HP Dumps Linux for Windows XP MCE in New Media Player 225
An anonymous reader writes "There hasn't been much said about this, but HP's new z545 Digital Entertainment Center appears to be a Windows-based re-spin of an earlier Linux-based model that HP unveiled three years ago at the Tech X NY trade show in New York, and which was sold for some time as the de100c Digital Entertainment Center. Seems like the joint's gone downhill ever since Perens left."
Re:we shall port linux to it. (Score:2, Informative)
Carly Fiorina (Score:4, Informative)
The joint started going downhill when Carly Fiorina [cgff.net] took over.
Re:My Guess (Score:5, Informative)
So the answer to your question is yes. Now I really didn't want to give it free advertising, as I think that it's wrong to encourage proprietary, closed formats like WMA.
Re:we shall port linux to it. (Score:3, Informative)
HP computer quality declining as well (Score:1, Informative)
Re:Not quite a backwards step (Score:2, Informative)
So since it would be easier to buy compatable products then try to recreate compatable ones in Linux while facing legal hurdles and patent problems.
Except there is supposed to a version of Windows Media [intervideo.com], with DRM support for embedded Linux.
Re:My Guess (Score:2, Informative)
Its not about HP or WMA, its about Microsoft. (Score:5, Informative)
Microsoft is already trying to take the HDDVD consumer market with WM9, this is just another area for them to get a foothold.
It will be the same tactic they have used in the PC Vendor market for years. Microsoft will give the product away, vendors will bite, use the product, then get locked it.
And companies no longer look for the long term goals, just what makes money the next quarter. If HP was smart, they would stick with linux, develop the software they own, and pay no licensing fees. You think they would have learned from their past experiences with Microsoft.
Call me jaded, but I see the trend everywhere, sell/buy now, whatever makes my books look good this year. This is how CEO's dump and run companies, and why mergers are so common.
Now, think 5 years from now, HP's product will look like everyone elses, what will be the difference? Nothing, they use the same software, the hardware is off the shelf. The CEO's will sell HP, another merger. Meanwhile, another billion for Microsoft.
It's good to be the only vendor, the only one choice. Er, lack of choice I should say. I bet Microsoft's stock goes up again tomorrow from this news.
It isn't a dump, they have different functions (Score:4, Informative)
The first one had:
- a cd rewriter.
It offered:
- playing of music.
The second one has
- 2(!) tuners
- a processor which can easily decode 3 dvd's parallel
- a video card which will be able to play doom3 (once the linux install is done)
- look at the I/O (which is the most important thing)
So, it is easy to see why the first one was a big miss: It didn't have/promise any functionality.
The big minuses about this system:
- a fan/harddisk. You don't want fans or harddisk hums in your living room. They are really anoying!
- $2000 for that?
- No DVB (digital tv), so it is already outdated before it is selling. (you can attach a DVB-USB device. Ah, and which software is going to support that? Just wait for the linux install guys).
The decision may have been Microsofts (Score:1, Informative)
HP is DOOMED unless there is change (Score:3, Informative)
* Spun off several sources of invention and innovation when they spun off Agilent.
* Purchased Compaq in an ill advised grab for market share. Their reason: they wanted Digital's professional services...
* Alienated their dealership channel by trying to be Dell and sell direct.
They will lose their independence sometime in the next few years when someone else wants to try to knock off IBM and Dell and wants HP -er- COmpaq -er- Digital's professional services unit.
And HP's CEO is an idiot.
Re:Not quite a backwards step (Score:2, Informative)
Perhaps you should try reading more...
ProCurve Networking by HP Launches Gigabit Switch Series that Offers Intelligence at the Network Edge [hp.com]
HP Introduces a Powerful, All-Digital Printing Solution for the Label Market [hp.com]
HP Makes Storage Networking Simple and Affordable for Growing Small and Mid-size Business Market [hp.com]
HP's New High-end Storage System Scales to Twice the Capacity of the Competition Without Disruption [hp.com]
HP Introduces Fall Lineup of Digital Photography, Music, TV, Home Projection and Entertainment Offerings in Time for Back-to-school and Holiday Shopping [hp.com]
HP Labs [hp.com]
Because HP doesn't recreate the transistor everytime it releases a new product does not mean they do not innovate. Meaningful innovation includes using the best technologies, or most adopted technologies in the market, and improving and enhancing them to improve the customer's satisfaction. There isn't much point to spending millions of dollars to recreate the iPOD, when everyone wants an iPOD and there are already a slew of other competitors out there. So... license the iPOD, add the ability to print customized skins [hp.com] to the iPOD, bundle iTunes with new HP PCs [hp.com] and offer customers the opportunity to bundle an iPOD with their HP purchases or through their normal HP sales channel.
Re:Not quite a backwards step (Score:1, Informative)
If you think it's bad looking in, try being on the inside looking out. It is FAR worse.
We have gone from a reasonably profitable technology company to a group of 150,000 or so people trying only to string together a couple of quarters of mediocre financial numbers. For what, so the High Cunt^H^H^H^H Priestess can go buy another jet.
This used to be a wonderfull company to work for. Morale was at consistantly high levels, people WANTED to come to work and put in that extra effort but not any more.
How about being told that no matter what your people do, at least 10% MUST be classed as substandard performers. What does this really mean? Out of the 89 people I have reporting to me, 9 must be classed sub-standard. So now I have the task of siting down with nine people (real flesh and blood people) and telling them their contribution to the greater HP is sub-standard. Of the nine, there are two who would definitely fall into this grouping but the other seven, not even close. Guess what this does to morale, both mine and the people reporting to me. Makes you really want to get up in the morning, battle the commute and sit a person down and have to say "Look I really think you are doing an acceptable job but my hands are tied, you need improvement". Yeah life at HP is just wonderfull.
And before I am inundated with the usual, "well quit, get out", if I was 10 years younger, or did not have two kids in college, or was not looking at giving up well over 25 years of service, I would be gone faster than a fart in a huricane.
I'm one of the lay-off-ees (Score:2, Informative)
If you're unable to reach her, its probably because she had her email account closed due to too many inquiries. Its not like she can't call India and have them give her a new account anyway.