Modern humans make complex demands of quantitative and qualitative kind against the technology of the multimedia world. Are demanded more functions at better prices in a pleasing Design, as up-to-date as possible and a multiplicity of interfaces for other devices.
The change from the pure utilizable equipment to the Lifestyle product is long carried out. In 21. Century is expected by software the fact that it is individually custom-made, which covers constantly rising customer requirements as completely as possible on high Leistungsniveau, and nevertheless current and low-priced is.
The media penetrate all ranges of the life. Messages, maintenance, communication are not to be excluded today in all situations any more. The claims of quality within the range of the television rise, digital television conquer Germany and new terminals the market. This at home increasingly digital video recorders are used, which can burn photographs on DVDs. Only for the domestic purposes according to standard, also trend-setting offers like portable video and audio recorders with Linux, WLAN and PDA functions do not become on fairs and shows presented. 1
Also PCs, today adequate Multimedia plants, are used for the admission of television broadcasts. Many users are today safe in handling their PC and use it more varied.
Within the range open SOURCE software gives it interesting projects, which offer complex software for digital video recorders. The operating system Linux became for the everyday PCNutzer an alternative. Straight liveCDs such as Knoppix offers the possibility of trying Linux out simply. Finally the open SOURCE thought, a part of an innovative community and divide knowledge openly and increase, arrives to be with ever more humans. An example is the success of the free on-line encyclopedia Wikipedia, the 2001 in the life was called and now approximately 236200 articles contains. 2
Due to all these developments it applies in particular to satisfy the needs after individually adapted economical software for media.
Basis for this are software architectures and modern proceedings of the programming, which adapted to the Marktbedent of computer families to focus.

• 1: E.G. of Archos, see [Heis 2005] Newstickermeldung 54882
• 2: See [Wiki 2005] starting side