CES: Gates keynote short on new technology

Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates Wednesday presented a host of consumer-oriented technologies at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas but his keynote address touched on just one previously unannounced product.

Windows Media Center Extender, a technology that will wirelessly link computers running Microsoft's Windows XP Media Center Edition with televisions, headlined as the only really new product announcement from Microsoft in Gates' sixth year keynoting at CES.

Media Center PCs allow users to use a remote control to provide access via TV to photos, video and music stored on their PC, as well as selected Internet services such as movie downloads. The Windows Media Center Extender removes the need to physically connect the TV to the PC or even have it in the same room.

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Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates Wednesday presented a host of consumer-oriented technologies at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas but his keynote address touched on just one previously unannounced product.

Windows Media Center Extender, a technology that will wirelessly link computers running Microsoft's Windows XP Media Center Edition with televisions, headlined as the only really new product announcement from Microsoft in Gates' sixth year keynoting at CES.

Media Center PCs allow users to use a remote control to provide access via TV to photos, video and music stored on their PC, as well as selected Internet services such as movie downloads. The Windows Media Center Extender removes the need to physically connect the TV to the PC or even have it in the same room.

Although the extender is new for Microsoft, it is not a new idea. Sony and HP introduced similar products last year and, earlier on Wednesday, Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV unveiled a flat-screen television, home theater system and extender boxes that do much the same as Microsoft's Windows Media Extender.

Microsoft hardware partners including Gateway, Dell and Samsung Electronics will sell the extenders, which should be on the market by year-end and will come in the shape of set-top boxes or built into televisions. The boxes should cost between $300 and $600, Microsoft officials said.

HP and Gateway will offer TVs that incorporate the technology, Gates said. One HP flat-screen TV with the extender built in was demonstrated on stage.

Microsoft will offer an Xbox Media Center Extender kit for its Xbox game console to connect to Media Center PCs. This kit, which will work much like the Xbox Music Mixer, is expected to sell for under $100, according to Microsoft.

Gates also demonstrated a Microsoft Portable Media Center, previously known as Media2Go. He announced that when the portable audio and video players become available later this year, Windows Media Player will be updated with synchronization technology. Media2Go was renamed Portable Media Center last year and release of the devices was pushed back by a year.

As expected, Gates also officially launched MSN Premium, software designed for multi-user households with broadband access that offers firewall, antispam, antivirus and enhanced e-mail and instant messaging options. Microsoft also offers a dressed down version for single users called MSN Plus.

MSN Premium also includes a broad content offering. Gates, was joined on stage by TV personality Jay Leno, host of NBC's "The Tonight Show." NBC has agreed to deliver content for Microsoft's new MSN offering. Other content partners include the Discovery Channel, National Hockey League, Showtime and AtomFilms, Microsoft said.

MSN Premium is priced on a subscription basis at $9.95 per month, Microsoft officials said. The MSN products succeed MSN 8 Internet Software and will be the first to be offered worldwide by Microsoft. However, Microsoft only launched English-language versions targeted at the U.S. market at CES.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.