Joe,
I will tell you what it means in my opinion. It means that the pure web 2.0 approach, on most applications is simply not efficient nor desirable from most bussiness as well as consumers. It means that Google is trying to find ways to offer offline versions of some services- (sure this offer not an example of how a hybrid model will work in the future, but shows intentions. The next move will probably be starOffice connecting to Google storage as you rightfully point yourself). Finnaly it simply means - what I keep saying on my comments for a long time - that Microsoft's hybrid approach on the Web 2.0 platform makes absolute sense , irrespective of the fact that it is in their interest to preserve the importance of the client (i.e PC etc) in the software architectures of the future.

Well, as I type, I'm waiting for UPS to drop off my copy of Office 2007 Professional; I'm living proof that those trials work amazingly. They really get you used to something and then one day, you can't have it, unless you order or convert. I think Microsoft is well-prepared for the battles on the productivity side.

While I can agree with most of this article, I do believe that MS Works 9, ad invested, will not be a popular, when you can get OpenOffice for free, without the ads.

Now if google really wants to do more, it should have a download link right on the main google.com page, for either its goobuntu OS, with Google Pack, including StarOffice or OpenOffice. If they don't want to release their OS, then they could use Ubuntu or another popular easy to use Linux distro.

The google.com page gets many hits, so this would do more to hurt M$ and thereby help google (and Linux) than anything they are doing now with the web 2.0 stuff.

Now that VMWare is showing the world (including Microsoft who can't produce their own hypervisor framework until... what is it now?... October? November? 2008?) how valuable virtualization is and what can be done, perhaps Microsoft will realize how important patent 7076521 is to them... before MSFT becomes irrelevant.

Of course, VCSY is suing MSFT for infringement on 6826744 so I don't think MSFT will get to use 7076521 unless they settle with VCSY on 744.

But, you don't believe any of this because you simply look at VCSY's shareprice at 2 cents and think it will never fly.

That's the biggest mistake anyone can make. The patents aren't granted based on the size of the inventor's shareprice. They're granted on the strength of the concepts embodied in the patent.

And Microsoft (to name only one) doesn't have the goods or they would have flown their virtualization schemes long ago.

All we have to do with VCSY is wait long enough for MSFT to present their products for sale and the obviousness of what and how they are doing will show the entire world what 744 and 521 do.

Then, there will be no need to have me here to explain the simple things of life you folks like you.

So, where am I frustrated? I'm excited we VCSY longs have found a company that holds keys to the internet that the big boys don't have (in spite of their efforts to take the property).

So, again, thanks for your question as it gives me an opportunity to demonstrate just how important to the future of web-interconnected systems without barging in uninvited.

VCSY can do what VMWare does. VMWare can not do what VCSY does.

It's all going to be on the web and the hardware based operating system will be an anachronism. Ballmer knows that and he doesn't give a flip about what shareholders think, apparently. They've been promised a real show from the trick puny (woops, typo) for years and the curtain is still closed and appears destined to stay closed until MSFT works something out with VCSY.

Now, if that's been done and MSFT is holding off for anything... woe to MSFt's market share because their games situation is now dicey and insiders are selling like they've never sold before.

Google and Sun are just trying to cut off Microsoft's air-supply. Nothing new for Sun, and Google's ranks are swelled with thousands of ex-Microsoft employees. It's just a circus.