HP m380 Photosmart PC review

At its core, MCE is a fully functional version of XP - only the networking options and high-end functionality have been removed. What has been added is a front end intended for use at a distance. Large text and icons are combined with a scroll-and-select rather than point-and-click interface. This is where the large remote comes in, with a large Windows-coloured button at its centre that calls up the MCE interface. Then the four arrow buttons, Okay and Back take over, offering a simple and intuitive control system. A number of application-specific buttons can also be found on the remote, for use with MCE's primary apps.

As standard, MCE gives access to six main applications. My TV will probably be most people's primary port of call, and MCE's main killer feature. Like digital satellite TV, My TV has a built-in EPG (electronic programming guide), which tells you exactly what's on and when. You can use this to choose what to watch now, or what to record. When a programme is one episode of many, you can choose to record the whole series as well - something no other PC PVR software can currently do. The EPG data is provided by Broadcasting Dataservices Ltd, part of BBC Worldwide, which also publishes the Radio Times. It isn't a subscription service, either - you can keep using it for the lifetime of the PC. The one thing missing is PDC (programme delivery control), so if the schedule slips your recording time won't change to compensate.

Playing DVDs is likely to be another of MCE's most oft-used features. The infrared remote's buttons can be configured to control playback just like a standalone DVD set top. My Video offers similar functionality for any video files you've captured from your camcorder or downloaded from the Internet.

My Music is one area of improvement over the first MCE release. Now, when you insert a CD, a wizard automatically fires up to take you through the ripping process without having to leave MCE. Once you've made your choices, you can then leave the copying going in the background. Once the CD has been copied, with proper track names if there's an Internet connection and the CD is listed, it's automatically included in the library. The My Music app can then browse by album, artist, and track name, or play a random shuffle of your music collection.

The My Pictures app has also been marginally improved since the first MCE. Once you've copied your digital images across, the slide show no longer displays them statically, but slowly zooms and pans, and uses a fade rather than a straight cut between each one. Limited retouching capabilities are also included. An entirely new app is the Online Spotlight, which gives access to MCE 2004's other significant new feature - the ability to plug in extra software. Online Spotlight is also where you'll find services like web movie downloads or DVD rental. Of the plug-ins, the highest profile so far is Sonic PrimeTime, which allows you to burn DVDs from within MCE.

Apart from a few distance-friendly games like Solitaire, and the fact that radio can be added if the appropriate adaptor is installed, that's pretty much all the standard MCE does. What makes the new XP version so significant, however, is how user-friendly it is. This really is a Windows you can use from your couch. It's just a pity that for the foreseeable future you'll only be able to buy it with a new PC: it won't ever be available for installation on an existing PC.

Author: Mark Walsh