As a programmer, I can see how this could really push the industry forward. Everyone seems to recoil in horror at the name "Microsoft," but remember that we see our best technological advances when real standards are developed to allow interoperability and reduce redundant development. For example, the Internet couldn't really take off until people agreed to use HTML - even though there were other protocols out there that were technically superior. It was only when everybody agreed to use the same standard that they could actually transmit meaningful information.
Microsoft is in as good a position as anybody to be on the forefront of setting those standards in the area of robotics.
"we see our best technological advances when real standards are developed to allow interoperability and reduce redundant development."
And when MS actually adopts standards, instead of believing that whatever they create are the standards, I'll agree with you.
For starters, why can't I deploy a generic DNS server for my customers, instead of a M$ DNS server the first time I install a W2K3 app server?
There is good reason to be leery of Microsoft: Microsoft is expert in making major business out of mediocre technology. This is one thing when all you're doing is pushing virtual papers around on a virtual desktop. It's quite another thing when you're talking about an extremely well financed bid to take over the technical prowess of an entire country.
Linus Torvalds (the father of Linux) nailed it some years ago when he said of Bill Gates, "I can't teach him anything about business and he can't teach me anything about technology."
What the industry needs is a set of standards, combined with some inexpensive general purpose robots, with an open architecture and easy programming. That's what really launched the PC market. And that happened before the rise of Microsoft.
Since nobody else has done this, Microsoft's entry is welcomed. But Microsoft does have a history of anti-competitive actions, so we'll see.
The robot s should be programmed to open and close windows to let you know they are a about to either reboot or turn blue (yes I can still crash W2kPro and XP when trying to get stuff done).