so what's great about WP7 is that it will tie the phone to the Windows Desktop PC? Leveraging that desktop worked for desktop products but it has never worked for them otherwise. Seeing how Android is already hear and moving forward fast, WP7 without any compelling reason over the competition is a yawner.

And what's up with using Sliverlight as the "native" development platform for WP7? I would have figured it would have been MS .Net. Way to go Microsoft for looking pretty schizophrenic on the vision thing. You know, that stuff you seem to say Google has none of when spreading your FUD about other companies instead of taking care of your own house.

Thank you for your interesting reply. Indeed, you raise some good points.

- Xbox stuff must be nice for people who have xboxes, indeed.

- Same for Live. Question: what if I'm not on Live, but on Google (like most everyone is) ?

In the end, I see the value, for someone who's already fully tied into MS products and services. Not only am I not, but I'll want to avoid that, same as I refuse to be tied into Apple's walled playpen. I see Android and Google as safer bets in terms of letting me do what I want, how I want it, with the phone I buy. In particular, letting me install any software I want

I can see good reasons to migrate to Windows 7. It is actually a better OS then XP and performs well on old machines. The math is pretty simple. You will need to migrate sooner or later.. It is foolish to bring in new machines with XP unless you have some mission critical XP only software. If so you are just waiting for a world of pain. Start looking for a replacement.

The problem would be greatly simplified if people kept a private record of all the services they use (or at least, the major ones), with login and password details. Have the list secured away somewhere, to be given to next of kin at time of death. That way they can be managed properly by whoever has to deal with the estate.

Take Vista/7 OS for example. Is there a reason to have both 32 and 64 bit versions of all six (think there are that many) SKUs???

If MS had vision, it would have simply made Windows 7, all versions, complete 64 bit, and forgot about backwards compatibility when it didn't make sense; no 32 bit version. It would have solved all sorts of problems going forward. 32 bit is going away in the next year or two anyways. AND the only reason 32 bit exists is for "backwards compatibility".