Don't know about NForce3, but my NForce2 chipset board works great under Linux (Shuttle NForce2 Ultra 400; 2GB DDR400). There are even official drivers if you want (I use a PCI Gigabit nic, and ALSA includes support for the audio - so I don't use the drivers).
Great strides have been made since the first NForce.
Since 9/11, NYC has changed. It was relatively peaceful. Little looting, most people (in Manhattan) just went back to their apartments and had some dinner. Some restaurants sold of all of their food; people gathered around battery-powered TVs and radios to listen to the news.
Unlike earlier blackouts, there wasn't much looting. The police did a good job of keeping order and the firefighters got people out of the elevators and the subway.
I wouldn't call it "beautiful", but, then again, this is New York City.
My friend's Dell Centrino system (Dell 8600) easily hits 5 1/2 hours with the standard battery. Like the PowerBook (the new ones, at least) it has a Radeon 9600 and a 15" widescreen. Around $1500 with a DVD/CD-RW, 256M, 30GB, 1.4GHz Pentium-M, FireWire, and wifi.
The G4 isn't the only low-power chip on the market. There are plenty of Crusoe and Pentium-M powered notebooks.
"Fast flash: Microsoft breaks all of their UI conventions with every major rev. Everything from the start menu to common control panels to file managers are all wildly different from one rev to the next."
Fast flash: You're wrong.
The taskbar still does what it has always done, it's still at the bottom of the screen, the start button is still in the lower left corner, the start menu still contains links to the control panel, shut down, and printers...
Of course they have changed some of the interface! They've added new features, removed old ones, and reorganized others. GNOME 1.x to GNOME 2.x was a far bigger change than Windows has experienced since Windows 3.1. Windows Explorer acts pretty much like it always has. You still have the same details view, the same "file" menu, etc. Sure, they've changed around the menus and added a sidebar, but it's pretty much the same thing. The same goes for the control panels. New tabs have been added, others removed, but otherwise it's pretty much the same old Windows 95 interface. The start menu is now two-column, but it's otherwise unchanged. It still has the same icons and the same functionality.
Batteries fail *often*. I'm surprised that eMachines even replaced it - most manufacturers will tell you that the battery is a "consumable" and not covered under the warrranty.
Else the ads wouldn't be an issue. Else no one would blink an eye.
Like the Microsoft ads where the kid starts flying. OBVIOUSLY not true.
These ads, if OBVIOUSLY untrue, as you claim, then shouldn't be a problem.
The real problem here, and why Dell is complaining, is that when they were released, they were VERY true.
"It was the most powerful 64bit computer per dollar; that is why Virginia Tech chose the G5 over all other competitors (including Dell) for their supercomputer. No one was cheaper. No one was more powerful."
Bull. Apple didn't say "most powerful 64bit computer per dollar, they said "world's most powerful PC". With that claim, Apple is stating that their product is faster than *ANY OTHER* personal computer. Yet Apple never even tested a 3.2GHz P4, nor did they test an Opteron. And if you say that they weren't comparing to "workstations", then why did they test a Dual Xeon? To make the claim "world's most powerful PC", they need to test *every other PC*. Moreover, their claim was made on specific benchmarks, particularly SPECMark. Yet Apple's numbers, published for Dell, didn't match the numbers on SPEC's website. Why? Because Apple used GCC. Tell me what you will about "fairness" by using the same compiler. Great. Apple used a different OS, different malloc, and relaxed fp options on the G5, and somehow it's a "fair comparison". This is why a decent vendor PUBLISHES their SPEC numbers. That way, each vendor can optimize their platform (within specific rules) to perform the best.
Oh. Come on. You can make anything look rediculous by extending it to the extreme.
Example:
Original Post:
The US should introduce a standardized health care system.
Reply: Well, once we get the government involved in healthcare, they will soon be involved in test equipment, telecommunications, manufacturing, and retail. Will you still be saying that when the government owns everything and you have no freedoms?
Microsoft *can not* and *will not* stop you from making MP3s from the CDs you own. To do so would require DRM technology on CDs.
What *could happen* is that WMA discs could use WMA-DRM and would only be playable on a single device. Of course, this would never be accepted by the masses.
"because that's precisely what WMP is starting to do now"
Huh? Do what? You can run RealPlayer, QuickTime, iTunes, Winamp, or *any other* product on your Windows computer with WMP instaled. It's not "starting" to lock out other players.
