Yes but as I stated and as it is mentioned in the FAQ:

Will Server/Desktop apps benefit from .NET Native and/or the Compiler in the Cloud?
Desktop apps are a very important part of our strategy. Initially, we are focusing on Windows Store apps with .NET Native. In the longer term we will continue to improve native compilation for all .NET applications.

It is a start to something more promising and desktop will likely get support. Whether that is in the same format that is yet to be determined

You're missing my point: "desktop" likely means "Windows", with no support for any other OS, so it is only effective on one platform (two, if you count Windows Store apps). For me, hearing this news is like hearing that they've developed new racing slicks that have a withstand a greater amount of G-force while allowing maximal ground content. That's awesome, but for people who need to drive their vehicle on long commutes through various different climates, such as colder, snow-covered regions, this news isn't as exciting.

- All of the .NET Framework source code (core libraries, WPF, you name it) has been opened up for use as a reference: http://referencesource.microsoft.com/

This, however, does excite me.

Yes but as I stated and as it is mentioned in the FAQ:

Will Server/Desktop apps benefit from .NET Native and/or the Compiler in the Cloud?
Desktop apps are a very important part of our strategy. Initially, we are focusing on Windows Store apps with .NET Native. In the longer term we will continue to improve native compilation for all .NET applications.

It is a start to something more promising and desktop will likely get support. Whether that is in the same format that is yet to be determined

You're missing my point: "desktop" likely means "Windows", with no support for any other OS, so it is only effective on one platform (two, if you count Windows Store apps). For me, hearing this news is like hearing that they've developed new racing slicks that have a withstand a greater amount of G-force while allowing maximal ground content. That's awesome, but for people who need to drive their vehicle on long commutes through various different climates, such as colder, snow-covered regions, this news isn't as exciting.

Mono already supports an AOT compiler for many platforms, and has done for a while now, so you're already covered on that front.

Mono already supports an AOT compiler for many platforms, and has done for a while now, so you're already covered on that front.

Yeah, I agree (though Mono is always playing catch-up, and as such its analogous AOT compiler won't be as fully featured). I'm just playing devil's advocate for why:

1. Not everyone is excited and posting, even if they've known for a while.
2. This isn't as cross-platform as many would hope or make it seem, unless their target audience is 100% Windows users, which doesn't represent the entire C# demographic.

Personally, any development is a good thing. It's just that if one of a horse's legs becomes faster, the other three will keep it necessarily moving at the same rate; this news isn't a panacea for people who need their applications to perform equally well on all platforms, so optimizing the heck out of one won't change their ideology, knowing that they still must support platforms that won't get such a boost.