Re:  google tv…Love Googles ambition and love the idea of a universal mashup UI and guide system for a diverse range of content, transport agnostic. 

That said, Google need to make fast progress here. Usability will win the day in this space. Apple has narrow focus and a locked ecosystem, but they also have content deals (something which I don’t believe is on Googles content and carrier agnostic aggregator model) and they have crisp delivery of commercial content. With compelling enough per show price points, enough content deals, and Netflix, delivered via a sexy $99 device, apple doesn’t necessarily need an open web approach.

In reality, this is all an answer to a question no consumer is currently even thinking about asking. The winner will deliver a very nearly traditional experience in terms of usability, but at a better TCO than bundled channels and with more flexibility.

Google and Apple are really on different paths here. There are other players as well and more to come. I expect TiVo isn’t likely to just give up, nor will microsoft. Things are starting to get interesting…