WMP *never* encoded to MP3s. Why? Patents! MP3 is patented. Heck, XMMS in Fedora doesn't even play MP3s because of patent worries. Oh, and WMP *can* encode to MP3 if you get the right plugin.
WMA-DRM files play on WMP and WMP alone. Just like FairPlay AAC files which only play on iTunes.
"Optimally, it would be nice if there was a way to allow HDTV signals to continue to be received by regular definition TVs so that broadcasters wouldn't have to maintain separate equipment, but the technology is so much different that it would be impractical."
The plan is to allow users of SDTVs to purchase a converter box to recieve and downconvert the HDTV signal. Almost all current HDTV boxes have composite/svideo output, so all that has to happen is for the price to drop (consider this: DVD players were once $500, but with improvements in technology and greater production a DVD player can now be purchased for $40. By 2007, when the NTSC signals should go off the air, a converter box may be $40.
If, by half of US cities, you mean the smaller half, then yes, half of the cities probably don't have GSM coverage. Major cities (>20K people), interstate highways, airports, and most other major roads have GSM coverage.
CDMA coverage is far better, however, largely due to the nature of the technology (larger cells).
Swapping out, even when there is spare memory, is often a *good idea*. Why? If you have a 50MB application that isn't doing anything, then that 50MB could be better used as disk cache.
Windows is a bit agressive in how it swaps out, however.
The US offered two levels of GPS; one was encrypted and only available to the military; one was unencrypted but had something called "Selective Availability" (SA) turned on which decreased the accuracy by 200-300ft.
Recently, they have turned off one of the two SA inaccuracies. The military (encrypted) signal is still more accurate (~10 feet), but now the public signal is valid to ~30 feet.
I have successfully purchased (and sold) many items on eBay. You can get awesome deals on some items, so long as you know what you are doing:
- Check feedback. Not just the number, but the comments. Read the negative and neutral comments and judge whether it was the seller's fault ("you never shipped") or the buyer's fault ("my notebook didn't have an OS" when the auction said so) or neither ("broken item, seller replaced, OK").
- Sanity check prices. A brand new Sony notebook on buy-it-now for $49 is a fraud. A used Dell CSx with a PIII 500, 20GB HDD, DVD/CD-RW, Windows 2000, good battery, and 256MB Memory for $350 is a stupid seller.
- Remember, prices on auctions often start low and go high. SET A HARD LIMIT. DO NOT BID MORE. It is easy to get into a bidding war and end up paying way more than you wanted.
- DO NOT PAY WITH A WIRE TRANSFER. PAY ONLY USING PAYPAL AND ONLY WITH A CREDIT CARD.
- Ask bogus questions. If you are buying a notebook, ask if it has the "hyperspeed math co-processor". If you get a "yes" answer, it's a fraud.
- Know what you are buying. If you have a question, ASK before you bid.
- Compare with similar auctions. Check completed auctions. If something seems off, ask about it.
- Know how much shipping is.
- Make sure you aren't buying pirated software. If it includes Windows, make sure there is a COA (unless you plan on loading Linux).
My Panaflos are still running quiet after two and a half years. If they do get noisy, I can replace them - for about $8 each.
"If an active sound nullifier that will automatically adapt to the changing noisyness of a fan as it ages can be made for as little as $20 it is surely a more credible solution than your suggestions..."
The active sound nullifier cannot remove all airflow noises. The real solution is better designed airflow systems (like in most commercial PCs - note how quiet most recent HP or Dell systems are), thermally managed fans, and cooler CPUs.
- ATTWS/Cingular/T-Mobile all have roaming agreements. Their coverage areas are already "merged". And Verizon's coverage is still *way* better. Try going up into Wyoming with your ATT GSM phone. Then try doing it with a Verizon phone. With Verizon, I had CDMA2000 + 1xRTT in Yellowstone National Park. With ATT, I had nothing. And it's not just Wyoming. I often have trouble in major metro areas with ATT.
- ATT's EDGE is nowhere near "nationwide". It's being rolled out in New York, San Diego, and some areas in Florida. Moreover, EDGE is little faster than Verizon's 1xRTT service which has been deployed accross their entire network for years. EDGE suffers from the same problems as GPRS - notably that data rate drops as you move away from the transmitter and that relatively little bandwith is shared by everyone in the cell.
