Cool feature in Visual Studio 2005: Tracepoints

That's so obvious, I cannot beleive this feature was not there before!

Idea is really simple (and great!) - perform some action when code line is hit.
How many times you temporary modified a source code just to check how some var is changing by inserting ::OutputDebugString() or something similar.
Now that technique is obsolete. Just insert a tracepoint to that code line, and specify a template for message you want to see in Output window. In addition in the message template you can show Thread ID (for MT debugging), CPU Tick Count (for simple profiling), Call Stack, etc.

To insert tracepoint
Right-click on a line of code, choose Breakpoint \ Insert Tracepoint.
It will show dialog with all instructions.

For more details check MSDN article How to: Specify a Tracepoint/Breakpoint Action

Where is Microsoft going?

All the new game consoles (PlayStation 3, XBOX 360 and Nintendo Revolution) are based on PowerPC processors. And recently Dan Fernandez blogged about the XNA Framework, which allows to develop and execute managed code on both MS Windows and XBOX 360. So theoretically XNA can be development platform for all these game consoles, but that's unlikely because it will make development much easier for the "enemies".

But anyway - here are the facts:

• MS supported PowerPC processors in Windows NT, but dropped the support before release of Windows 2000.
• Both XBOX and XBOX 360 are based on modified Windows 2000 kernel.
• XBOX 360 uses Xenon processor, based on IBM's PowerPC technology.
• CLR for PowerPC (XNA Framework) is ready.

Do you think (as I am) that Windows is going to support PowerPC again? It would be fun, especially, after Apple moved from PowerPC to Intel processors.