I'm curious about how .NET will affect Python and Ruby applications. 
Will applications written in IronPython/IronRuby be so specific to the .NET environment, that they will essentially become platform specific? 
If they don't use any of the .NET features, then what is the advantage of IronPython/IronRuby over their non .NET counterparts?
According to the Mono page, IronPython is compatible with Mono's implementation of the .Net runtime, so executables should work both on Windows and Linux.
How will Python and Ruby applications be affected by .NET?