A huge part of the problem is the MS defense force. (Not all MS super fans, but the aggressive minority)
The truth, imo, is partly obscured because any time you question MS in any way, in an Xbox focused thread anywhere on the internet, you get attacked with rheroric like a democrat guesting on Fox News.
I say this as someone who believes you should buy as many platforms as you can afford. Someone who has strong affections for all platforms.
Yet when I question why Sony did X. People mostly say "good point." When I say "Nintendo has to start doing Y." Mostly people say "worth considering."
Yet when MS releases a demo, like the Crackdown one from yesterday and I say "seems really early, devs deserve more time to polish what I assume is going to be an awesome game." An X-force emerges from a puddle of Rush Limbaugh's stem cells to question my every motivation.
Why can't my fandom for MS be tinged with the same healthy skepticism of my fandom for every single other product? Why am I always forced to "take it or leave it?"
That is why this cloud computing thing gets so heated, because as soon as people started saying "how would it work?" The hordes emerged from the shadows telling is how to enjoy our hobby. Naturally people resent his and attack back.
I don't condone it either way, I really just think everything should be an open discussion. The end product will settle it eventually, anyway...but why not discuss it openly and with civility until then?