- UMTS is slower than CDMA2000 1xEV-DO. 1xEV-DO is gaining support in Japan and Korea for this very reason - UMTS is slower, requires more radio spectrum, and UMTS phones heat up like toasters.
- ATT hasn't even launched its service commercially. They have been conducting "trials" of UMTS for over 2 years. When they start selling it and I can test it out, I'll believe ATT's claims. Verizon's service works. I've used it myself.
Verizon has to do *nothing* to counter the Cingular "advantage". They have better coverage, their 3G service is faster, and they don't have craploads of IS-136 users to migrate.
- Three RG-6 to every bedroom. You can use these to run Dish, DirecTV, or Cable. You want two in case you want a dual-tuner DVR. You can put HDTV (antenna) signals on the same wire as the satellite signals with an inexpensive diplexor. Digital cable doesn't play nice, so run a 3rd line just in case.
- Four RG-6 for the main TV room. Two for a DVR, one if you want to add HDTV, one if you want digital cable.
- Four Cat5e to every bedroom. Three for networking (gigabit), one for phone
- Five Cat5e for the main TV room. Four for devices (XBox, DVR, Media Viewer, HTPC, etc.), one for phone (you can split it for multiple devices).
- Terminate all lines at an MDF (wiring closet). If you have cable installed, have the line run here - you can use that line for your cable modem and/or conenct it to the RG6 lines for (digital) cable. Have your phone wiring run here - you can run it all over the house through your extra cat5e lines; you can also use it if you want DSL. Run lines from your satellite dish here; you can put your multiswitch here (it is indoors, climate controlled, has power, and every RG6 line terminates here - what more do you want) Make sure you have power here two; a 15A grounded outlet should suffice. If you have the room, you may want to put a file server here as well - make sure you have shelving that will support your gear. This wiring closet should have ventilation and heat like any other room.
- Run all of your wires through 2" or 3" conduit. Avoid tight bends. Run string through for pulling future wires. You may want to upgrade later.
- Label everything. Every plate should be numbered, every jack should be lettered. Use a letter to differentiate between coax/fiber/UTP. For example, plate 5, UTP Cat5e, jack 1 could be labeled 5UA. Plate 5, RG6 Coax, jack 1 could be labled 5CA. Punchdowns should be labeled accordingly at the MDF.
- If you have a computer room or den, run extra cat5e. Perhaps up to five. Beyond five, it makes sense to put a switch in your den.
- If you have notebooks, get an 802.11b (or 802.11g, if you want the bandwidth) access point. You can put it in your MDF.
Because we wired our house like this, it was easy to switch the entire house from cable to DSL. No rewiring required. We could even switch from DirecTV to Dish or cable without much hassle.
""media center" PC's - something about when you're watching TV, you wanna be across the room"
That's why every Windows XP "Media Center" PC ships with TV output, a remote, and a fullscreen interface designed to be readable on a TV and usable with a remote. The IR reciever is even external.
Now, I think that the "Media Center" PC's are too expensive (who wants to pay $1200 when a TiVo is only $350 *including* Home Media Option).
Because the Media Center PCs are so expensive, people want to use them as computers too. But you really can't do that and still have them function as an effective media device.
The XBOX media center remote thingie will help. This allows you to access the shows, interface, files, and TV tuner of your Media Center PC through your XBOX, so you can surf and watch TV at the same time.
Slashdot Mirror
Also try Jotweb.
The original N-Gage was actually pretty much a 3650 without the camera in a different case. It has the same CPU, same chipset, same display, etc.
The current N-Gage runs Symbian, as do most of Nokia's high-end phones, so it's pretty safe to assume that the N-Gage 2 will run Symbian as well.
Don't know about NForce3, but my NForce2 chipset board works great under Linux (Shuttle NForce2 Ultra 400; 2GB DDR400). There are even official drivers if you want (I use a PCI Gigabit nic, and ALSA includes support for the audio - so I don't use the drivers).
Great strides have been made since the first NForce.
ViewSonic makes a USB keyboard which feels almost exactly like the TiBook keyboard. It's $32 on Newegg:
e sc ription=23-150-002&depa=0
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?d
T-Mobile USA offers unlimited GPRS for $30 ($20 if you have a voice plan)
Try fandango.com in the US. You can buy tickets ~2 weeks in advance. I used it to purchase tickets to LOTR:ROTK 3 weeks before it came out.
