We wanted to give you an overview of the new solution presented by Microsoft. This will be neither a test nor an assessment - that will be for later.

Microsoft made a first step towards "convergence" last year with its Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 - a concentric vision of digital leisure. The PC becomes the center, hosting consumer electronic devices, becoming a television set, VCR, photo projector, and stereo. Such a vision doesn't really correspond to the expectations of the majority of households, however. The Media Center can be installed in the living room and act as a TV or as a recorder, but who wants to write a letter or surf the Web with no keyboard, sitting on the sofa? It can also be installed in an office, but then the whole family would have to gather in there to watch the evening news. The first version of the Media Center is an all-in-one solution. It's only really perfect for a dorm room or as a second system for well-heeled families.

Over the past year, the needs and expectations of users more and more hungry to enjoy digital leisure have been taking shape. It's now generally accepted by most people that the source of entertainment should be a computer. Music, video, photos - all pass through the PC that acquires them, stores them, and then distributes them for consumption. The bedroom or home office remains the perfect place for this, and also for navigating the Internet and performing office chores. On the other hand, distribution of the digital content must be able to happen elsewhere, in a location that lends itself to family relaxation - or else in a mobile fashion, wherever people happen to be. Such an installation is already possible with current technologies and devices. What's been missing until now is a common interface that lets everyone access content where it is, without needing a great deal of computer knowledge.