>>
>>the question *IS* does a `.NET built app` DIRECTLY access WIN32 libraries?
>>i do not believe it does... i believe it gets at WIN32 via COM1.5/COM+.
>>Thus, in effect .NET is a system built on top of COM.
>
>Nope. Under .NET, COM is dead.

After some digging here is what I came up with :

`COM interoperability is necessary in order to access native system APIs, such as shell integration, DirectX, Microsoft Office, and the Windows Registry, as well as custom legacy COM objects.`

James Park, OReilly.

So COM aint dead.

I could die before COM does.