The CenterStage Project was founded in January 2005 by Neil Curry. In May 2008, Elan Fieldgold, who was working on the Mac OS X port of XBMC, left the XBMC project and started a new project called Plex. On July 13, 2008 Plex and CenterStage projects announced that they had teamed up, with Plex developers focusing on backend and the CenterStage developers working on the GUI. The new Media Center is still under development and currently only an alpha version of Plex is available.

Freevo

Freevo started up in 2002, and, as with the majority of other Media Centers, basic functions provided can be extended by plug-ins. Freevo is written in Python, which makes it easy for users to develop new plug-ins. This may also be the reason why many plug-ins are discontinued. Various plug-ins are bundled with Freevo, and they just need to be activated. Freevo offers so many plug-ins that it is almost impossible to know and use them all. Freevo runs on Linux, but there are reports of users using it on Mac and Windows too, though a certain degree of expertise is required to install it.

MediaPortal

MediaPortal is an XBMC fork started up in February 2004 by Erwin Beckers (also known as Frodo), who was actually one of the founders of XBMC in its early days. MediaPortal is built on the Microsoft .NET framework using C#, and supports a plug-in system and a skin engine allowing users to extend the base software. In 2006, MediaPortal released the “TV server.” For the first time users can now use multiple frontends for viewing and recording TV streamed from 1 or more TV servers.

My Media System

The project My Media System (mms) was started as “Mpeg Menu System” in the summer of 2002 by Anders Rune Jensen. After a half year of development, mms was rewritten in late 2002, and mmsv2 was released in January 2003. After four years, it was time for a new name, since mms had grown out of its mpeg-only output starting point and into a full media system. The new name, My Media System, was selected with overall consensus from the forum’s users. Versions prior to 1.1.0 do not support plug-ins.

MythTV

The MythTV project was started up in April 2002 by Isaac Richards. In early 2007 a book called “Practical MythTV” about MythTV and its installation was published. During this time, MythTV grew considerably, and is still growing today, supported by a very active community. There are several other projects which include a Linux distribution bundled with MythTV (“all-in-one” solutions) to make the installation, configuration and maintenance easier and faster. MythTV has a modular structure, so that what can’t be found in default modules is probably available using unofficial plug-ins.

Boxee

Boxee is a cross-platform freeware media center based on XBMC. Boxee includes social networking features enabling users to view, rate and recommend content to friends.

MythBuntu

Based on Ubuntu and MythTV, MythBuntu is designed to simplify the installation of MythTV on a Home Theater PC. It can be used to install a standalone frontend, backend, or combination of the two. All unnecessary standard Ubuntu applications such as OpenOffice, Evolution, and a full Gnome desktop are not installed for MythBuntu. Users who wish to do so can add a full desktop onto their installation after using the control panel. The development cycle of MythBuntu closely follows that of Ubuntu, with releases occurring every six months, approximately two weeks after Ubuntu releases.

KnoppMyth

KnoppMyth has been around since August 2003. It is a blend of Knoppix and MythTV. It is a Debian-based operating system using Knoppix configuration scripts and Knoppmyth-specific scripting that installs and configures the MythTV PVR software and a number of add-ons. Similar to MythBuntu and MythDora, the goal is to make the often complex installation and configuration of a MythTV-based Linux Home Theater PC system relatively easy and pain-free. KnoppMyth can also run directly from a LiveCD (i.e. without installation), providing there is a network connection to a PC with a ‘complete installation’ (a MythTV backend server).

MythDora

MythDora is a GNU/Linux distribution based on Fedora and MythTV. Like KnoppMyth and MythBuntu, MythDora is designed to simplify the installation of MythTV on a Home Theater PC. Unlike KnoppMyth, however, it does not run as a LiveCD yet. The work on a LiveCD is in progress at the time of this writing. Currently, the distribution must be installed on the computer in order to run. The project started in early 2004 as a pet project, with no real intention of going public.

MiniMyth

The MiniMyth project was initiated in 2003. It is a small GNU/Linux distribution that turns a diskless computer into a MythTV frontend. Originally, MiniMyth was developed to download and boot the root file system over the network, and run on VIA EPIA motherboards. It now supports local boot, runs in several new chipsets, and supports more MythTV plug-ins. MiniMyth was developed to run on a diskless computer. As a result, MiniMyth runs with its entire compressed file system resident in memory, thus requiring more memory than a typical MythTV frontend.

XMBC

XBMC initiated in 2002 under the name “Xbox Media Player” (XBMP); it was renamed XBMC a year later, since it was growing out of its “player” name and into a “center” for media playback. It runs on Linux, Mac, Windows, Xbox console and Apple TV. The Xbox version of XBMC has the ability to launch console games. XBMC is not produced, endorsed, or supported by Microsoft or any other vendor. As a result, XBMC for the Xbox console requires a modchip or softmod exploit to run. Apple TV also needs a patch in order to run XBMC. XBMC is a very mature Media Center project, and Boxee, Plex and MediaPortal are all forks from the XBMC project.

