The Boxee folks have posted an update today about the 1.5 beta release. After the details of the release’s UI enhancements, the Boxee team has also let slip that the 1.5 release will be the last one for Windows, Mac OS X or Linux.
According to the post, the team has been able to bring “Boxee for Computers to about 85% of the Boxee Box in terms of features and functionality.”
Unfortunately, the DRM and certification requirements mean that a lot of premium apps aren’t available via the downloadable version of Boxee. This includes Netflix, Pandora, VUDU and a number of others.
The Revolution Will Not Be Shown on Your PC
The post thanks computer users of Boxee, but says that the future of TV “will be driven by devices such as the Boxee Box, Connected TVs/Blu-Rays and 2nd screen devices such as tablets and phones.” The number of people using computers connected to TVs “is likely to decline as users find better alternatives.”
For what it’s worth, I tend to agree with the assessment – but that doesn’t mean that users who still want to use Boxee for Computers are going to be eager to spring for a Boxee Box or another connected device.
Users will have the 1.5 release for as long as it’s usable, and most of the Boxee code is open source (based on the project).
