>But...a projection of .NET becoming .HISTORY first isn't consistent with the facts - it's more a hope based on personal beliefs/wishes than any type of analysis.

If you will permit a slightly cheeky response, but with an ironic truth to it... I think that .NET will be gone in 10-15 years, but replaced with a migration to something else. Look at the last 10 years of Microsoft technologies and what was invented, promoted then disposed of and put into maintenance mode.

- VB
- stand-alone VC++
- MTS
- DCOM
- COM
- ODBC, OLEDB, ADO...
- OCX, Active X

Microsoft is extremely adept at setting the agenda for the tech community, especially for the developer community. It has moved from VB6/SQL being one of perhaps a half dozen major choices (VB, Delphi, Java, Xbase, Powerbuilder, Oracle) into the community have two major choices, either the Java camp or the .NET camp. Personally, I think .NET has more legs and momentum than Java. Talking to people that use both, their opionions are that .NET is (over Java)
- easier to use
- the IDE is more productive
- the code runs faster

But I digress...