A few folks have commented here and on the Microsoft Gadgets site that I should take a moment to acknowledge other players in the mini-app space who were "there first". Heated conversations have been seen between extreme fans of different platforms claiming they were there first or accusations of copying.  I'm not going to get into revisionist history.  But what I will say is this:

Stardock, Konfabulator, and Apple all have their own takes on mini-applications, as do many others. Each has it's strengths. Whether they're called "Widgets", "Gadgets", "Tiles", "Parts", or "Sprockets" doesn't matter.  Did anyone notice that the term "Dashboard" was first coined in MSN's interpretation of Sidebar back in 2001? It doesn't matter. Each has its own interpretation of the concept. No one platform will appeal to all, and every platform can be improved.

At the end of the day, we want to make great software that's useful and "sticky".  If you want to be a part of that, to have your feedback heard, to criticize or question design decisions- that's great!  Our model will involve working directly with the community in a more transparent way.  We won't be making decisions by committee, but we will be actively engaging you in the conversation if you want to be a part of it.  And that's my last comment on the topic. :)