Not true. It's good as every other action in past history against monopoly (not only EA action and not only Steam monopoly).

That's not what most of Steam's users like to think. :D

I've bought games / DLC from GFWL a few times, didn't really have any problems but I'm not into "Apps" and I sure as hell wont be funneled into a Apple store like system.

M$ is really going too far with Win 8, with the Android OS drawing mass attention to the Linux side of things I'm guessing that their OS division's control over the PC landscape is ready to collapse.

not that it will really matter since most of their income is from the console side of things now, I'm also guessing that 8 will be the last stand alone OS release and after that they will switch over to to a mac like format of media center like Xbox's (as if win 8 isn't 90 % there already).

Didn't read all the posts, but I skimmed them.
(I'm assuming the Windows Store will have DRM)
I'll treat the Windows Store like I treat Steam. If I get the game free, awesome, I'll use it. If I buy the game DRM-free elsewhere and get a Windows Store copy, I'll add it to my account. If buying it gives me access to a DRM free copy along with the Windows Store copy, I'll have no issue purchasing it. I will not buy any game from there that does not offer me a DRM free version.

That is incorrect, in 2010 the entertainment division only accounted for 13% of their revenue. I can't imagine 2011 had a drastic difference from that.

http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Microsoft_%28MSFT%29

You're not serious, right?

Few dozen billion $ from all other divisions, only few hundred million $ from their console business (for the last quarter), or something like that (the point is that their entertianment division makes the least profit every time).
The only DRM is that you'd need to log in in Windows with a Windows Live account, instead of a local one.

So what is that, a internet activation every time I boot up my computer (assuming I want to play a game from them) or do I have to remain connected the entire time?

I don't like games for windows because it doesn't allow me to change the language of the website to English. Apparently I'm only allowed to view the site in my native language for some reason. It's incredibly annoying, and I don't want anything to do with the site until that changes. If this changes in Windows 8 I might consider using it.

Steam users, in aggregate, don't seem to the the sharpest tools in the shed.

Well, yes. A lot of people are hard-minded and do not want to have free will (preferring laziness(?)) ;) :P

I'm not aware that they've released that information at all, yet. However you're likely to have the choice of automatically logging into the online side of things as you log in, or not. You will have to log in in order to purchase things, though.

Well if the game I want is on sale at their store for a reasonable (cheap) price, Then yea suppose I would buy it there. But if it is going to be a regular Micro Soft bs thing. Then most likely the games will be to expensive, or have so much DRM implemented on it that it won't be worth it to shop there.

I am only saying do to observation I don't have an XBox, nor do I have an XBox live account, but all I have known of Micro Soft is they relay like to take your money.

Nope, just when you want to purchase something. You'd also be able to earn achievements and manage your stats while being offline, and then just sync them when you go online. At least, that's how it is on Windows Phone, it most likely will be something similar.

Yep, exactly my point. Why the hell would I want to play my games in german...

I don't have any plans to buy games from the windows store. My backlog is so ridiculous that buying games, other than the DRM free games offered by GOG, is not a consideration. No more $60 purchases / online accounts for me till I have absolutely no games to play . . . =)