A damning bit of writing about Apple from Fortune magazine's editor-at-large, Brent Schlender in "The Trouble with Apple TV." It not only picks apart all the many things wrong with "the dud" that is the Apple TV set top unit, but Schlender talks about the company's other business hiccups and casts a shadow of doubt on the upcoming iPhone. Not that that last bit in particular will prevent the company from making a bazillion dollars in the first hour it goes on sale, but still. If anything, it's an interesting, very in-depth read about a product that just probably wasn't a good idea in the first place, or was, but purely as a known money-losing business strategy. Here's some:

There are shortcomings that even Microsoft would not have overlooked: Apple TV doesn't have a DVD drive or a volume control on its minimalist remote or...but enough. You get the feeling that Apple didn't create this thing because it was insanely great but in order to freeze competitors out of downloadable video.

Apple TV could have been a versatile transitional product that not only made it easier for people to use their computer-based content in the living room but also helped unclutter their home entertainment systems. Apple got the shape of the box right, and the screensaver is pretty nice, but that's about it.