the advancement of desktop technology, but it was nevertheless a powerful motivator in my deciding to write this book.

If you already enjoy using computers, your cup truly runneth over. Each Media Center machine is a full-fledged XP Professional PC, with all the cool multimedia capabilities you could wish for thrown in as a bonus. On the other hand, if you think of PCs as a work tool better left at the office, you're in for a pleasant surprise as you get acquainted with Media Center's fun-loving side. Either way, I hope you'll agree that Media Center represents one of the most interesting and exciting new technologies on the PC landscape.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions about the book, please don't hesitate to email me at [e-mail], or visit my Web site at www.tvtechtoys.com.