One interesting item I've finally figure out is that Windows users are quite happy with GUIs that suck. Visual Basic allows you to throw any sized button and textarea anywhere you want. Things don't have to line up, and in many apps they don't. Many GUIs end up looking "non-standard" when compared to the apps MS ships -- everything from help screens to config panels to notepad to Office.

In Java, this is often a big complaint. "These apps don't look right." People think this because they don't hold a truely native Windows look & feel, even when using Windows look and feel.

You don't see many applications like this on the Mac. They're there; don't get me wrong. REALbasic allows you to make just as ugly an app as VB. But there aren't as many out there, and certainly not as many successful applications rolling in dough that you'll use in the office-place, if only b/c most offices don't use Macs. Apple also makes a bigger deal of following their GUI guidelines.

At any rate, it's good to know that GUI perfection isn't a must for Windows apps. Much more flexibilty when "designing" a GUI. Not that being slack is a good idea, but it's better to know and understand expectations of users than not.