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gemelos
New Member
Joined: 31 Mar 2006
Posts: 18
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 Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2006 9:40 am Post subject: SP2? no support for Media Center? |
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I understand the need for XP or higher.... they probably only wrote drivers for XP.... but why SP2? I don't understand the whole "single disk" thing... why does the XP install need to be on one disk? Once you get past the Boot Camp setup and make a partition for XP, what difference does it make if the install is one or two disks??? How does that affect Boot Camp??? How would Boot Camp even know?
The Media Center thing seems to be a "single disk" issue.... which, again, I don't understand.... other than the extra Media Center apps, it is XP Pro less some networking aspects (login onto a domain). Actually, my understadning is that all the primary XP install disks are the same, the product code determines which components get installed.
I am coming from many years in the PC/Windows world. I just bought my first Mac ever - MacIntel Mini... so far I really love the OSX interface - I am still feeling my way around and have a few grips UI grips - but I find it very clean.... could also be the novelty. When i first saw the Boot Camp release I thought "cool".... but then as I thought more, I wasn't sure I wanted to be staring at Windows again....
My main issue in the PC-Mac switch was all the apps I have for Windows.... and I still have a Windows based laptop.... so every time I buy an app it will work on only one machine.... but for most of my computer use being web surfing, email, iTunes, and rip/burn CDs... the OS doesn't matter... and when the apps start becoming web based, it will matter less. |
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psp888
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Joined: 05 Apr 2006
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2006 9:57 am Post subject: |
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| the problem with Media center is it's on 2 disk, when installing media center and it prompts to enter disc 2, there is no way of ejecting the disc. |
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gemelos
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Joined: 31 Mar 2006
Posts: 18
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| Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2006 10:05 am Post subject: |
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| psp888 wrote: | | the problem with Media center is it's on 2 disk, when installing media center and it prompts to enter disc 2, there is no way of ejecting the disc. |
So that's the issue with two disks.... you can't eject the first disk!!! That throws a wrench in the whole thing.... BUT....
I haven't installed Media Center, but with XP Pro you can choose which feature to install... and later reinsert the OS disk and install (or remove) the features that weren't installed originally.... I would expect that the Media Center part could be skipped initially, and then install those apps after Windows is up and running. |
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psp888
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Joined: 05 Apr 2006
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2006 10:17 am Post subject: |
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SP2 is on disc 2 of media center.
There is a guide somewhere to create a single DVD from the 2 disc which bypasses the problem. And people have managed to install media center |
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agruenebaum
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Joined: 13 Mar 2006
Posts: 172
Location: Neverland, Vatican
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| Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2006 4:05 pm Post subject: Welcome at Windows World |
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Hi there,
welcome at Windows World! These postings just remind me on the problems I had with installing Windows Media Center on PC. 
Here are the points I would like to make:
A) MacMini works fine with Front Row right out of the box. 
B) EyeTV works fine but is yet not supported by Front Row. 
C) I don't see any benefit offWindows XP or Windows Media Center against Front Row & EyeTV 
D) If you want Windows Media Center, you may be better off buying a PC such as Acer etc..
E) If you really want to work on your Mac - you better don't waste all that expensive hardrive Space for Windows Media Center. Maybe you get an extra Wintel machine for that costs.
I do use my G5 for work and the MacMini for pleasure. I really appreciate Windows XP on my (not yet dellivered) MacBook just for the sake of a specialised Windows software enabling to connect to my own business network. |
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psp888
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Joined: 05 Apr 2006
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 3:24 am Post subject: |
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Media center interface is far superiour to Front Row, with the integeration of PVR, tv listings, dual tuner support to name a few.
The reason why people want Media center on the mini mac is because it is small, powerful enough to run all the different video codecs including high definition content and most importantly is because it's quiet. You dont want to be watching a film with serveral fan blasting away. |
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agruenebaum
Member
Joined: 13 Mar 2006
Posts: 172
Location: Neverland, Vatican
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| Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 9:08 am Post subject: you made a point |
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I guess Apple has made a big hit with the MacMini Intel Core Duo. It's superior to all other PCs by performance per Watt or better performance per noise, all combined with high-end design. However, the same is true for MacOS X compared against Windows XP.
I do have some limited experience with Windows Multimedia Center since it is installed on an Acer Multimedia PC in my personal office and I really must say: I don't like it at all. Maybe it's just the look and feel compared to front row. I also expect Apple is going to update front row soon. Perhaps someone at Apple already watches elgato (with eyeTV) very closely. |
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cjb110
Junior Member
Joined: 09 Apr 2006
Posts: 24
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| Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 5:41 am Post subject: Re: Welcome at Windows World |
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| agruenebaum wrote: |
C) I don't see any benefit offWindows XP or Windows Media Center against Front Row & EyeTV
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first and most obvious is support...on my xp build i can get full support of every media format within 30 mins.
I'm new to macs but initial investigations don't seem positive.
I do like front row...and tbh if I can get front row to play mov's, avi's (with mp3 and ac3 sound) and mpg's then that will be great. rm and wmv would be an added bonus.
| Quote: |
D) If you want Windows Media Center, you may be better off buying a PC such as Acer etc..
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not if you can get a mini mac working fully with it...as apple have designed and made a very very nice bit of hardware, silent, small but powerful enough.
There isn't a windows only equiv box, the new VIIV's might be (one looked quite good...but not as powerful) |
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edsel6502
Junior Member
Joined: 20 Mar 2006
Posts: 37
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| Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 8:39 pm Post subject: |
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I'm replying right now on the mini with XP. Doing a massive windows update in the background.
What bother me is that firefox launches in 30% faster than it takes to launch in MacOS X.
The anser to useing MCE 2005 XP is yes.
Just slipstream the MCE cds into 1 DVD. Do a google and you can figure it out.
You can also cheat by putting CD2 on an external drive. When pointed prompt to it.
MCE is superior to Frontrow. Period. Now if we could only get IR working and this would be the bee's knees.
But that said. XP on a something besides a mac mini makes more sense.
I'm pretty darn happy now that I can use the mini form factor and have a real way of playing my flac files. |
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psp888
New Member
Joined: 05 Apr 2006
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 3:14 am Post subject: |
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| edsel6502 wrote: |
MCE is superior to Frontrow. Period. Now if we could only get IR working and this would be the bee's knees.
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Totally agree with you there. Have you got a USB tv tuner?
Why dont you get the media center remote off ebay, they only cost about £20. |
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edsel6502
Junior Member
Joined: 20 Mar 2006
Posts: 37
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| Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 1:51 pm Post subject: |
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| psp888 wrote: |
Totally agree with you there. Have you got a USB tv tuner?
Why dont you get the media center remote off ebay, they only cost about £20. |
Not going to help as the IR on the macmini does not have drivers yet. Unless you mean get a USB RF dongle for MCE?.
My entertainment rig isn't the traditional stack under the TV. Heck I don't run a tv. I run a projector. So my gear is actually next to the sofa.
So I'll think I'll dig around the HTPC websites for RF based remotes.
The thing that is bugging me is that there are still some undetected devices in my device manager. Grrr. we don't seem to have drivers for them yet. I think one of them is power management and the other the IR.
At this point I'm trying to figure out how to have enough bandwidth to screen HD to the mini. I'll need 30Mbps a second for HD and maybe an audio stream or too. No way a Mac or PC with vanilla 802.11g is going to have that even in the best of conditions.
Cheers,
ed |
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