Theater In Your Pocket!!
by Gary Woods

One of the things that I never though would catch on is watching movies on your computer. But, as with so many things I think won't work, a lot of people think they're great. People are watching movies on their computer while they travel around and love every minute of it.

So, to continue down that road of smaller entertainment packages, Microsoft has come up with its' new Portable Media Center. These pocket-sized devices feature a 3.5inch screen with 64 MB of RAM and Hard Disks ranging in size from 20GB to 60GB.

The Windows CE based machines will sync with any Windows XP system to provide digital videos, feature-length movies, digital music, TV Shows, photos and music videos on the go. And, they can hold up to 175 hours of video on a 40 GB drive with battery life for at least one full-length movie. To provide content Microsoft has partnered with CinemaNow for DVD-quality digital movies for rental and with Napster to provide digital music.

The Portable Media Center hardware and software will have content navigation shortcuts. For example, the OEM devices have preset buttons for jumping to your favorites. Also, The gadgets will have USB 2.0 connectivity, headphones, and A/V output for streaming to a TV, stereo or other device.

Manufacturers like Creative Labs, iRiver; Samsung, Sanyo and ViewSonic will ship them in the second half of the year for a price of between $400 and $700.

If you have any suggestions or questions for me please drop me a note at garyandlaury@santabarbaraproperties.com or see my column on the Internet at http://www.santabarbaraproperties.com or call me at (805) 729-0910