I've now spent almost two weeks with Apple TV, which ships to mainstream stores April 23, and what started out as love at first sight has developed into a not-so-perfect one-way relationship.

If there's any company that specializes in innovation and simplicity, it's Apple.

Conceptually, Apple TV is a breakthrough product. For $299, a three-pound box with a footprint comparable to a vertical Kleenex box, the device promises to bring your computer content to your TV.

Apple TV, which has been available in Apple stores since March 26, works with personal computers and Macintosh computers and can be described simply as a pretty little white terminal that wirelessly receives content from your iTunes library.

That means all TV shows and movies trapped on our computers can now be enjoyed on a TV set in wireless range of a household computer. And immediately after taking Apple TV out of its package, I was smitten.

The sleek packaging revealed the TV, a power adapter, a tiny remote control and a limited instruction manual. However, Apple's decision to exclude cables that allow consumers to hook up their Apple TV to an actual television is borderline offensive after they already have shelled out $299 plus tax.

So my initial excitement was quickly marred by having to abandon my new toy and go back out in search of audiovisual cables.

Once I finally got my Apple TV hooked up, all was forgotten. The beautiful on-screen display and user-friendly interface captivated me.

Synchronizing TV shows and movies I had downloaded on my computer was effortless, but during this process I noticed something infuriating. The packaging for Apple TV, the instruction manual and product information on Apple.com clearly state that Apple TVs have a 40GB hard drive.

Forty gigabytes can store about 50 hours of video, but Apple TV actually ships with 33GB of accessible hard drive space, which can only store about 40 hours of video.

I noticed other shortcomings.

The Apple TV remote control allows TV watchers to navigate through all their streamed content and photos. The volume level of Apple TV, however, can't be controlled with the remote control.

This leaves the user with two options: Run back and forth between the TV and couch to adjust the volume or find a way to program another remote control to pick up where Apple leaves off.

Apple TV also only offers stereo sound and not surround sound. It is also only compatible with widescreen TV, leaving a good chunk of TV viewers in the dark.

The hottest thing about Apple TV is quite literally the heat produced by the unit after only 60 minutes of use.

Apple TV quickly becomes uncomfortably warm, and, since its instruction manual doesn't explain how to turn the unit off, I had to call Apple to solve that mystery.

The heat is something Apple doesn't really deal with, beyond the statement that the product has been safety-tested.

Two weeks later, I'm able to conclude that the Apple TV is more looks than substance.

Unless you have cash to throw around, I'd wait until Apple revises what should be a cutting-edge product.

-- Matt Granite covers technology for Medill