First impressions of the Apple TV
Apple TV is now available from your local Apple store. 300 USD is its price tag (no cables included).
Other then the hype, and the cool menu system does Apple TV worth the money and is it better then its competition (i.e. Netgear EVA8000, etc.)?
The remarks I have regarding Apple TV sums up, currently, to the contents it would allow playing on your TV. Apple TV will play iTunes-based content only. And one of the biggest drawbacks I find with it is the inability to play XviD-based contents (while its competition can).
Usability wise Apple TV is far better then its competition. If usability is what you are looking for then Apple TV is a clear winner (and it is something most of the people would be able to install and handle). If the content is what concerns you, then Apple TV might not be your choice.
Currently the number of bugs associated with Apple TV is far less then those associated with its competition. But only time would tell whether Apple would learn from its first release, add additional capabilities, and fix what is needed.
I can not ignore the fact that you pay 300$ but you do not get any cables with Apple TV. You need to add another 20$ to get these. I think this is lame, and it reminds me of the MacBookPro story with the 50$ modem. It is time Apple understands this is not the right thing to do.
In the mean time there are several sites and write-ups, which offers Apple TV hacks. One of them is Apple TV Hacks, and the other is a thread over at Something Awful, which discusses how to make “xvid working on the Apple TV“.
For the meantime I am not going to get the machine. I am waiting for the second generation. In my opinion I cannot trust Apple anymore with its first generation products.