>Most of the stuff MS is now producing is rapidly starting to pale compared to what the "community" is producing; MS should spend more time being innovative instead of "competitive". They're turning into another Computer Associates.
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>You lost me here. Give me an example or two.

The MS C++ compiler for one. It's confusing and has no intrinsic controls. The 6.0 version doesn't look much different than what was available 5+ years ago. The version numbers change, but for no apparent reason. The Borland compilers continue to provide more value and are easier to use. Apparantly MS has just dropped key files from the DirectX 8.0 SDK that now prevent compilation by Borland; another stick in the eye for the community at large. (MS VC++ is the "assembler" of C++ implemenations compared to the others).

Python now is the scripting language of choice for many products (hello ... VBA ?)

Though I haven't used it, MySQLServer (open source) is now ready for prime time; no more $10k MS SQL Server installations.

My current interest is 3D graphics; MS will NEVER penetrate that market based on what is currently available.

.NET ? ... I'm current working with a product that produces a 3D virtual reality Web site at the click of a mouse; the "non-commercial" version is $49.

The list goes on.