channel surround sound. Media Center PCs are aimed primarily at consumers who want to use their PC as a simple-to-use multimedia center, notes Toshiba's Gabriel Willigens. "More demanding users want their content at any time and any location," Willigens says. This means that media center devices must be designed to use data immediately, anywhere, Willigens adds. Toshiba offers four laptop models equipped with the Media Center edition of Windows XP. They cost between 2,400 and 3,000 dollars apiece, depending on the options package. Microsoft currently claims 14 manufacturers as its partner in the MCE 2005 effort. Yet PCs with the MCE interface are nevertheless poorly suited to the family room, Knaak believes. --more 1143 Local Time 0843 GMT
