Microsoft is seeking to establish a new category of mobile devices that allow people to take all their digital media content from their Windows XP computers, including digital videos, home movies, digital music, television shows, and digital photos, and play them on a variety of output devices. Portable Media Centers, which are expected to be commercially available in the second half of 2004, will support Windows Media 9 Series audio and video formats, as well as MP3. Users will be able to sync Windows XP-based digital media content to the device to listen to thousands of hours of music on the go, watch digitally recorded television shows, home movies, or digital videos, and store and view digital photo albums.
Device manufacturers such as Creative, iRiver International, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., SANYO Electric Co. Ltd. and ViewSonic Corp. have announced they are developing Portable Media Center devices. Microsoft has also signed original design manufacturers (ODMs) Tatung Co. and AboCom Systems.
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