Be warned...I have at 1 GHZ Celeron that is so slow with XP I had to put Windows 98 on it. I can't imagine it with Vista.
I will keep my eyes open on the forums about actual real-life performance that other people are getting before giving it to my wife. If it is a "pooch" I'll tkae it back before she even knows I got it.
As for the unimpressive performance of the A2 for BortherBob, did you say that it is going through your AVR via HDMI? Have you tried a direct HDMI link to your TV just for testing?
EDIT: Oops. I just noticed that your AVR doesn't have HDMI. Are you using HDMI or component?