Charlie Owen - An Open Response From Microsoft (Or, At Least, A Microsoft Blogger)

An Open Response From Microsoft (Or, At Least, A Microsoft Blogger)

Via an email from Robert Scoble I learn Ross Rader has asked us in An Open Letter to Microsoft to ship a standalone upgrade SKU of Windows Vista containing Media Center...

"I would very much like it if you made it easy (not free, just easy) for me to upgrade this older, but still quite functional, personal computer from Windows XP to Windows Media Center. Think of it – potentially millions of people adopting a Microsoft product in a way that will be really important for you. If you make it available, I promise that my current desktop will move from my home office to my living room about 30 seconds after I install my shiny new Media Center software.

So whaddya think?"

I think it's a great idea, Ross. If it were up to me alone it would have been done a long time ago (and I have ardently supported the MSDN Subscription install-it-yourself approach for the enthusiast community for a while now, even if it isn't available to Joe Consumer in retail).

But lowly little ol' me doesn't make these decisions. We need a bunch of people making a bunch of noise to make this happen.

So...

If you think it's a great idea too, leave a comment here to vote your support of this offering. I promise to make sure your voice is heard by those who decide our SKU strategy. The more comments, the better our chances.

Let's all make Ross' 30 second dream a reality!

Categories: Media Center | Windows Vista | Comments [61] |

| Posted on Friday, January 13, 2006 6:30:55 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Friday, January 13, 2006 8:21:08 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

A vote is placed. :)

Certainly, what's better to have all the enhanced multimedia support intergrates into single machine?

cheong

Friday, January 13, 2006 9:13:08 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Another vote here!

Micael Baerens

Friday, January 13, 2006 9:28:07 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Another vote!

Alex Taylor

Friday, January 13, 2006 9:42:13 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Me, too!

- Oliver

Oliver

Friday, January 13, 2006 10:47:06 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Word!

James

Friday, January 13, 2006 12:11:01 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

It's got my vote.

To get Media Centre edition out into the market, it really needs to be accessed by anyone.

Kenneth

Friday, January 13, 2006 12:49:58 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Hear, hear.

Another vote.

Simon

Friday, January 13, 2006 12:50:08 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Oh Aye! Top idea!

Chris Sansbury

Friday, January 13, 2006 1:02:34 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

One more vote for the pile!

Luke Smith

Friday, January 13, 2006 1:03:14 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Absolutely.

Randy Harris

Friday, January 13, 2006 1:06:17 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Here's another vote for it!

MikeTemporale

Friday, January 13, 2006 1:18:28 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

another vote!

William Beekhuis

Friday, January 13, 2006 1:20:44 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

One more vote...

mbg

Friday, January 13, 2006 1:24:58 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Excellent idea.....another vote here

Kevan Hampson

Friday, January 13, 2006 1:30:01 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Yes, sounds like a great idea to me!

Rory Finneren

Friday, January 13, 2006 1:32:35 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Absolutely. In fact, it's stupid NOT to do it.

Richard Stringfellow

Friday, January 13, 2006 1:35:45 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

I thought Vista was going to have the Tablet and MCE bits in all the SKU's? I thought that was the plan to elminate the confussion of the XP line of SKU. If that is the case shouldn't you be able to upgrade from XP (Home, Pro, Tablet, MCE) to Vista and get the MCE bits? Are the MCE bits restricted during upgrade to only machines that previously had MCE bits? Does a new install get MCE bits?

Brian Hoyt

Friday, January 13, 2006 1:42:10 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

You got my vote. I wished they had done this a long time ago along with releasing a software version of an MCE extender. Any ideas on why they wouldn't do this?

Saurabh

Friday, January 13, 2006 1:43:24 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Tick... Or is it a cross. Either way you have another vote from me.

Travis Koger

Friday, January 13, 2006 2:05:58 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Same here!

Mads Bjerre

Friday, January 13, 2006 2:19:42 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

I'm with Brian above. I thought that MCE was going to be in all the consumer versions,and the complete version, of the SKU? I'm definitely looking forward to the day I can build a MCE server that will fit into my rack.

Confused (Rick)

Rick Lobrecht

Friday, January 13, 2006 2:27:28 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

YAV!

(Yet Another Vote)

Eric D. Burdo

Friday, January 13, 2006 2:41:42 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

It would certainly make me want to buy Media Centre more.

