There seems to be a bit of confusion out there as to what WinFX is and how it compares to .NET.  Well, according to Somasegar's WebLog, Microsoft has decided to rename WinFX to the .NET Framework 3.0.  The logic behind it being that WinFX really was the next generation of the developer framework.

 

The .NET 3.0 framework will still include all functionality from WinFX and just have a name change.  It still includes Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), Windows Communication Foundation (WCF), Windows Workflow Foundation (WF), Windows CardSpace (WCS) (formerly InfoCard), ADO.NET, ASP.NET, Windows Forms as well as the Common Language Runtime (CLR).

 

Jason Zander, who is a General Manager for the .NET Framework, also weighs in with the questions raised during the discussion at Soma's blog.    He posts the following questions with answers:

 

1.  What version of the compilers are being used?

2.  Will .NET FX 3.0 contain LINQ support?

3.  What directory will .NET FX 3.0 be installed to?

 

How will Orcas, the next version of Visual Studio, fit into the solution?  Well, Soma's WebLog has some interesting information that goes back and forth with Jason Zander's about red-green compatibility.