I think it depends if they are serious about improving their "Games for Windows Live" now "Xbox Games Marketplace PC" experience. The customer experience (to date) on PCs is not as good as what Steam offers (IMHO). Their direct download game offerings on PCs (to date) are not marketed well, though this is probably since MS is consciously promoting the Xbox over PC gaming. I think if MS is serious about selling PC gaming, they'd improve the experience and their marketing of PC gaming. But, I think they may have better luck when tablet/PC/console games converge more - ie, widespread Onlive or Gaikai type gaming (could be a while before that takes off, however).

Not to be pedantic, but flashing one's wealth around has been in fashion for a very long time (likely since humanity was living in caves). The iPod, perhaps, is one of the devices that really made a piece of consumer tech into mainstream iconic fashion that was popular among a very wide range of people. Probably not the first such device (among transistor radios, cars, televisions, etc) - but probably the defining mp3 player of its generation.

I think that "abomination" of a film would be more appropriate, given the Dune discussion.

I disagree with the notion that MMS is necessary and everyone uses it - I have never used MMS, neither do any of my friends, and as such I don't miss the feature at all.

However, I'm living in the US and MMS plans/services here seem very overpriced to me. Perhaps you live somewhere where the MMS rates are reasonable and there's been mass acceptance.

Regardless, it doesn't seem like it would be very hard for apple to implement MMS support; especially considering that Windows Mobile devices have offered that functionality for years now.

Silverlight does not work on PowerPC based macs. Such computers were sold until January 2006; and in my experience PowerPC macs are still effective for most tasks; perhaps with the exceptions of gaming and running Silverlight.