I found Collins’ concluding thoughts on the convergence of platforms to be very interesting and agree that the distinctions between different pieces of technology are going to shrink even smaller. The role of the movie playing device, formerly filled by DVD players and the like, has been encroached on by game consoles such as the PS3 and Xbox 360. Movie services such as hulu and netflix have also become available through game consoles, further solidifying their roles as general purpose entertainment devices. Game consoles are essentially very specialized computers built just to play games, but as their functions become broader, I believe they will become more and more like regular computers. Simplified web browsers would not be surprising to see, and consoles have offered keyboards in the past so there is no reason they would not be made to allow easier browsing as well.
However, whereas you can upgrade or build a PC yourself, consoles must be bought from the company and not tinkered with at all. Currently console makers do not like people messing with their machines in any way, and I think that trend will continue. By not allowing modifications they make sure that customers will have to buy their next product instead of just having to upgrade certain parts. Also, with consoles there is an ease of access that does not always come with PCs; there is no worrying over parts or specifications to make sure a game runs well. I think that as different platforms become more able to perform others’ roles and lines blur between them, this will become one of the more important distinctions between consoles and computers.