In October, Microsoft hosted their Professional Developer Conference, sort of an opportunity for Windows developers to see what is in the pipeline for the OS a few years out (code name: Longhorn).

Microsoft is making a huge push for managed code, essentially code running within a strict runtime or virtual machine. The CLR, .Net, and C# were huge deals at the PDC.

But perhaps the largest deal was WinFX, the managed replacement for the Win32 APIs.

Even more fascinating than that, is how Microsoft is getting developers acclimated to all the changes. Microsoft employees were slow to take up blogging, but have really started to embrace public writing in a big way.

Brad Abrams, designer of the WinFX APIs, is asking for public feedback for WinFX on his 'blog. That is huge, and, I imagine, Microsoft's way of countering the Open Source development model. A great deal of Longhorn's design is happening in the public eye; this has been really interesting to watch.