You state:

        "So why would Internet connectivity be a good thing for appliances?
LAN
> connectivity would definitely be cool (to monitor power useage, subsystem
> health, etc., with a PC) ... but Internet connectivity?"
>
        ...haven't you seen the commercials on TV that show an appliance
repairman showing up at the front door and the wife says she nor her husband
called the repairman but the appliance made the service call :-)