BTW: You usually don't have reserved seats in US cinemas. You have to get there early to get the best seats.
Since 9/11, NYC has changed. It was relatively peaceful. Little looting, most people (in Manhattan) just went back to their apartments and had some dinner. Some restaurants sold of all of their food; people gathered around battery-powered TVs and radios to listen to the news.
Unlike earlier blackouts, there wasn't much looting. The police did a good job of keeping order and the firefighters got people out of the elevators and the subway.
I wouldn't call it "beautiful", but, then again, this is New York City.
Or... try a Pentium-M or Crusoe system.
Pssst... The G4 isn't the only low power CPU out there.
My friend's Dell Centrino system (Dell 8600) easily hits 5 1/2 hours with the standard battery. Like the PowerBook (the new ones, at least) it has a Radeon 9600 and a 15" widescreen. Around $1500 with a DVD/CD-RW, 256M, 30GB, 1.4GHz Pentium-M, FireWire, and wifi.
The G4 isn't the only low-power chip on the market. There are plenty of Crusoe and Pentium-M powered notebooks.
"Fast flash: Microsoft breaks all of their UI conventions with every major rev. Everything from the start menu to common control panels to file managers are all wildly different from one rev to the next."
Fast flash: You're wrong.
The taskbar still does what it has always done, it's still at the bottom of the screen, the start button is still in the lower left corner, the start menu still contains links to the control panel, shut down, and printers...
Of course they have changed some of the interface! They've added new features, removed old ones, and reorganized others. GNOME 1.x to GNOME 2.x was a far bigger change than Windows has experienced since Windows 3.1. Windows Explorer acts pretty much like it always has. You still have the same details view, the same "file" menu, etc. Sure, they've changed around the menus and added a sidebar, but it's pretty much the same thing. The same goes for the control panels. New tabs have been added, others removed, but otherwise it's pretty much the same old Windows 95 interface. The start menu is now two-column, but it's otherwise unchanged. It still has the same icons and the same functionality.
Batteries fail *often*. I'm surprised that eMachines even replaced it - most manufacturers will tell you that the battery is a "consumable" and not covered under the warrranty.
"You know, that is *obviously* not true.
Else the ads wouldn't be an issue.
Else no one would blink an eye.
Like the Microsoft ads where the kid starts flying. OBVIOUSLY not true.
These ads, if OBVIOUSLY untrue, as you claim, then shouldn't be a problem.
The real problem here, and why Dell is complaining, is that when they were released, they were VERY true.
"It was the most powerful 64bit computer per dollar; that is why Virginia Tech chose the G5 over all other competitors (including Dell) for their supercomputer. No one was cheaper. No one was more powerful."
Bull. Apple didn't say "most powerful 64bit computer per dollar, they said "world's most powerful PC". With that claim, Apple is stating that their product is faster than *ANY OTHER* personal computer. Yet Apple never even tested a 3.2GHz P4, nor did they test an Opteron. And if you say that they weren't comparing to "workstations", then why did they test a Dual Xeon? To make the claim "world's most powerful PC", they need to test *every other PC*. Moreover, their claim was made on specific benchmarks, particularly SPECMark. Yet Apple's numbers, published for Dell, didn't match the numbers on SPEC's website. Why? Because Apple used GCC. Tell me what you will about "fairness" by using the same compiler. Great. Apple used a different OS, different malloc, and relaxed fp options on the G5, and somehow it's a "fair comparison". This is why a decent vendor PUBLISHES their SPEC numbers. That way, each vendor can optimize their platform (within specific rules) to perform the best.
Oh. Come on. You can make anything look rediculous by extending it to the extreme.
Example:
Original Post:
The US should introduce a standardized health care system.
Reply:
Well, once we get the government involved in healthcare, they will soon be involved in test equipment, telecommunications, manufacturing, and retail. Will you still be saying that when the government owns everything and you have no freedoms?
Microsoft *can not* and *will not* stop you from making MP3s from the CDs you own. To do so would require DRM technology on CDs.
What *could happen* is that WMA discs could use WMA-DRM and would only be playable on a single device. Of course, this would never be accepted by the masses.
"because that's precisely what WMP is starting to do now"
Huh? Do what? You can run RealPlayer, QuickTime, iTunes, Winamp, or *any other* product on your Windows computer with WMP instaled. It's not "starting" to lock out other players.
