Chrome on Google TV

The concept of Google TV‘s been around for a while, but has recently taken a hard form in the Logitech Revue and Sony Internet TV series. I got a chance to play around with an installation today at the Sony Style store and, despite what I consider to be an above-average user interface, still don’t see the appeal.

I’m an HTPC man; I live and breathe my hackintoshed machine running Boxee. When connecting a computer to a TV, you free yourself from limitations. Any software can be installed, upgrades can be made, and you could even dual-boot if desired. The price difference between Google TV hardware compared to a $699 Mac Mini (or much less expensive self-built machine) doesn’t seem large enough. That’s the one thing that Apple got right about the new Apple TV; $99 is a wide enough gap from any computer.

However, I often have to take a step back from my power user-esque preferences and realize that the average consumer is actually paying for limitation. They see it as convenience, but it’s really the trading of control for simplicity.

Google TV isn’t for me. But for people who want to be ahead of the curve while still keeping it simple, go for it.

Will you be getting a Google TV device? Thoughts?