Jack Poison

Sadly, it's this kinda thing which pizzes me off, rather than wanting to buy it... Blindingly obvious technology marketed years too late to Microsoft's own developer following.

Who is the target audience for this?

Sounds overly complex for the average home user. (Looking at the On10 Video)

For me, it's great, but it would be much easier for me to simply install an XP box and open up file sharing (which I actually do now with my media center).

Microsoft still hasn't learned simplicity or timing. The UI is improved, it seems.. A nice start, but it isn't easy enough for the average mon/dad home user.

This technology, from what I can determine, is nothing majorly new. The Media Center PC has been out since 2004. MP3s etc., have been mainstream since Napster v1.0 (at least 1999). Why has it taken Microsoft so long to do this? Any why will it take forever to RTM?

dentaku wrote:

The XBOX 360 controller support is great. I just installed it and it works very well.
Unfortunately my DSL connection isn't as fast at the network at MS so the data doesn't load quite as smoothly as it did in this video.

This HAS to be re-renamed Virtual Earth.
live.local.com tells me nothing about the product and is VERY hard to remember.

LOL You mean local.live.com..

One more reason to re-name it.

"Hey, friends, check this cool thing out! It's so neat! 3D Maps! Just go to local dot live dot com, and you'll see it.."

compared to

"Hey, friends, check out Google Earth. It's so cool!"  (Search for Google Earth on Google, and its the first result returned)

Guess what people will remember?



For what it's worth: I vote to change it back to Virtual Earth... If the web site isn't taken.

I wonder how long it will take Apple or any of the Open Source OS's to utilize these features.