How bad is Microsoft going to screw up U3?

I’ve been a fan of the U3 Sandisk devices. I own a 2GB Cruzer Titanium and use it for everything I can.

I read this evening that SanDisk and Microsoft are officially sleeping together and U3 is going to be replaced. Bummer.

From PC Magazine

Microsoft and SanDisk will work together to create new software and hardware offerings that will be incorporated onto removable flash memory cards and SanDisk’s Cruzer USB flash drives.

I really want to believe that Microsoft won’t take something that works pretty good and turn it into garbage, but I’m having a hard time. I use my drive to run everything non-Microsoft and can’t even imagine the issues related to bringing one, or any, of the Office Apps onto a removable drive.

I hope I’m wrong, I really do. I would like to see Microsoft do something really innovative, and cross platform, with USB or Flash based devices. It feels like this kind of thing has a better chance of success if handled by an entity that embraces open source and will think beyond their own line of applications. I’m not sure Microsoft is this entity.