Down the wrong road

[jmatthewbrown]

I have been hoping for a change towards a more open platform approach but am just not seeing it.  Your decision to focus on a Windows solution goes against what I am seeing throughout most of the digital signage industry.  Our current system (as with most other systems) is Linux based which is considered a far more stable platform.  To have any version of Windows out in the field running digital signage is, in my view, not prudent.  I was actually hoping to make your system workable on a Mac (by the way, I can buy MacMinis all day for around $450).  We have been testing the Signage Player on Ubuntu and OS X for quite a while now with nothing but frustrating results.  As I see you have begun offering players now, I'm guessing that you have chosen your operating system to further develop future versions for.  Please tell me I've just got it all wrong.

[admin]

Hello,
The Windows XPe box we sell is VERY stable. Just as stable as any Linux box.
we have been running a single XPe box for over 6 months without a single reboot.
And it start at around $299.00 after $100 credit so you save about $150.00 over a mini mac.

So a great solution exists today which I THINK you should adopt.

As for Linux, I am Red Hat guy myself and LOVE Linux.
I've been using Linux GNU for over 12 years and have been developing on Linux for over 9 years, both in open source and proprietary devs.

So with that said, we are going to try and work out some of the bugs in Linux (which are not ours by the way but Adobe's) and hope to have a stable Linux version in 3-4 weeks ( That is IF we can find workarounds for the Adobe bugs in Linux )

Thanks for the feedback and will keep the forum posted,

Regards,

Sean.

[jmatthewbrown]

Where can I purchase Windows XPe in order to test the system out on one of our boxes? 

[causticbuddhist]

Windows XPe trial can be downloaded from newbielink:http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsembedded/standard/default.aspx [nonactive]

[admin]

Please note the XPe is not a simple installation. It requires some training as you need to compile images and mess alot with drivers inf files.
It's nothing like installing a Win XP or Vista.
It is not for the faint of heart.

Alon.

[admin]

We can build images for you and save you the first time cost of $1100.00 that you need to pay XPe / WES ( of course that would be legal if the system is to be used for the MediaSignage Player App as we are a Microsoft VAR). The cost for each license is $95.00

We will need the hardware you will install the XPe on to, so we can build the image for you.

This will be done for a fee as it takes 8-12 hours to complete a full build on Windows Embedded standard.

Sean.

[jmatthewbrown]

I have now set up a Windows XP test machine and your player is performing much better than what I have experienced with Linux and OS X.  With that said, within a few minutes of it running it has already asked me to update Norton which I'm sure there is a way to prevent these typical Windows pop-ups alerting me to pay someone a fee to make my machine perform properly.  Without getting into the Windows/Mac/Linux back and forth banter, it's hard to argue that both the Mac and Linux operating systems virtually eliminate these annoying features.  As most agree, one of the reasons that a Windows machine must alert you to security risks so often is because of their vulnerability to viruses.

[admin]

Yes, that is why I love XPe as it has not Startbar, no desktop icons, no balloons, well almost nothing... it's ultra light.
All TSRs removed.

Sean.

[rci_james]

The Windows XPe box we sell is VERY stable. Just as stable as any Linux box.
we have been running a single XPe box for over 6 months without a single reboot.
And it start at around $299.00 after $100 credit so you save about $150.00 over a mini mac.

Can you provide a good source for bying these XPe boxes?  Can you recommend specific hardware for it?

Thanks,
James

[admin]

XPe is not some thing you can just buy and install...

1. You must be a Microsoft partner
2. You need compile an image that is specific to the hadrware you get
3. You need apply that image

So, we can either do it for you for a fee OR you can purchase our hardware with XPe on it.
Of course you can also go with Linux ( coming out next week which is free ).

Always glad to help,

Sean - MediaSignage.com

[admin]

Now available:

http://mediasignage.com/simplemachinesforum/index.php?topic=436.0

Regards,

Sean - MediaSignage.com

[jcwu]

Hello,
The Windows XPe box we sell is VERY stable. Just as stable as any Linux box.
we have been running a single XPe box for over 6 months without a single reboot.
And it start at around $299.00 after $100 credit so you save about $150.00 over a mini mac.

Where can I get one of your XPe boxes for $299?  And how much for one with a built-in capture card?

Thanks!!

[admin]

The $299.00 Media Players may OR may not be available.
It all depends how well will the Hardware acceleration works... and what are the new requirements once Hardware  acceleration . is in place !!!

You can learn more here:
http://mediasignage.com/html/flash_hardware_acceleration.html

David.