OT: Windows Media Center

I sure hope she demanded a full refund of the $1.99 from this app store.

But my question is: Why would anyone accept an "operating system" such as Windows 8? I'd have returned the computer for refund because a computer not being able to play DVD material can hardly be considered an up to par product these days. Or 10 years ago.

Computers are for computing. DVD players are for playing ;-) ...Jim Thompson

Times they are a changing. For years I've had VGA to NTSC adapters and foun d that what you can get for free on the internet is sometimes better than c able. A dish bill will run you like $70 for two recievers and that's with a lmost nothing. On the other hand, how much is Netflix ?

If you're into music videos there's always youtube and a downloader. Even f or music itself, things you'll never find in a record store. And half the t ime youtub quality is better than people need. Audiophiles can buy the musi c cheap in FLAC format and if they have a dcent sound card will sound just fine.

All becauase of computers, TV and radio stations, cable and dish, and espec ially any printed media sources are having alot of trouble. One of the prob lems is the consolidation od all these formerly independents has resulted i n ofter the same material being presented n all channels or stations, or in print. With the net, at least there is some divvrsity.

As far as news sources, the TV is useless. Whne they run a movie on a pay c hannel it is repeated all month. Radio stations have all the music programm ed by companies not even affilitayd with them, but rahter the record produc ers who obvious have their favorite people to push, based on their selecti ons.

It used to be different. News was local, even certain TV shows. SOme of tho se were syndicated. Soem were't. Local bands sent in demo tapes to their fa vorite local DJ who played what he wanted to play. Very few get to do that now and even those that can, won't play a demo tape because of possible cop yright problems. The whole industry sucks.

And some wonder why there is such the scramble for money, i.e. in sell what was once in public domain and relicensing it, as well as making the copyri ght laws as tight as possible. The industry is not making the money it used to, and in my opinion it is because their product sucks. That's why music frm the 1960s and 1970s is no longe rin public domain. People are buying i t instead of the junk out today.

Same with TV shows and movies. I simply cannot stand them. The sound effect s are asa annoying as a laughtrack, the camerawork looks amatuerish, and pl ot has been replaced by special effects.

The industry has shot itself in the foot and is now looking for a disabilit y check. There are too many sources on the net now. Things are on demand. y ou can pause it. You can record it in perfect quality.

Actually DVDs are passe and obsolete. I haven't stuck a disk in a computer for probably a year, except yup, I found one in a drawer and wanted to see what was on it.

If I had unlimited money, my whoe DVD collectiuon ight have ten disks and t hey would all pretty be old stuff. Stuff that came out before DVDs even exi sted.

But still, better to have it and not need it. It is a slap in the face to b uy a brand hew Windows PC and not have it play DVDs. Linux and MAC would ne ver pull that.