“The latest Media Center PCs from HP come with a special iTunes-related feature built into Microsoft’s new Windows XP Media Center Edition software. The computer maker created the feature, called HP Tunes, to let users of its Media Center PCs play songs and playlists from iTunes within the Windows Media Center interface, the special Microsoft software designed to be controlled using a remote while sitting back in a chair or couch in the living room,” Todd Bishop reports for The Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
“Although Apple makes its iTunes software available on the regular Windows operating system, HP is unique among Media Center PC vendors in offering an iTunes connection inside the Media Center interface. The move results from the alliance announced earlier this year between HP and Apple. HP sells an HP-branded iPod and preinstalls the related iTunes jukebox and music store on HP computers,” Bishop reports. “Without the HP Tunes feature, Media Center PC users would need to exit the Windows Media Center interface and use the ordinary Windows desktop to access their iTunes music. That’s because Microsoft’s music software doesn’t play songs encoded in the AAC format that Apple uses.”
Bishop reports, “It would have been ‘mind-boggling’ for people who bought both HP iPods and HP Media Center PCs not to have a connection to iTunes within the Media Center PC interface, said Jupiter Research analyst Michael Gartenberg. For that reason, he said, it was ‘a really good move on HP’s part’ to create HP Tunes.”
Full article here.
very interesting!
If it makes windows users happy, then cool! Way to go HP!
Somewhere out there a Win Media center programmer is crying.
If folks are going to buy a mindless Windoze box lets hope they choose an HP.
I bet Billy Gates is pissed about this…. Imagine… he’s been trying to get His Steveness to do this for a long time !
I hope this version get “leaked” to other media center PC makers…
Right now we need to be worrying about MS’s move to control the DRM format with it’s PlayWithSelf initiative. People are going to buy that crappy idea without realizing that doing so will eventually result in having to pay a monthly fee to MS for the right to listen to music and watch videos that they DON”T EVEN GET TO OWN.
If spreading this version of Win Media Center would mean helping to solidify or increase the % of the more sensible DRM, than so be it.
man I hope apple releases some kind of media center mac
The PayTheMicrosoftTaxAndItWillWork logo.
Al: exactly.
rofl with Red Wings
erk, see a post in this thread:
http://www.macdailynews.com/comments.php?id=P3637_0_1_0
HP think about how their customers want to use their machines. It’s the thing that makes them so much better than Dell, Gateway etc.
iTunes, iPod on Windows….
Nothing more than the most sophisticated Trojan Horse ever devised.
When LongHorn finally makes its debut – and the Windoze users discover that they need all new hardware to run it (which they will)… Are they going to purchase a new PC for LongHorn, or say, “Well, I’ve got to buy a new computer anyway… Let’s look at the Mac” ?
In about three years, the Mac will be an unstoppable juggernaut.
Meanwhile – here Windows users, try this iPod… try this iTunes…. Nice, eh?
Heh heh heh…..
erk: ditto!! I really hope Apple will come up with something, which – ofcourse – will be at lot easier to use.
When you’re in WMP10 go to personal media players, the Apple iPod is on the top of the list…Microshaft is gonna sell ipods for apple because of HP and HP will also sell music and PC’s for MSN.
Glick”
Are they going to purchase a new PC for “Longhorn, or say, “Well, I’ve got to buy a new computer anyway… Let’s look at the Mac””
I dought it. there is to much vested in alot of users Systems. (SOFTWARE) Usually, they will either upgrade the OS on newer systems or buy another System. Users of older systems will still run LH without avalon, thus running much faster. Even if apple gained significant market share, would they stay the same company? Or become another stumbling corporation?
From what I’ve seen in Loooooonghorn, OS X will mostly have to catch up again. I think most of your obssessions with LH have been baseless, Have you used the new API’s?
Or the new shell…Does anyone know that MSDOS is actually gone?
BTW I think that Itunes being available on MSN is Great..Unfortunatly, MS will just sell more Licenses..
2Cent
I think Apple believes the Mac already is a Media Center – you don’t get much more integrated than iLife. But if they add photo capabilities to the iPod and push AirPort Express, they have a new approach to the whole Media Center thing.
I would suspect that the software to do this was actually developed by Apple. It portends something else in the future?
“From what I’ve seen in Loooooonghorn, OS X will mostly have to catch up again”
Longhorn is trying to catch up with osX at this time… by the time it is finally released (in a stripped down version that is… 2006? 2007? whatever) os X will be updated several times.
” I think most of your obssessions with LH have been baseless”
I think comparing software that doesn’t even exist (and won’t be available for at least a year) with software that’s actually been available for more than a year now is… way beyond baseless. Go back to your own site mr Thurrott.