Intel Viiv doesn't live up to the hype

In April, Viiv doesn't look much like that vision. On a typical Viiv box, Hewlett-Packard's Pavilion m7360y, it amounts to a smattering of free Web video clips and discounts on online music, movie and game rentals -- plus a nifty rainbow-hued Viiv sticker on the front of the computer.

Intel says that Viiv is still developing, that an update in the second half of this year will bring more features, and that the best Viiv devices are yet to come. But considering all the hype Intel ginned up around Viiv -- and the news coverage devoted to it -- this ranks as a phenomenally ho-hum product.