Retooled Media PCs Aim For Mainstream; Dell And Sony Join The Effort; Goal is to meld computers with consumer electronics; "still room for improvement'.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)

Byline: PATRICK SEITZ

Microsoft Corp. is taking a second stab at creating an entertainment-oriented personal computer for the couch potato.

The company debuted the latest version of its Windows XP Media Center Edition operating system Tuesday during a multicity press conference in the U.S. and Europe. The new system, called Media Center 2004, has a host of enhancements, and addresses complaints with the original version, released late last year.

More than 40 PC makers worldwide will be shipping Media Center 2004 PCs to consumers in the U.S., Europe, Canada and Asia this year. That compares with 14 hardware vendors for the current edition.

"The floodgates have opened up with the 2004 version," said Tom Laemmel, product manager in Microsoft's Windows eHome division.

Previously available only in the U.S., Canada and South Korea, new Media Center PCs can now be purchased in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, China and Japan.

This time out, Dell Inc. and Sony Corp. will be making the devices, joining existing manufacturers Gateway Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co. and Toshiba Corp., among others.