I'm curious as I have almost the exact same setup (7 Home Premium instead of Pro) and haven't run into this type of issue (yet). Since they both use the same Media Center, I can bet that this will happen later if it's going to. I have it checking a library that has approximately 200 videos, though I haven't tried the photo stuff yet. I don't really have a need to view my pictures on the TV, so I didn't get into it.

The real reason I like WMC is simply that it's easy. The interface is actually fairly clear and quick to understand, and that makes it easier for my kids to use it as well.

The Windows Media Center in Windows 7 blows Vista's out of the water for me. I currently have a PC connected to the TV with Vista on it, and refuse to use the media center. Instead, I stream media center to our Xbox from my Windows 7 machine to have access to much more content, including netflix. The only thing I haven't tried yet is to watch a blu-ray through it, but I have a PS3 for those and don't mind switching over to watch them. Vista's MC doesn't have access to as much content as the MC in Windows 7. There's actually full TV shows available now, instead of the clips that Vista gives you. If possible, I'd get a copy of 7 and put it on a machine. The RC of 7 I'm running on our HTPC is on some fairly mediocre hardware: Intel 2.8 Dual Pentium, Gigabyte board with Intel HD4000 integrated graphics, and 2 GB of RAM. I think the whole system cost me $200 to build using an old case and power supply and a couple of small harddrives I had lying around.

Pretty much any Dell laptop has had this problem. I've worked on latitudes, inspirons, and many others of theirs, and all of them would do this eventually. It would act like there was something constantly pressing on a part of the touchpad, but there would be nothing there. Found out that it was just the heat from other components radiating onto the device. When we ran them with cooling fans underneath to get rid of the heat, they worked fine.

It'll be just like FFXI, everyone there has the same name as any of the given characters. I think I've seen 30 or 40 variations of how to spell Sephiroth, as well as all the XxxSephirothxxx clones. At least their living the storyline, Sephiroth can pop up anywhere, out any of his 'kin' that are still roaming.