imageInteresting post from Mary Jo Foley about Windows Media Center. She wonders if Microsoft are looking to push Windows Media Center as a solution to the lack of dedicated touch UI for Windows Slates.  This week while in London, Steve Ballmer said “what you’ll see over the course of the next year is us doing more and more work with our hardware partners creating hardware-software optimisations with Windows 7 and with Windows 7 Media Center” (quote from Mary Jo’s blog)

Since Microsoft added touch support in Windows Media Center (with Windows 7) I have found Media Center works great with touch screen devices and works great on small form factor devices. In fact Media Center was about the only application that worked well on my Samsung Q1 and Media Center works great on my HP Touchsmart. So I can see where Microsoft are coming from and of course there is a app store for Windows Media Center but its still no replacement for a dedicated mobile OS

0 thoughts on “Is Microsoft betting on Media Center to save its Windows slate bacon?”
  1. Media Center as is will not work, a Slate is not a device i would want to consume my Media on, however Windows Phone7 look may work or at the very least look better on a device the size of a Slate

    The Media Center UI is better suited for a dedicated under TV box where as a Phone7 UI would keep the portable family of devices visually similar, it may also be a way of introducing Apps from the M/s App store when opened next week, without Apps a portable device it seems is limited

    we shall see what transpires Monday

Leave a Reply