Neuros OSD

The result of a spin-off from Digital Innovations in December of 2003, Neuros Technology is a private company selling Neuros OSD, a set-top box running an Open Source firmware based on Linux. The next generation (Neuros OSD2.0) is part of the “Neuros Open Internet Television Platform”, a system aimed to bring the freedom of the internet to the people’s living rooms. It is almost ready for shipping, and will support HD.

LinuxMCE

LinuxMCE is also a Media Center. The best definition would be it is a Smart Home Entertainment Center. LinuxMCE started in mid 2006, initially as a fork of the PlutoHome system from Pluto Inc. to Ubuntu. It bundles MythTV with Kubuntu as the GNU/Linux distribution. It can perform light and climate control, manage home security systems with alarms and stream video to a mobile phone. It blends media center, home automation, telecom control and home security into a single unified user experience. Users can (optionally) control the user interface with a Gyro remote and 3 command buttons. Any peripheral connected replicates across to the entire house, and any media is also available house-wide. Presence detection is also available, and can be implemented with either Bluetooth or RFID technologies, to implement "Follow Me" functionality, so that media, lights, climate, and telecom follow the user throughout the house.

GeeXboX

With a tiny 8 megabyte ISO, GeeXboX can boot from a CD, USB stick, or the network and run totally in RAM. It comes with a utility called ‘generator,’ which allows for the customization of GeeXboX discs, including the possibility of adding custom media files, non-free codecs, extra themes and configuring a wide range of custom settings. GeeXboX can run on diskless computers, and there is an alpha version for the Nintendo Wii console. The project was started in 2002; by 2006 the GeeXboX and Freevo projects decided to work together, redefining a multimedia framework that could be used either as a standalone application on any GNU/Linux distribution or natively built-in with the GeeXboX project.

Note that previous Office versions recommended installing from an administrative install point, however from Office 2003 Microsoft now recommends using the Office Local Cache for deployment. Although this takes up an additional 290MB of local disk space and you cannot slipstream patches to the source, it will save a lot of time and headaches later if you manage a lot of desktop and laptop computers. See here http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=40728&st=0

Since slipstreaming is no longer recommended, you can use a batch file to add hotfixes http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=45545&hl=

Alternatively, you can build a slipstreamed All-In-One (5 Office CDs compressed into one 600MB CD) which uses local cache by following the instructions at http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=51225 Note that you should read the whole thread before starting this project as there are a few corrections in later posts.

There are links to a utility that helps make an AIO CD here http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=10717

If you want to install Office 2003 at T-12, you need an AutoIt script to click Ignore to skip the error message from Dr Watson. Get the script here http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=41967&hl=

There is a detailed guide on slipstreaming service packs and hotfixes into Office 2003 at http://www.petri.co.il/office_system_2003_hotfix_slipstreaming.htm

Download the latest service packs and hotfixes from Office 2003 Administrative Updates http://www.microsoft.com/office/orkarchive/2k3updt.htm

Keep your Office installation up to date by visiting the Microsoft Office Update site at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdate/default.aspx

You can also install the Office Update Installation Engine using the method at http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=51443&hl=office

If you need to install Multilanguage User Interfaces to your Office installations, theres a great guide here http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=27382&hl= but note that Office 2003 MUI packs are available only for volume license customers.

To reinstall a PC or migrate to a new PC you can copy users Office settings using the Office Save My Settings Wizard described here http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=41630&hl=

Reduce the size of your Office 2003 installation source with Office Shrinker. The installation source with just Word and Excel can be reduced to under 40MB http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=16709

Keep up to date with Microsofts Office Admin Update Center http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011511561033.aspx

If you ever get an unattended Office 2003 CD completed, make it look professional by printing CD labels for it from http://www.cdcovers.cc/pc_m.php

Undervolting involves reducing the voltage your CPU operates at with the result of lowering your laptops temperature and the amount of power used, so you get longer battery life, all without reducing performance or stability. I’ve got to try this on my desktop because with any heavy use, such as virus scans and even when Outlook tries to compress my mailbox, the CPU heats up to 90C and the PC shuts itself down

Pread v3.2/V for reading Parti messages on the new Unix system. Works on DOS, DOS/V and in Windows. Includes D2U.EXE for converting DOS text files to Unix for ‘blinking’ into Parti. See the extensive documentation for more details.

Pread v1.9/V for MS-DOS and DOS/V. This version is for the older VMS based Parti on Twics.

Pread v1.8/N for NEC PC98 machines

Freeware

JC.ZIP Converts JIS, Shift-JIS and EUC files to the format of your choice.

D2U.ZIP Converts DOS text files to Unix.
Useful for uploading reply files to Parti.