Microsoft has rechristened Freestyle Windows XP Media Center and proposes to ship it as a special edition of XP in time for this year's holiday season. It won't be sold separately, allegedly because it's "closely tied to the hardware." We do not, however, altogether understand this because although XP Media Center PCs come with a special remote control and all the hardware you'd need to make them audio-video media centres, it would surely not be beyond the wit of Microsoft to sell it bundled with a remote. But then it wouldn't be giving its special friends in the PC industry a clear run at this compelling package aimed at the youth market, and priced from $1,000-$2,000.
The remote unit has a start button on it, and this gives you a special control display on the screen. This may well turn out to be the new UI originally promised for Freestyle. The 'new OS' will "debut in stores in the United States, Canada and South Korea in time for this year's US holiday season.
News source: The Reg
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