> since we can just use the MAC address as an IP address

With IPv4 you need to remember ... one number per machine. The one at the end, since it's usually a /24 and everything has the same prefix.

I'm sure it's trivial to remember mac addresses from different vendors with no connection to each other too :)

> Isn't it really stable hostnames that you want?

Hostnames are another layer. Your apple tv example may advertise itself on its own. My toys don't all do that.