Thanks for your response. I really like developing desktop application, though I wrote a device driver a few years back and that was fun. I loathe scripting languages, which means I haven’t done too much web stuff. I suppose my real question, is .NET going to become the only option for windows development soon? I suppose if it is I’ll have to bite the bullet and get involved in some kind of side project in my spare time to gain experience.

As for Linux, I'm running Linux at home for my desktop (just to gain exposure), but haven't really had any real reason to write anything for it (other than a small financial app for my personal use).