On the one hand, rats for us and for the Tivo-lender who doesn't need it anymore and still needs to find a home for the big dead box; on the other hand, I can't really blame the Tivo folks, since I'm pretty sure if it was my company and my product I'd do the exact same thing.

Having attempted to cancel Tivo service, I reserve the right to not be sympathetic with them about anything. I called, I argued, I cancelled, and yet they kept billing me. I called again, I spent an hour on the phone, and FINALLY got them to reallyo trulyo cancel my service. AND refund the month they'd billed me. Apparently the first time they didn't think I meant it?

Well, if I tried to cancel TiVo I'd certainly be under the influence of some evil spell and need to be saved from myself. Isn't it really just excellent customer service that they're protecting you from a similar mistake?

I told them I was moving to Germany. During the FIRST call.

(Okay, it was a slight exaggeration; we were considering moving to Germany, but we were cancelling Tivo no matter what.)

But you didn't move to Germany, did you? Quod erat demonstrandum...

iPad question. I am considering giving my iPad2 to my Mother, as she only has a win95 computer that she never uses. The thing that is making me hesitant, is that she doesn't have internet service at her house, and it's the Wi-Fi only model.

So, my question, does anyone use their iPad for hot-spot locations only? I believe the library she lives near has free wifi. Just not sure how much of a pain it is when you don't have regular service. Clearly there is more to do on the iPad then just internet/mail/stream Netflix. But the reason for giving to her, is so she can send/receive emails with family across the land.

Also, I wonder how good she will be with the onscreen typewriter thing. Although, I seem to recall, she hunts/pecks, so maybe that won't be an issue at all.

Just wondering if it's a can of worms worth opening or not. Thoughts? Advice?

I would say,if I ever had an Ipad I would get a bluetooth keyboard. Throw in that purchase and it is no longer a zero cost gift but... And nothing to say on lack of home Interbunny.

Yeah, I have a DVD TiVo, and until recently could play DVDs on it even though I no longer had it hooked up for service, but after I had to reboot it at one point, it just gets stuck on the "but I have to call the mothership!" part and won't even let me play DVDs. Boo. (Good thing is, a cheapo DVD player set me back all of $40)

I keep thinking perhaps I'll get both TiVos going, if I buy another TV, but at the moment, no need.

I am enslaved to my TiVo, but i do think it's kind of shitty for them to lock you out of everything if you don't use their service. Conceptually, that's how I still think of it--you've bought the device, so whatever you can make it do without schedule updates should be legit. But no, the model is that you're paying a license to actually shine that beam onto the disc, or record whatever signal's being fed into it anyhow.

Is their profit margin that precarious that they need to do this to shore it up?

From what I hear, yes, they have very narrow profit margins. I would be curious if the packaging says "must have service to use ANYTHING on/in the box"? I wonder if there is a lawsuit waiting to happen?