Front Row = Apple's big foot in the Media Center door

Conrad from Joystiq brought up a great question about the new Front Row software: What's CenterStage going to say? I briefly played with their alpha and it looks a lot like Front Row. Of course, I'm sure there aren't a whole lot of ways to pull off a media center oritented application and not look like the next guy. The second thing to hit me was: I wonder if Apple will make Front Row available for other Macs.

Then I realized this new iMac with Front Row, video iPods and the introduction of full-on video downloads in the iTunes Music Store (iTunes Video Store?) symbolizes Apple taking a big first step into the media center market. They now make the media software, portable hardware and offer audio and video downloads. Let's hear it for innovative competition!