>OK. . . so how would that be correctly interpreted?
>
>Does that mean that VS.NET *will* be the next version of VS (instead of VS7 or possibly VS8)??

That's a marketing decision that I don't know about. After all, this is Microsoft. The name can change a million times between now and when the product ships next year. I can say that the disks distributed at the PDC say "Visual Studio.Net".

>
>Does it mean that WIN.NET will have Win32 support along the lines that DOS is supported in WinXX?

I don't know. There was also a Microsoft.Net disk distributed, but I haven't gone through it yet.

>
>How does that clarafication at PDC impact my interpretations (below)?
>
>>>
>>>I get the distinct impression, from reading the About.NET whitepaper, that VisualStudio.NET would be a separate product altogether.

No. It will be Visual Studion 7.0.

>>>
>>>I also see heavy use of the word "subscribe", making me wonder if this is more towards time-based software "licensing" (my terminology for downloading a product for use then it disappearing from your system when you close it) as opposed to permanently installed on your computer.

Did Mike Stewart provide you with enough of an answer?

>>>
>>>I also don't see *any* mention of the standard development languages in the white paper.

They are there. VS.Net definately contains VC++, VB, VFP, and C#.

>>>
>>>It looks like a whole new world to me, with XML being the main "glue" and canned "building blocks" used for processing. Maybe real programming is to join the dodo after all.

XML is definately a BIG player here. Look at SQL Server 2000, ADO+, SOAP, and a number of other products coming out. MS is pushing XML *big* time.


One more thing...I did not attend the PDC, but the disks were on my door step today.