Quote - Seems like I heard something about Windows and those Stuxnet p0wned Siemens controllers but that was probably the workstations.

Nah - it just used Windows workstations as a conduit to infect Siemens PLCs and various other controller firmware. There's a second variant floating around as of a couple days ago called Duqu.

Quote - If the desktop is indeed dying then MS be in trouble. Desktop Linux will be a curious footnote in history - the battle that didn't have to be fought.

Not entirely sure... a Linux GUI was/is still a necessary thing, even if not on the desktop (again, Android).

Quote - *
* Easy/Advanced GUI, presets!, wizards yada yada, but the geeks don't want no freaks.  

Not exactly... :)

Wizards are largely unnecessary and a right drain on resources. Do not want.

A simple UI with some simple settings (like the "Basic" tab in the Poser Materials section) with generic presets for the rest of the settings you'd find in the Advanced tab should be plenty. 

Quote - Gotta disagree with the calls to ax Carrara. Daz needs a modeling tool to round out the package, something with content integration, morph creation and decent general modeling capability. I only use it to render I don't know how well it fits the last two. Obviously it will need to support Geni. Maybe Hexagon is a better modeler, IDK, but Carrara adds landscapes - no not as good as Vue, particle effects etc. and a decent renderer. It's a poor man's integrated 3D package. Bryce, yeah get file import capability in Vue or cut a deal with Eon and bundle a no logo Pioneer with static figure import limited to 800x600 or whatever.

Same deal here re. Cararra. In there, you can add hair, use a kick-ass renderer, morph the hell out of something... not the greatest modeler on the planet but it does everything else okay.