Tablet hype

Am I missing something here? There seems to be so much hype around the forthcoming Apple tablet, I already DON'T want one. I may pick one up, but I won't be sold as easily as I was for say, the Mac Book Air (whose market by the way is already being taken by the netbook/mini PC notebook products). Maybe Apple feels they can take some of this market by creating a tablet. If this device lands in the $500, to $800 range, the ROI (or lack thereof) may be more disappointing than the incredulous mac fan-boys would like to think.

In order to really catch attention, the price-point for what promises to be a larger iphone will need to be more in the net-book class price range. I'm sure it won't be, but I think the only people that'll buy something like this, are the blogger/media personnel (I don't see my self consistent enough to be classified as a blogger) that have been screaming for one since Steve Jobs came back to Apple. Don't get me wrong here, but people likethis tend to think that EVERYBODY feels the same way they do; or more importantly, WORKS the same way they do.

Sync Problems

I really don't like the idea of having all of my media in 5 different places throughout the house.
This past year something very cool happened on Microsoft's Xbox platform - it introduced Netflix into the UI.  Very cool stuff if you haven't tried it.  Any of the content available from within the web interface of Netflix to "Watch Instantly" could be viewed on the Xbox.

While watching SEVERAL class B movies and shows I wouldn't normally watch, we have moved to this type of entertainment almost exclusively.

There were only two missing pieces to this puzzle.  First, I wanted to be able to watch content purchased on the same platform.  Second, I wanted to have the ability to record and watch content that was sent over-the-air - or live TV.

Media Center answers those problems - very well.

Microsoft's streaming solution seems better than Apple's.  I hated waiting for things to sync back and forth between the Apple TV and the server in the office, and it's very frustrating having to go downstairs in your underwear to reset iTunes because the Apple TV didn't connect to the server properly.  Live TV streamed over the network is also a bonus; forget about running coax to every room in the house, it only needs to be run to the media center's tuner cards.

Good move Microsoft!

The new Zune HD represents the best when considering an entertainment device.  I purchased one the first month they were released, and I must say that I'm impressed.

I've owned an ipod touch for the past couple of years, and I believe this device to be much better.
If you're an app. addict, the Zune HD doesn't quite have the eco-system you'll find with the Apple line of devices, but itis getting there.

I love the subscription music service - if Apple were to transition their service to a subscription service, they would run away with the market - once again.  As it stands now, the Zune marketplace seems to have the most polished finish for the subscription model - and I must say, the software is far better than any other out there.