Jeremy Charette
06-05-2006, 02:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.cepro.com/news/editorial/11999.html' target='_blank'>http://www.cepro.com/news/editorial/11999.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"AMD has finally unveiled its strategy for Media Center Edition (MCE), months after archrival Intel launched Viiv. AMD's solution, called AMD Live!, is a far cry from Viiv, except of course for the rhyming thing. Let's start with the basic hardware and software requirements. Like Intel, AMD requires its Live! branded products to meet certain requirements. Intel requires (at least today) that Viiv machines incorporate Intel's processors, chipsets and network adapters. Some system builders claim that the requirements inhibit them from creating higher-end Viiv machines, noting for example that Intel's motherboards accommodate a limited number of PCI slots. (Gradually, third-party Viiv-blessed mainboards are in fact coming to market.) Since AMD only makes processors, however, PC makers are free to use motherboards and other components from the suppliers of their choice, as long as they do use AMD's Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processor with Cool'n'Quiet technology. Cool'n'Quiet, according to AMD, can effectively reduce power consumption and enable a quieter-running system by generating power according to user demands."</i><br /><br /> <img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/3836" /> <br /><br />If it walks like a marketing gimmick, and it talks like a marketing gimmick...yup. This seems to be AMD's answer to Intel's marketing department. There's no perceptible performance or form factor difference from AMD's standard processors. As for Cool'n'Quiet, well, that's something most modern processors do these days, automatic speed-stepping based on CPU load. What I'd rather have seen is a true HTPC spec like Intel's Viiv, with small form factors being the norm. Thanks, but I'll skip both. I'd rather have a really fast and powerful desktop PC in the office running Windows MCE, and an Xbox 360 in every room acting as a MCE extender.