I think they rely on VLC to supply the dvd decryption library, presumably so they don't have to include anti-DRM goodness in their own package.

I totally agree and would add to it the fact that US sockets seem to get so loose over time that plugs will simply fall out and have to be balanced in the socket. Very common problem in hotels and apartment buildings. Also, I am used to seeing sparks flash and arc when inserting & removing things from the wall. Not at all comforting when the device at the other end is a laptop.

IMHO the only thing the US system has got is the nice small size of the plug itself.

I don't understand Apple's argument that this would replace core iPhone functionality. It doesn't replace it, it simply provides another way of making calls. The user won't be confused - after all, it was them who installed Google Voice in the first place. Both Skype and the actual "Phone" app both offer me a phone keypad to make calls with and I am not confused in the slightest about the meaning of both. It's like BT not allowing a landline customer to own a mobile phone because having two handsets might confuse...

I'd go for Windows 7 myself, it is so much better than Vista and not so neolithic as XP.