Windows 7

By now even the residents of Pyongyang are aware that Windows Vista has had a mixed reception. Nomad is of course employing a euphemism in using the term "mixed reception". Indeed many people hate Vista with an irrational venom that Nomad chooses to reserve for 'the corporation'. The major complaint levelled at Vista is that it is too slow. Microsoft has had a long history of producing new releases that required increased processing power to run acceptably. Fortunately for Microsoft the capability of a new off the shelf PC kept on increasing faster than the demands of its latest product. The problem with Vista has been that while PC capability is still improving it is now doing so only at a crawl. Microsoft has consequently been forced into re-engineering Vista and releasing it as Windows 7. The beta versions of Windows 7 are said to show much improved performance.

This is all very interesting you are probably saying (or not as the case may be), but what does it have to do with Video Podcasting?

Windows Media Center originally appeared in a version of XP. Unfortunately this version of XP was never made generally available. As things stand to get hold of Windows Media Center you need to install Vista. Windows Media Centre lets you replay media on your PC. More interestingly it also lets your PC act as a server for Media Centre Extender clients. The Linksys DMA2200, which was covered in a previous post, is one example of an extender client. The clients are designed to provide a "10 foot interface" meaning that you can drive it from your armchair using a remote control. Windows Media Center can also be used to sync files on portable devices.

Windows Media Center will be part of Windows 7 which will also be DLNA certified. So it looks like Windows 7 will become a desirable item for digital media users. Microsoft have not yet announced a release date for Windows 7 but October is the hot rumour.