Windows Media Center survives in shrinkwrap purgatory

What exactly is the point of this life-enhancing innovation, again?
Selling consumer electronics replacement is never easy: manufacturers must rely on wear and tear, or hope for format changes. So selling something that gives you fewer capabilities, and more restrictions, than what you’ve already got will require incredibly creative marketing, bloody-minded determination, and an astronomical budget. How well will a retail MCE with little promotion fare? We’ll see.