Yes, Microsoft Max has come to an end, but NeoSmart is claiming that:
Contrary to what you’ve heard, Windows Vista will not be shipping with any of the original technologies, features, capabilities, or subsystems originally promised.
Eh? Name one...
WinFS
WinFS, OK, but we've still got the end-user features that people associated with WinFS (instant search etc), and WinFS is still in the pipeline. Also WinFS doesn't have anything to do with Max, so why is it even related to your post?
So what about Avalon and Indigo, oh wait they're still in, so you're talking BS with your "not be shipping with any" promised features nonsense.
Fact check....
Microsoft Max (which actually also ran on Windows XP) was never part of Windows Vista, it was a little demo application to show off Avalon and Indigo, later called WPF and WCF and now called .NET 3.0 (formally WinFX). Those technologies are still in Windows Vista, and are available in RC for Windows XP.
We're starting to see applications built on these application appearing, there's a really cool one over on thirteen23, which interfaces with Flickr. If these technologies don't exist in Windows Vista then how come this application is running?
If you're going to try and bash Microsoft at least get yours facts right.