Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is jockeying for position in what it assumes is a lucrative TV set-top business with a product that is, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, little more than a "stripped down version of Windows 7 with the Media Center interface."
Microsoft's biggest mistake is apparently its adherence to a "throw-it-over-the-wall" PC-like approach where the software giant makes its operating system available to vendors to run what they like, resulting in an inconsistent user experience where, as two initial devices showed, there might not even be cable compatibility.
"In the world of consumer electronics, it's been a non-starter so far," the Chronicle story concludes. Also a potential non-starter is a reported price point of $200 per box compared to Apple TV's (Nasdaq: AAPL) $99 box.
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