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DesignTechnica has posted an editorial "Message to Microsoft: Merge Portable Media Center Into Pocket PC"



Portable Media Center and PocketPC are two seperate variants of Windows Mobile, but why carry two devices?

I know the novelty of having a dedicated portable audio/video device that lets you take your PC’s media content with you on the go is appealing, but so is taking your contact and calendar information. From my understanding both devices are running a variant of Windows Mobile, so why would I want to carry two separate devices (both roughly about the same size and using the same processors) when I can carry one? In reality all Microsoft would need to do is give the Pocket PC a hard drive and expand the personal information management (PIM) software to include a Media Center option (think of it like launching Excel or Word in the Pocket PC environment) that would have all the functionality of the upcoming Portable Media Center (PMC). Another option would be to just beef up the already included Windows Media Player (that by the way already plays audio and video files) bundled into Pocket PC and dump the Media Center affiliation. If Microsoft thinks I am off base here, then maybe they should have a look at the Archos AV500 that does everything I just mentioned and some.
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