[Squeak]

I wouldn't think of pulling the plug while my PC was operating, so why should it be any different with the Tivo, isn't it a mini-PC as well?

a TiVo is different -- it uses a different file system that can recover from sudden outages. Standard PC's running windows need the ability to commit files in memory before the shutting down.

The one and ONLY way to turn a tivo off is pull the plug.

Also, starting and stopping hard drives are much harder on them than long-term continual use.