If you want to see some cool demos of what WPF (AKA Avalon) can do in .NET 3.0, download the WPF functionality demo Microsoft Max. Don't yet bother though if you're not running XP SP2. It won't install on any other version of Windows (yeah, not even Vista RC1). It's a 'smart' download and downloads the pieces that you need (which may include the .NET Framework 3.0 RC1 beta). If you're not comfortable with beta software, I'd suggest staying away for now anyway.

Here's my screen shots of the experience of using Max (the application looks very nice even though it's usefulness is very questionable):

Click the thumbnails for a larger view.

Installation

Splash screen (somewhat slow to load)

First welcome screen.

You'll need a Windows Live/Passport ID to use Max.

The opening screen. Full of graphics and no actual direction as to what I should do next.

News reader (yeah, can't have enough of those installed!)

Added a feed to WiredPrairie. Very nice / interesting layout with automatic graphic reduction to fit the proper space.

Some more news articles:

Here's a picture browser:

Added some pictures to a list (for later sharing I guess, although the software doesn't actually indicate what I'd want to do at any point):

Another view. Interesting, but I couldn't see any reason why anyone would actually want to use this view. Each of the photos/images were individually accessible by clicking on them with the mouse.

Images can be annotated and maybe there was a way to add a caption, but it wasn't obvious. (Hello? I can draw on a photo but not add a caption?)

The photo sharing feature. I wonder if it's using WCF?

Other people's lists (of photos I'd guess). Having no one else that is using this, I didn't have an opportunity to try this (and honestly, by this point, I was already tired of the application).

Summary: Wait till it's released. Maybe it will be something that's worth downloading. But -- I doubt it. The best thing they could do for the WPF community would be to release the source code to this and make it open / shared source. Because as an application, it's entering an extremely crowded market -- a market that doesn't need the odd combo of photo sharing software and a RSS feed reader.