WHAT’S IN STORE? HP DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT CENTERS

Hewlett-Packard announced the availability of its new HP Digital Entertainment Center, combining digital entertainment with personal computing, though they haven’t sent us one to test yet. The Internet-ready home entertainment system, available at Best Buy and select Circuit City stores, lets consumers listen to music, search the web for new music, watch streaming videos and create custom CDs, via digital technology. Amaze and astound your friends as this marvel of the future can be yours today!

In addition to access to a music database, artist info and music content, provided by Muze, Inc, HP linked with RealNetworks to design the interface of the new product, incorporating RealPlayer and RealJukebox.

Said HP Consumer Entertainment solutions VP/GM John Spofford, "We’ve created a way for music enthusiasts to sit back and enjoy digital music from their favorite easy chair. Now if we could just build a strategic alliance with Sanisafe Self-cleaning toilets and create a toilet recliner, there’d be no reason to leave the house."

The Digital Entertainment Center is a stand-alone component that connects to stereo equipment—meaning it doesn’t really stand-alone, but let’s not quibble. It retails for $999 and can be enhanced with additions and functions downloaded from the Internet. Unlike our website, which actually detracts from the Internet.