Ever since Microsoft dumped the .NET tag in its latest server, we've been treated with a completely new spin on .NET.   Gone are the claims of portability, cross language support and web service interoperability.  It's a new spin now as evidenced by the latest analysis from infoworld:

There is one decision organizations won't have to rush -- the move to .Net. Microsoft reversed its position that companies should rework everything for Windows-managed application framework. The .Net Framework is now just part of the Windows platform. It is installed with Windows Server 2003, but it does not replace the various frameworks (like Win32 and COM+) that were used to create Windows NT and Windows 2000 software.

Microsoft new strategy is clear, Windows is the platform, and Windows happens to be almost everything that Microsoft sells (i.e. Office, Exchange, SQL Server etc.)  all are now part of the Windows "platform".  The new buzz word seems to be "Tight Integration". 

The new strategy is also to deny backward compatibility.  This is evidenced by the release of Visual Studio.NET which can't compile .NET 1.0 code, and older SQL Server and Exchange unable to run in Windows Server 2003.  I just can't think of a better way to force an upgrade!

So folks, I think it's a bit to early to throw away those Win32 and COM+ books!