Long Zheng

Friday, January 13, 2006 3:02:12 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

it would make it easier for developers to got on board.

the Tablet PC team used to have this same problem, but now they've got the recognizer pack and it makes it easy to develop and test Tablet apps on any machine.

casey chesnut

Friday, January 13, 2006 3:04:01 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Make that another vote!

Jon Hassell

Friday, January 13, 2006 3:10:19 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

dear god yes.
an upgrade SKu would be the only reason i would bother with vista.

adam

Friday, January 13, 2006 3:16:08 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

I'm all over that.
Would love to upgrade my Windows XP box to Windows Media

Alan Kleymeyer

Friday, January 13, 2006 3:46:15 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

sign me up! It would make life much easier, and you would sell millions of copies to 360 owners

christopher bermingham

Friday, January 13, 2006 3:51:23 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

You got my vote. =)

MattP

Friday, January 13, 2006 4:16:20 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

PLEASE!!! Pretty Please!! ...with media bits on top!

David

Friday, January 13, 2006 4:17:35 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Yep i give my vote

andyuk_nufc

Friday, January 13, 2006 4:17:36 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

You got my Vote!!!

Jonathan O.

Friday, January 13, 2006 5:01:03 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

I would definitely upgrade my XP to MCE if such an upgrade was available!

Kirupa

Friday, January 13, 2006 6:08:48 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Considering all the me-too products are doing it, this is a definite plus. If I already own a legit copy of XP, I don't really want a second copy just so I can install an app. That's like making me buy another license of XP so that I can run Office.

If MS is fearing support headaches, make it an e-deliverable only, like the Plus! pack and it would weed out the potential support hassles of having grandma buy it from a retail store.

Jake Ludington

Friday, January 13, 2006 6:16:17 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

I vote for it. I'm well aware that the hardware support is pretty limited (like the narrow support of PC remote controls), but I'd gladly replace a few components on my machine just to run some nice Media Center software.

It's either that or buy a new hard drive and order an OEM copy of Media Center, because I don't plan on buying a whole new system when I have a perfectly good extra machine sitting around collecting dust.

Matthew W. Jackson

Friday, January 13, 2006 6:23:25 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Another vote for this. I would really love to upgrade my Windows XP Home to a media center now that I have an XBOX360 sitting next to my TV. It makes perfect sense to be able to buy/download an upgrade. When I bought my computer from Dell, they didn't have Windows Media Center as a cheap option, but now the same model I bought comes pre-installed with a Windows Media Center edition without any extra cost. I want in too!

Cheers

Saurabh Garg

Friday, January 13, 2006 6:46:00 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Colin

Friday, January 13, 2006 6:49:08 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

I support it too. The current OEM model is broken. Consumers are left high and dry if their hardware munfacturer decides against issuing an upgrade to newer versions of MCE. Microsoft currently won't issue upgrades either, so users are left with perfectly good hardware but no hope of receiving the benefits of newer versions of MCE unless they buy the OEM OS from newegg, tigerdirect, etc. which then guarantees they won't receive support from the manufacturing company any more. If MS would treat MCE as they do with the rest of their OS's as a standalone, upgradable OS then we wouldn't have these problems.

Kevin

Friday, January 13, 2006 7:45:21 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

I wish we had an xp-to-MCE upgrade available now.

Shannon J Hager

Friday, January 13, 2006 7:48:28 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

You've got my vote.

Mark

Friday, January 13, 2006 8:43:03 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

I support the offering and hope MS does something soon.

Rupak Ganguly

Friday, January 13, 2006 11:48:51 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Put down my vote in support- I would buy an upgrade like that in a heartbeat, yet I probably would wait a few more years before I would buy a brand new PC.

J Allen

Saturday, January 14, 2006 3:34:20 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Even though Ross is a friend and makes fun of me for being a Mac guy I do still run a Windows Media Center at my home (with an extender on my xbox) So yes please! This change would be of great benefit to Microsoft and its customers (and half customers ;-)

James Woods

Saturday, January 14, 2006 7:47:06 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Um, am I alone in thinking that the letter's been misread here?

As I read it, it's asking for a Windows XP MCE bolt-on upgrade for the existing MCE PC, not a Windows Vista Media Centre upgrade.

