I can't help but think of niven's 5th law(from stories) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niven's_laws#Niven.27s_Laws_.28stories.29[^] If you have something to tell the user tell them in as idiot-proof language as possible. the user may be why we have a job, that does not mean they are not all royal pains... graphic representation of users (via users http://goo.gl/W7sgGu) http://goo.gl/gyOhSL[^]

i have a usually see the opposite reaction... people bend over backwards for anything Microsoft. i work in a moslty mircosoft-shop. we deal extensively in communications, databases, and UI is of secondary concern. and yet those who work here, all too often, are fanatics for and of Microsoft. that isnt any better. fanaticism one way or the other is no solution. i have to say, i hate a lot of things about microsoft. the ubiquity and the hollier-than-thou attitude... but when it comes to making development tools, by and large, they are right on the money... they know how to build a good product. and it is simply because there is a profit to be made. free and open-source software has its uses, but sometimes there just has to be a good comercial product to get it done... capitalism is the way.

I have an android phone, (droid2 running on froyo) and i also use the emulator. in my experience, the emulator is harder to work with simply because it takes up 90% of your system resources no matter how amazing your computer is. but as far as i have seen, as long as you don't want to use the sensors(orientation/compass, or accelerometer)much, it works about the same...

i have been running it for a little over a month... with little to no problems. you do have to have SQL2008 express installed as your Default Named Instance(the "SQLEXPRESS" instance), and there is an update to the windows 4 API (if you are running XP) that is a good install. my machine is a very old Dell Dimension 4600 and it performs beautifully, although if slow, on it. i have noticed that is has a good chance to stay broken, if you have an error. mostly just annoying, you can save and re-open the project and that will fix it(at worst case). also, can you change the settings and config files for the actual project template, which gives you all the rope you need to hang your self(think of editing the MSBuild files with a sledgehammer). not a good situation. i am waiting for the extensibility points to opened up to all of us though. in it current state it is really nothing more than a toy for the layman. all and all it has been a pretty good experience, far better than the VS2008 beta was in the past.

i have approx 34 email address... 2 for work. 3 junk/ throw aways 6 accounts for different aliases i use 1 for taxes/school/gov't use. +1 for each project or online community or organisation i am a member of. most of them i use weekly. only one do i use infrequently.