NEW YORK — Microsoft wants to move PCs from "geek" to "sleek."

To so this, the Redmond software maker is relying on the Windows XP Media Center version of Windows —and, specifically — the updated 2004 release of the product that Microsoft and its partners announced on Tuesday.

The Media Center 2004 release does not include a lot of new features beyond those in the first release of the product, which Microsoft unveiled last year. Consequently, Microsoft focused much of its launch on its new PC partners for the system, including Dell and Sony, as well as new content partners, including CinemaNow, Napster and Movielink.

Microsoft said it expects more than 40 PC makers to be selling Windows Media Center systems by this holiday season, with prices starting below $1,000. It is expanding distribution of its systems to France, Germany, Japan, the U.K. and China.

Microsoft unveiled the "Harmony" release of Windows Media Center simultaneously in New York; Redmond, WA; San Francisco; and Los Angeles. At the New York launch, existing Media Center partners Gateway and Hewlett Packard, and new partners Dell and Toshiba, joined Microsoft executives on the stage to introduce new Media Center form factors, ranging from notebooks, to towers with digital-camera docking stations.

"We think the Media Center PC will be the hot thing this holiday season," said Microsoft platforms group VP Jim Allchin, who delivered the launch keynote via videoconference.

Allchin characterized the Media Center 2004 launch as the dawn of "the next era in computing," namely, "eXPerience computing."

"We want to free people from stringing together individual features to accomplish a particular task," Allchin explained. Microsoft is doing this by providing users with an immersion experience via "scenarios," such as digital photo sharing, music sharing and the like. By clicking the "green button" on a Windows Media Center remote control, users can move seamlessly between traditional PC tasks and home-entertainment ones, Allchin noted.

"Inside Microsoft, we say we're taking it from geek to sleek," Allchin quipped. "We're working to provide the best marriage of hardware, software and services for your living room."

Microsoft is positioning Windows Media Center, which is built on top of Windows XP Professional, as the version of Windows tailored to be the home-entertainment hub. Ultimately, Microsoft is relying on Windows Media Center to act as the hub of e-home networks that link together an even wider range of devices, including wall-mounted displays, telephones, game consoles and even onboard Windows Automotive systems in cars.

During Tuesday's launch, Microsoft highlighted results of a survey of its existing Windows Media Center customer base. Currently, 2/3 of Windows Media Center users watch TV on their systems; 1/3 use it in theatre mode; and 1/3 use the product as the core hub for their home networks.

New features in the 2004 release of Media Center include one-button access to FM radio from the Media Center remote; the ability to copy CDs to the Media Library using the remote; new photo retouching features; enhanced support for 16 X 9 displays; and a new calibration wizard for a variety of monitors. Microsoft also is including tutorials to help users best take advantage of their displays.