Last September Hewlett-Packard launched a new style of personal computer that added the functions of a TV, VCR and music jukebox. Now more and more PC makers are taking to Microsoft's all-in-one entertainment-focused PC. HP doesn't break out sales figures on the machine, but it seems it has been surprised with the sales performance of the machine at retail--and others want in on the action.
Now the Media Center concept is coming to laptops. Japan's Toshiba is out today with a Satellite notebook that has all the functions of a Media Center PC. And chances are it will be one of the notebooks of choice among college students living in space-constrained dorm rooms and studio apartments this fall.
It's the Satellite 5205-S705, and it comes with a remote control so you can watch TV on the 15-inch screen and record your favorite shows directly to the 60-gigabyte hard drive. A CD-DVD burner is also included. Inside is an Intel Mobile Pentium 4 processor running at 2.4 gigahertz and an Nvidia GeForce FX Go 5600 graphics processor with 64 megabytes of its own memory. A set of integrated Harmom/Kardon speakers including a subwoofer should make it sound pretty good.
It's available in the usual retail outlets that carry Toshiba machines and also direct from Toshiba via its Web site for about $2,700.
Other manufacturers who have gotten on the Media Center PC bandwagon include Alienware, the privately held maker of tricked-out gaming PCs, Gateway and Viewsonic, the privately held maker of displays that has recently gotten into making PCs and PDAs. We also hear rumors that Dell (nasdaq: DELL - news - people ) is close to getting in on the game as well. That means more Media Center PCs are likely to be on the way in the coming months. Maybe they're turning out to be a hit after all.
