This. It's not so much whether it is one app or several. It's about how none of these apps work together like the single app did. You cannot move a conversation from chat to a call or video seamlessly. Hangouts does this. The fruit company makes this easier as well. Nobody wants to open up one app to text, then close that app and open up the phone or contacts app so they can find that person's entry to call them. It's just frustrating that they are going from a great user experience to a terrible one.

And that, sadly, has me almost considering going back to the fruit company.

I can tell you right now, and administrator is going to tell you right where you can tar it if you stand over his shoulder while he's trying to work. I've been an admin for a long time and I've dealt with people like you and it always comes down to the same thing:

Either you will trust me to do the job you hired me to do or you can find someone else to do it. Being administrator inherently means I will have access to all your base. The fact that I'm a professional doing a job I was hired to do means all your base are not belong to me. Irritate me by hovering over my shoulder all day and that will change.

Have you seen an AppleTV running Boxee? With the exception of Netflix capabilities (which they are working on adding)...it basically is XBMC with a much better interface.

You're right. My girlfriend is odd, not even.