WMP *never* encoded to MP3s. Why? Patents! MP3 is patented. Heck, XMMS in Fedora doesn't even play MP3s because of patent worries. Oh, and WMP *can* encode to MP3 if you get the right plugin.
WMA-DRM files play on WMP and WMP alone. Just like FairPlay AAC files which only play on iTunes.
Let me guess. You live in the UK, right?
"Optimally, it would be nice if there was a way to allow HDTV signals to continue to be received by regular definition TVs so that broadcasters wouldn't have to maintain separate equipment, but the technology is so much different that it would be impractical."
The plan is to allow users of SDTVs to purchase a converter box to recieve and downconvert the HDTV signal. Almost all current HDTV boxes have composite/svideo output, so all that has to happen is for the price to drop (consider this: DVD players were once $500, but with improvements in technology and greater production a DVD player can now be purchased for $40. By 2007, when the NTSC signals should go off the air, a converter box may be $40.
If, by half of US cities, you mean the smaller half, then yes, half of the cities probably don't have GSM coverage. Major cities (>20K people), interstate highways, airports, and most other major roads have GSM coverage.
CDMA coverage is far better, however, largely due to the nature of the technology (larger cells).
http://h71016.www7.hp.com/dstore/ctoBases.asp?Prod uctLineId=431&FamilyId=1704&Jumpid=re_hphqiss/DLta ble_Buy/DL140
DL140 1U
Dual 3.06 Ghz Xeon
1MB L2 Cache/Processor
1GB ECC DDR
80GB ATA/100 HDD
Dual Gigabit Ethernet
$1849
Add a CDROM, +$100, add Red Hat Enterprise Server 3.0 Basic, +$349.
Total: $2298
Don't compare to Dell. Their servers are *way* overpriced.
Swapping out, even when there is spare memory, is often a *good idea*. Why? If you have a 50MB application that isn't doing anything, then that 50MB could be better used as disk cache.
Windows is a bit agressive in how it swaps out, however.
Not quite:
The US offered two levels of GPS; one was encrypted and only available to the military; one was unencrypted but had something called "Selective Availability" (SA) turned on which decreased the accuracy by 200-300ft.
Recently, they have turned off one of the two SA inaccuracies. The military (encrypted) signal is still more accurate (~10 feet), but now the public signal is valid to ~30 feet.
"If you could actually turn off unwanted and insecure services you wouldn't NEED a firewall."
Who says you can't?
Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services
You can disable just about everything.
"In Windows you can't even tell whats running let alone shut it off. There are many ports that get attached to every interface and no way to fix it."
This is FUD. You *can* tell what's running. You *can* disable everything.
I have successfully purchased (and sold) many items on eBay. You can get awesome deals on some items, so long as you know what you are doing:
- Check feedback. Not just the number, but the comments. Read the negative and neutral comments and judge whether it was the seller's fault ("you never shipped") or the buyer's fault ("my notebook didn't have an OS" when the auction said so) or neither ("broken item, seller replaced, OK").
- Sanity check prices. A brand new Sony notebook on buy-it-now for $49 is a fraud. A used Dell CSx with a PIII 500, 20GB HDD, DVD/CD-RW, Windows 2000, good battery, and 256MB Memory for $350 is a stupid seller.
- Remember, prices on auctions often start low and go high. SET A HARD LIMIT. DO NOT BID MORE. It is easy to get into a bidding war and end up paying way more than you wanted.
- DO NOT PAY WITH A WIRE TRANSFER. PAY ONLY USING PAYPAL AND ONLY WITH A CREDIT CARD.
- Ask bogus questions. If you are buying a notebook, ask if it has the "hyperspeed math co-processor". If you get a "yes" answer, it's a fraud.
- Know what you are buying. If you have a question, ASK before you bid.
- Compare with similar auctions. Check completed auctions. If something seems off, ask about it.
- Know how much shipping is.
- Make sure you aren't buying pirated software. If it includes Windows, make sure there is a COA (unless you plan on loading Linux).
"Quiet fans tend to get noiser with age."
My Panaflos are still running quiet after two and a half years. If they do get noisy, I can replace them - for about $8 each.
"If an active sound nullifier that will automatically adapt to the changing noisyness of a fan as it ages can be made for as little as $20 it is surely a more credible solution than your suggestions..."
