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The Longhorn Dream Reborn
gbjbaanb writes "Early this month, Microsoft dropped something of a bombshell on Windows developers: the new Windows 8 touch-friendly immersive style would use a developer platform not based on .NET. Cue howls of outrage from .NET developers everywhere, but here Ars Technica describes what's more likely to have been going on and why Microsoft is finally getting its act together for developers."
RTFA.
Windows developers want to be able to build immersive applications, and they don't want to have to use HTML5 and JavaScript to do it. They won't have to. ... Far from being left behind on the legacy desktop - which was the impression that many took from the presentation - native C++ and managed C# will both be first-class, supported ways of developing immersive, touch-first, tablet-friendly Windows 8-style applications.
DATABASE WOW WOW
You're kinda comparing apples and oranges: on the one hand, MS is trying to provide APIs, libraries features and tools for advanced, maybe even "innovative" features (maybe in misguided ways, but that's not my point), on the other hand, you list almost bare-metal APIs.
As far as I know, these haven"t changed in Windows much either, but most devs simply don't use them.
I'm fully aware that COBOL isn't dead either... It's just not where most of the jobs/money/action is, though I'm sure quite a few people are quite happy working in that space.
The Cloud - because you don't care if your apps and data are up in the air.
Unfortunately the article doesn't explain how they arrived at that conclusion other than it being their own opinion and possibly their own wish. That whole Longhorn WinFX finally coming to reality thing is another opinion piece. We heard many similar stories for Cairo many moons ago and that whole object oriented operating system rubbish around Windows 2000.
The article says windows is getting a new API, WinRT, which is a modern version of Win32. .NET and C++ development will both be updated for WinRT and have the same capability as each other so you can work in the environment you choose. Silverlight is supported, updated and renamed (codenamed?) Jupiter. Some other new things were added. In summary, .NET developers, you're getting new functionality. C++ developers, you're getting new functionality. Plus it will be easier than ever to go back and forth between the two because, underlying it all, is a new unified API.
There are official MS OS Anime personifications, and there have been for quite some time.
I see that although you are not new to the net, you are new to this topic, so I'll link you to one list of the OS-tans. I'm sure you'll have no problem finding the other less NSFW places yourself to see more and better quality pics/fics, if you are so inclined...
There is indeed slash fiction. I read one not too long ago about XP-tan having an affair with Windows7-tan, Vista-tan was quite upset (her abandonment issues surfacing yet again); The always compassionate Linux-tan tried to console her, but it made the needy OSX Leopard-tan very jealous (apparently consoling a rival is a grave transgression on her home planet).
There are OS-kuns (males) as well... My girlfriend told me of the new yaoi slash she was reading where OSX-Kun fell in love with the heroic and savage XP-kun who had rescued him from the lair of the evil scientist Dr. Mac-Defender. In the heat of their passion OSX-kun had unknowingly infected XP-kun with a virus; Thus, both OS-kuns were soon on their way to see the comically bungling Dr. Norton-kun.
Fear not my friends, Rule 34 can not be denied.