>Wish I had time to play with it. But, end of day, I think you are right. This particular example wasn't a fair comparison.
>BTW I noticed that the SQL Geography data type is implemented as a CLR data type :-}

True, it's a CLR data type. There are functions associated with the data type to convert latitude and longitude points into a geospatial value.

The feature has been around for six years now, though it's still a bit of a niche feature in the product. There are probably many who don't realize (and haven't had a need to realize) that you can use the core Microsoft platform to write something to consume a restful service (like rpc.geocoder.us/service), pass it address information, get back latitude and longitude points, convert them to a spatial value, store the values in a SQL table, and then generate a map in SSRS (or PowerMaps) to show the dozen Kroger grocery stores in Northern Atlanta and their sales. :)