"...the most popular way for switchers to still use Windows on their Macs."

If you're still using Windows, what makes you a switcher?

Maybe this needs to be repeated more often. The Macintosh Business Unit at Microsoft is one of the three most profitable groups at Microsoft on a per-capita basis. BillG likes profitable groups. So do the Microsoft stockholders.

We're smart enough to realize that forcing Mac users to use Windows or Windows-like software is one way to REALLY lose money. Remember just how bad Mac Word 6 and Office 4.2 were? We do. We're still trying to make up for those bad decisions.

There are many things that might happen with VPC, and none of them involve a plot to drop Mac Office.

No -- because of a simple technical reason. The performance sucks and will always suck in comparison to a native app.

And a simple business reason -- the Macintosh Business Unit @ Microsoft *makes money*. Why screw with a profitable business unit? If anything, Microsoft has consistently demonstrated that making a profit is a priority.

Read the damned press release. Microsoft bought this stuff because Connectix has solved a number of *very hard* technical problems that will be of tremendous value to Microsoft's future technical direction.