I’ve had a PC connected to my

I’ve had a PC connected to my TV for a very long time, it would be hard for me to replace it completely with other things. One of the reasons for this is, as you note, the inherent flexibility to access all sorts of content and experiences not available from a streamer.

I’m not sure why some people thing a keyboard doesn’t belong in the A/V stack. Frankly, there are some tasks, like typing URLs or other complex data entry (like searching on the Roku), where a keyboard is much nicer. It’s actually becoming more common to see typical CE products including some sort of keyboard in the mix as the devices become richer (more PC like).

FWIW, instead of a cheap laptop you may want to look at an Intel NUC (the Haswell ones should be out soon) or something similar (e.g. ZBox). LMK if you have anymore questions, getting started with a HTPC can be a little complex.