The problem with this is that this isn't just being marketed as a entertainment box as in Tivo but as a practical computer as well. In some ways this justifies the extremely high cost of the unit but it also causes a couple of problems namely:
display: Most Tvs are not of sufficient quality for displaying text clearly which makes them unsuitable for general computing. Most computer monitors are far smaller than you would wish to watch TV/DVD's on. Unless LCD screens get an awful lot cheaper this problem really isn't going to be solved.
functionality: If your going to use this as your main PC what's going to happen when someone wants to play a game/write a word document etc etc etc? Does everyone else in the family have to stop watching TV?
Phobia: people are in general afriad of computers. My mum likes TIVO because it doesn't look like a computer and it does its job well. This thing would scare the hell out of her somply because it's a pc.
All in all I think there's a place for this thing but only if they cut the price and market it as a piece of consumer electronics as opposed to an all singing all dancing pc.
Slashdot Mirror
The problem with this is that this isn't just being marketed as a entertainment box as in Tivo but as a practical computer as well. In some ways this justifies the extremely high cost of the unit but it also causes a couple of problems namely:
display: Most Tvs are not of sufficient quality for displaying text clearly which makes them unsuitable for general computing. Most computer monitors are far smaller than you would wish to watch TV/DVD's on. Unless LCD screens get an awful lot cheaper this problem really isn't going to be solved.
functionality: If your going to use this as your main PC what's going to happen when someone wants to play a game/write a word document etc etc etc? Does everyone else in the family have to stop watching TV?
Phobia: people are in general afriad of computers. My mum likes TIVO because it doesn't look like a computer and it does its job well. This thing would scare the hell out of her somply because it's a pc.
All in all I think there's a place for this thing but only if they cut the price and market it as a piece of consumer electronics as opposed to an all singing all dancing pc.