The active sound nullifier cannot remove all airflow noises. The real solution is better designed airflow systems (like in most commercial PCs - note how quiet most recent HP or Dell systems are), thermally managed fans, and cooler CPUs.
Sorry, Mr. ATT/Cingular GSM apologist.
- ATTWS/Cingular/T-Mobile all have roaming agreements. Their coverage areas are already "merged". And Verizon's coverage is still *way* better. Try going up into Wyoming with your ATT GSM phone. Then try doing it with a Verizon phone. With Verizon, I had CDMA2000 + 1xRTT in Yellowstone National Park. With ATT, I had nothing. And it's not just Wyoming. I often have trouble in major metro areas with ATT.
- ATT's EDGE is nowhere near "nationwide". It's being rolled out in New York, San Diego, and some areas in Florida. Moreover, EDGE is little faster than Verizon's 1xRTT service which has been deployed accross their entire network for years. EDGE suffers from the same problems as GPRS - notably that data rate drops as you move away from the transmitter and that relatively little bandwith is shared by everyone in the cell.
- UMTS is slower than CDMA2000 1xEV-DO. 1xEV-DO is gaining support in Japan and Korea for this very reason - UMTS is slower, requires more radio spectrum, and UMTS phones heat up like toasters.
- ATT hasn't even launched its service commercially. They have been conducting "trials" of UMTS for over 2 years. When they start selling it and I can test it out, I'll believe ATT's claims. Verizon's service works. I've used it myself.
Verizon has to do *nothing* to counter the Cingular "advantage". They have better coverage, their 3G service is faster, and they don't have craploads of IS-136 users to migrate.
- Three RG-6 to every bedroom. You can use these to run Dish, DirecTV, or Cable. You want two in case you want a dual-tuner DVR. You can put HDTV (antenna) signals on the same wire as the satellite signals with an inexpensive diplexor. Digital cable doesn't play nice, so run a 3rd line just in case.
- Four RG-6 for the main TV room. Two for a DVR, one if you want to add HDTV, one if you want digital cable.
- Four Cat5e to every bedroom. Three for networking (gigabit), one for phone
- Five Cat5e for the main TV room. Four for devices (XBox, DVR, Media Viewer, HTPC, etc.), one for phone (you can split it for multiple devices).
- Terminate all lines at an MDF (wiring closet). If you have cable installed, have the line run here - you can use that line for your cable modem and/or conenct it to the RG6 lines for (digital) cable. Have your phone wiring run here - you can run it all over the house through your extra cat5e lines; you can also use it if you want DSL. Run lines from your satellite dish here; you can put your multiswitch here (it is indoors, climate controlled, has power, and every RG6 line terminates here - what more do you want) Make sure you have power here two; a 15A grounded outlet should suffice. If you have the room, you may want to put a file server here as well - make sure you have shelving that will support your gear. This wiring closet should have ventilation and heat like any other room.
- Run all of your wires through 2" or 3" conduit. Avoid tight bends. Run string through for pulling future wires. You may want to upgrade later.
- Label everything. Every plate should be numbered, every jack should be lettered. Use a letter to differentiate between coax/fiber/UTP. For example, plate 5, UTP Cat5e, jack 1 could be labeled 5UA. Plate 5, RG6 Coax, jack 1 could be labled 5CA. Punchdowns should be labeled accordingly at the MDF.
- If you have a computer room or den, run extra cat5e. Perhaps up to five. Beyond five, it makes sense to put a switch in your den.
- If you have notebooks, get an 802.11b (or 802.11g, if you want the bandwidth) access point. You can put it in your MDF.
Because we wired our house like this, it was easy to switch the entire house from cable to DSL. No rewiring required. We could even switch from DirecTV to Dish or cable without much hassle.
""media center" PC's - something about when you're watching TV, you wanna be across the room"
That's why every Windows XP "Media Center" PC ships with TV output, a remote, and a fullscreen interface designed to be readable on a TV and usable with a remote. The IR reciever is even external.
Now, I think that the "Media Center" PC's are too expensive (who wants to pay $1200 when a TiVo is only $350 *including* Home Media Option).
Because the Media Center PCs are so expensive, people want to use them as computers too. But you really can't do that and still have them function as an effective media device.
The XBOX media center remote thingie will help. This allows you to access the shows, interface, files, and TV tuner of your Media Center PC through your XBOX, so you can surf and watch TV at the same time.