At its annual developer conference yesterday, microprocessor giant Intel announced a new initiative to brand digital home-oriented PCs with dual-core processors, chipsets, networking features, and software. The new branding, called ViiV (pronounced "vive" and rhymes with "five") will identify these new machines, which will typically run Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 and are designed to work with high-definition displays, surround sound systems, remote controls, and, optionally, TV tuner cards.
PC makers such as Dell, Gateway, and HP will offer Viiv PCs in the market starting in early 2006, which indicates that the products will likely be launched at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January. The PCs will feature non-traditional form factors and will be designed to work in living rooms and other non-office scenarios.
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