Using Xubuntu here for that same reason. Not to mention the fact that I have a lesser machine (an eMachines EL1358G) with not quite enough RAM to run full-on Ubuntu. Canonical seems to have done some nice things with its spin of XFCE used here.

Yup, most certainly looks like video game systems of the future will somehow have to battle 'Roku syndrome' as a result of manufacturers thinking they can put everything but the kitchen sink into these so called gaming systems, not that it matters me much.

They will most surely do this IMHO. Does Ouya ring a bell? Yet another video game system that somehow transmogrified into a media player of sorts.

Aww come on, that was a wee bit morbid. Watch yourself.

Windows RT, Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 don't have much in the way of Google apps currently (except for Chrome and that God-awful search app), so in terms of shielding yourself from Google's nastiness, you're good to go.

AFAIK, Windows 8 is Windows 7 with the Start button ripped out of it and replaced by the Start screen, which after you've gotten acquainted with it, is pretty darn easy to work with. Launching desktop apps from there seems kinda pointless though. Hope this issue is resolved in Windows 8.1.

What's taking them so long to offer up a Metro style version of Chrome? Fear of cannibalizing laptops running ChromeOS is a lame excuse, and as nice as Google's current Metro style app is, it's just a mini browser on crack and steroids.

Not to mention the availability of non-game apps on the device. Does TuneIn ring a bell? Not sure if the Ouya has the right video innards, but it could probably run Netflix or Hulu and become yet another Roku competitor.

Twonky is better for that kinda' thing. Just sayin'.

Roku only makes sense if you're a Time Warner Cable customer and you buy one the nicest Roku models, which of course makes holding onto your first-gen/second-gen Roku (for who knows how long) a no-no becuase these don't support Time Warner Cable's app. Having a Roku is a must in most newer Time Warner Cable markets (such as Louisville KY, where I live) because the ability to offer more HD channels than what you'd get through the cable box.

Exactly, comparing apples to oranges, how BRILLIANT!! If Ouya's manufacturers think they can compete with Micro$hit or Sony, they must be smoking crack. If I were them, I'd try to get some more audio/video-related apps onto the catalog so that I might be able to instead compete with Roku.

You say this and yet a lot of us are still having this problem with our smartphones which have come a long way since they were first introduced to the geek public. I think it's time we gave an X-Prize to the person who can create a better battery for mobile devices than the ones that are available now.

Not to mention that the Facebook app gets bigger and bigger in size every time it's updated with a new feature. Heck! It's too big for most entry-level phones now (one of which I have, an LG Optimus T). If I want to have Facebook AND Twitter access on my phone, I have to use a two-in-one app. None of those are all that good.

Google+ is yet something totally different. It's basically a Facebook substitute which, unlike Facebook, seems to act a bit like a news reader (depending on who you +1). If someone were to combine full Facebook functionality (Pulse and Taptu don't count) with an RSS receiver (audio-video enabled, thank you very much), that'd be a coup.