>I would also stress that time lost is time never regained...

EXACTLY! This is the only intelligent thing you've said in this thread as far as I can remember... SO, let me draw some conclusions with this:

Instead of using your time rushing to being an early adopter of .NET, wait.
Live, spend time with loved ones, whatever.

When you have time for computer stuff, if .NET is any good, it will still be there. If you wait a year, it won't have left without you. The longer you wait, the flatter the learning curve will be. This is a guarantee!

Now, if geeky stuff turns your crank, then now might be a good time to start playing with .NET. There is nothing wrong with that, however, the majority of computer programmers will not, and should not take this route. Do not let yourself be forced down this path by FUD and empty promises.

If you start spending your time with .NET now, chances are, you will have taken the long way, you will have run into easily aviodable situations that may have been avoided had you waiting until there was better training materials. You may even find with the next version of VS.NET that you spent months trying to get concepts in your head that didn't really belong there in the first place.

You can be too late to the party, you can also be to early. WHen you're too early, not only time, but dollars that were spent, are lost and will never be regained.

>Mike, let's move on...

Thats fine with me, there are still questions that you completely skipped, but if you feel good about yourself, thats all that matters.