Microsoft Vista Slideshow Media Center Remote

We are yet to make the transition to Microsoft’s new Vista operating system on account of two factors – the first being that the PC here simply couldn’t take. The second reason is that, like many, we think that we would rather wait until Vista has had time to settle before we lay out the necessary cash for a new, Vista proof machine and I don’t doubt that anyone who ever purchased Windows ME or has ever known anyone who purchased Windows ME will know exactly where we’re coming from.

One of the much discussed features of Windows Vista (we’re back on topic here) is the Slideshow feature, and we’ve already come across a bag that featured the technology but we never posted about it as, frankly, we thought it was an absurdly redundant idea – but in a way that wasn’t quite silly enough to be interesting. Moreover, we are not even entirely convinced that Vista’s Slideshow feature even warrants quite the attention it has received – though we would be more than happy to be proved wrong in this respect in the fullness of time.

And, though this single item in itself does not quite win us over entirely, perhaps this Vista Media Center Slideshow enabled remote control is the first in a whole series of slideshow enabled devices that sees us eating our words, as we really rather like it.

Manufactured by Ricavision, this Media Center remote will allow you not only to control Media Center’s host of functions, including schedualing TV recordings, but it also facilitates a wide range of access to such as email, instant messaging, news headlines and the latest weather forecast (handy for us Brits who feel like social outcasts if we can’t cite the exact wind speed, direction and probability of precipitation – expressed as a percentage – during casual conversation).

Not only that but the slideshow feature also allows you to call up track and artist information and even album covers so you can ogle Mariah Carey whilst publicly claiming you have no idea who she is prior to dropping a list of grunge metal bands into the conversation and making curious, spasmodic hand signals just to prove a point.

The Ricavision Vista Slideshow Remote Control is due to become commercially available in April at a listed price of $199 and further details can be gained either from the official product site or by directly accessing the PDF spec sheet here.

[Source | I4U]