HP Media Center

I wonder if this will turn into the Media Center rant blog? There are just so many things wrong with the usability of this Microsoft product on HP that I am inclined not to use it anymore. I can't seem to change channels by simply typing in the say 4.1 as 41, like I do on the $11,*after $40 coupon, converter box, I got for the old SDTV. It seem like I should be able to switch channels, the guide is nice, but why limit this option?

I am running his machine with 2 monitors, but can't run the TV while also using the web browser on the other monitor without having all kinds of misses in video and audio and doing a pretty annoying alt-tab, and then having to jump through all kinds of hoops, why does the media center hog my mouse? MS needs to talk to some UI people, Apple seems to make things easy to use and very natural to operate, but MS doesn't get that. The reception on this $699 box is also inferior to the cheaper converter box. However it does do HDTV, and that is why I got it. Not having 2 tuners is a limitation that is bugging me, originally I was looking at an ATI dual tuner card $80, but there were many things blacked out on the package, very strange, all the boxes were the same, someone took a black Sharpie and blocked out some of the features. But it was USB and dual tuners, seemed interesting, yet I didn't get it, maybe I will try it next. Should have enough machines around here to test that too, no desktops, but should work on a laptop, wish it was Mac and Ubuntu compatible. That is how I ultimatly tried out the HP, Haupage tends to be Linux compatible. If I could install OS X on that HP, that would be sweet. After about a year on the Mac, I am addicted to OS X, Ubuntu is also great, and Windows seems to be an annoying OS, Vists is so paranoid it bugs me. But is it really paranoid when they are out to pown it?

Every so often for no good reason I get a "Video Error, Files need to display video are not installed or working correctly, please restart Windows Media Center or restart the computer."