Either way, it has my vote, but bluntly, I don't think Microsoft will be interested in the slightest in providing legacy technology upgrades when there's a Hot New Media Centre in Vista.

Spongbo

Saturday, January 14, 2006 7:48:35 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Bleh- an MCE bolt-on for the existing "Windows XP" PC.

The guy wants to keep his PC pretty much unchanged, but add the MCE components to it. Not upgrade to an edition of Vista that may include MCE.

Spongbo

Saturday, January 14, 2006 4:48:29 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

I didn't quote 100% of Ross' post, so I encourage you to read all of it over on his blog (link is in the body of my post). He starts the letter with...

"When you release Vista, there are going to be hundreds of thousands, if not millions of consumers, people like me, that will be upgrading from Windows XP to Windows Vista."

So I took it to mean he wants the option of Media Center to be included in an upgrade path from Windows XP to Windows Vista.

The answer to your question regarding an upgrade path from Windows XP (Pro or Home) to Windows XP Media Center Edition was decided long ago: It won't be offered. Windows Vista represents our next chance to get an upgrade path to Media Center from a non Media Center SKU of Windows XP.

Charlie Owen

Saturday, January 14, 2006 6:09:16 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

mmm, yes, this should be an option, I already run MCE 2005, with my 360 and everyone i know LOVES it, and they all want and ask why they can get MCE. Does MS want to explain that they cannot get it even though their computers are more than capable....

While we are at it, could we get MS to allow xbox 360 codec downloads, so i can play other movies on my 360. I sure dont mind speding a few thousand Microsoft points on that

badri

Saturday, January 14, 2006 9:13:45 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Charlie can you please answer the question I posed above? Aren't the MCE bits default (along with tablet) in all sku's for Vista. I thought that was what was published. Or have the feature sets of the respective SKU's not been hammered out yet? I guess the clear lines between XP Home and Pro didn't happen (to the outside world) until RC1 time frame so the same may be the case for Vista.

Brian Hoyt

Saturday, January 14, 2006 9:42:58 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

As far as I know plans for SKUs have not been decided (set in stone). Although if I did know, they probably wouldn't pick me to be the official spokesperson -- PR and marketing folks largely decide when this type of information is released to the public, and I'm not a marketing wonk.

So, as of today the SKU structure has not been announced. There has been much speculation online based on this or that supposed memo but no official announcements.

As soon as the information is available to the public I will post a pointer here on my blog.

Charlie Owen

Saturday, January 14, 2006 11:07:33 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Hell yes!
A standalone upgrade SKU
of Windows Vista containing Media Center.

This is just what the doctor ordered

Christian

Sunday, January 15, 2006 2:40:33 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Another vote from me

Chris

Sunday, January 15, 2006 3:48:20 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Here's my vote!

Sidibe

Sunday, January 15, 2006 6:25:20 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

YES!!!!!!

And, along the lines of the MSDN install-it-yourself thingy;
howabout a way for individuals to do this?
Wouldn't it b enice for someone who, say, buys a laptop, and no longe uses their desktop, to turn said desktop into a Media Center?
I mean, they can do that already, using Sage or Myth, but how about letting them do it up with MICROSOFT?!?

vern

Monday, January 16, 2006 1:39:07 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Another vote!

Guido D

Monday, January 16, 2006 3:30:32 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Makes perfect sense to me, you've got my vote Ross.

James

Monday, January 16, 2006 9:28:41 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Yes, please. please please please. I would purchase said upgrade today. Make sure it supports HD over cable as well.

Mark

Tuesday, January 17, 2006 5:10:38 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Yes, with my Xbox 360 I need a Media Center.

Nate

Friday, January 20, 2006 5:30:54 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

are you kidding me? I would not only have Windows Media Center running on my 'home server' but I'd also have already bought an Xbox360 so I could enjoy the MCE features in my family room.

So, tell your bosses that the lack of an upgrade path to MCE already cost them Xbox360 sales.

Jon

Friday, January 27, 2006 3:04:19 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

As with other people, I would definately buy an XBox360 if I could afford to get a media center pc.. as it stands I cant afford both, and if I could get an affordable upgrade to my current XP, I would definately buy them both straight away!

AndrewT

Sunday, February 12, 2006 9:14:17 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Add another vote thanks :)

Rob

Monday, March 13, 2006 8:12:23 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Heres a vote from me! Please Make this happen

Ingi

Comments are closed.