For the first part of this post, see: An Alternative to AppleTV or Giving up TV for TED, Part 1 of 2

Step 3: Control Your Mac from Your Couch

Remote controlling the Mac took me the longest time to get right.

Yes, you can try your luck with a wireless mouse and keyboard, but it doesn't make for a laid-back, on-the-couch experience.

Definitely avoid the Targus Wireless Presenter. It's probably fine for a 20-minute slide-show but not your main media remote.

To do this right, you'll need a Media Center application and a remote of some kind.