Not a laptop ... a media center tower with Hi Def Tv receiver and loads of input ports.
I've never gotten around to connecting it to cable, though ...
And, I think it was like $299 for the lifetime subscription ... but I could be remembering wrong ... or maybe you're including the price of the base Tivo ... I got the one with the most storage they had at the time ... 140 hours I think ... I only record in Highest Quality so it's more like 40ish in reality.
Coincidently, I got it just in time for the 2004 tournie ...