Thank you for this. I’d be happy if the Win 32 app just provided a 10’ UI.
Regarding point number two, for many of us an HTPC provides a consolidation point where many functions can be combined into one unit. We don’t want to use an HDMI port for a Blu ray player/recorder, an HDMI port for a gaming console, an HDMI port for a streaming device, and an HDMI port for a low end computer to handle emails and web browsing.
I don’t want five remotes and five different inputs to juggle. My TV is the head of my system, and the HTPC keeps my setup simple.
Please keep that in mind when thinking about HTPCs. It’s not that we’re being stubborn – we have our very valid reasons for preferring our setups. 
