>I think MS's strategic focus is in making computing more pervasive in areas that heretofore - have not been leveraged. Consider home appliances. Add wireless and you now have the ability to do some neat things. MS wants windows to to be the platform for embedded systems. For example, having all of your home appliances networked - and the ability to program your coffee maker to start brewing at 6:00 AM. Sounds corny - but that is where I see things growing.
>

Gates was harping this years ago.

>Add to that PDA's, Phones, Tablets - etc - Fox is not particularly well suited to go into these areas.

And, why not? M$ wants to go into these areas.. M$ owns and guides the direction of Fox... so why not?

>With longhorn, avalon,et al. - MS is working to break down the barriers between the platform and app development. This is the strategy MS is working on and Fox is on the outside looking in.