Found these pictures on my computer and decided to upload here. These were taken during the Miscrofot Windows Media Center Edition (MCE) 2005 in Auckland, October 2004. I was invited by Microsoft to fly there and present Portable Media Center devices - for that I used the Creative Zen PMC (read our review).
During the same session we had PC manufacturers and resellers showing their products. Some of the MCE devices here look very good next to a receiver - they don't look like computers at all. Actually a couple of these don't even come with a keyboard, relying on the remote control for all operationrs - even entering information. Of course, being full computers based on Windows XP with the Media Center software you can attach any peripherals like you'd expect.
I can't remember all brands, but one is the Krome Hush mini-ITX, very silent, no fans in the case! The other one is the Stylah (a New Zealand brand). And of course the HP.
Note the links are to NZ distributors, but I know that at least the HP and the Hush mini-ITX are available in Europe and USA.
