Music, Movies, and Pictures

Microsoft’s upcoming Portable Media Center builds upon Apple’s iPOD concept, letting users view video and photos, as well as listen to music

Table of ContentsBy Diane Alicia Dumas and Rich Hall, November 2004

Entertainment has been the driving force behind portable electronics since the introduction of the transistor radio in the 50’s. In the years that followed we’ve seen the release of the Walkman, mini-TVs, portable CD players, and most recently the Apple iPOD. The Pocket PC has always incorporated some multimedia capabilities. But Microsoft has been more focused on ubiquitous connectivity, believing it to be the single most important capability to make Windows Mobile devices appealing to consumers and business professionals.

Ubiquitous connectivity may not be a reality yet, but the major pieces of the puzzle have been developed. They include the integration of mobile phone, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth technologies into Pocket PCs and Smartphones, and the expansion of broadband WAN and wireless LAN networks in the U.S. and around the world. With these capabilities in place and growing, Microsoft is turning its attention to mobile entertainment. They have high hopes that this will be the next huge growth area for technology, and they believe that a new Windows Mobile device will play an important part in the future of mobile entertainment.

Portable Media Center—entertainment in your pocket!

The Portable Media Center (PMC) is a Windows Mobile-based handheld that is slightly larger than the Pocket PC, but focused on storing and playing back visual and audio media. These powerful devices include color displays. In addition, they include 20, 40, or 60 gigabytes of media file storage, provided by a small, internal hard disk drive. Its massive storage capability allows you to bring all the media you want with you, wherever you go. For example, a 40 GB disk can hold 160-180 hours of video, 10,000 songs, and tens of thousands of digital photos.

Music, video, and photos are transferred to the Portable Media Center from a Windows XP desktop, laptop, or tablet PC running Windows Media Player 10. If you have a Windows XP Media Center Edition with a TV connection, you will be able to transfer all of the television shows you have recorded to the Portable Media Center. The Portable Media Center plays Windows Media Video (WMV) and Windows Media Audio (WMA) files, and displays images in the Windows Media Image (WMI), JPEG, and TIFF formats.

The software that powers the Portable Media Center was developed by Microsoft, but the physical devices are designed and manufactured by “original equipment manufacturers” (OEMs). Initially, the Portable Media Center will be a closed system. You will be able to play/view media content with it, but not install third-party games and applications as you can with the Pocket PC. Creative, iRiver, Samsung, Sanyo and ViewSonic have already announced plans to introduce a Portable Media Center device. The devices will be priced at $400-$700 and be available sometime in the second half of 2004.

Creative PMC (http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?prodid=9882)

Samsung PMC (http://www.samsung.com/DigitAll/GlobalExhibition/Exhibition/ICES2004/ppk/YH999/ppk_YH999_over.htm).