It's a risky move. I imagine a fair amount of sensible female spouses will veto its purchase off hand. Personally I wouldn't have it in my living room either. It's kind of embarrassing looking. I have the feeling I would be constantly asked about it. What does it do? Why does it look like that? Followed by a brief discussion where I have to explain that I actually prefer sensible, sleek, minimalist industrial design instead. I'm not interested in having this conversation with people so I won't buy it.
An interesting assertion, given that the design of this device, perhaps more so than any other piece of equipment in recent memory (excepting the iPhone), epitomizes the visual aesthetics of minimalism.
It's a cube. The only challenging element here is that it's seated off-axis. I'm amazed that such a simple translation of form has provoked such markedly vehement negative responses from a certain cross-section.
Again, I think this is probably evidence that Boxee has targeted a very specific market segment. I doubt they're interested in appealing to "sensible female spouses" - those people already have an entertainment center and are signed up for netflix or blockbuster by snail mail.
I'd encourage all the folks immediately tempted to rage on the design of this device to take a step back and realize that if their first reaction upon seeing it is violent revulsion and nausea, it's probably wasn't intended for them in the first place.
Think about the market segment who, in recent history, has dominated CD purchases and what this device might mean as a distribution system targeted at them - but for tv, film, etc.
You may be right about the target market, but it's not fair to say it's just a cube. It's had its corner lobbed off, and it's off-kilter. Those changes aren't simple; the result completely lacks the self-contained stability of the cubes and grids that minimalists revere.
