I think you gave the best answer to the general question right in your editorial...

"In my mind, I'd like to see SQL Server priced on scale, and not on features..."

What differentiates an Enterprise IS scale! Hence, it seems silly to arrange pricing and licensing any other way. This should be the case not only for SQL Server, but for all products that want to approach the market this way. As it is right now, we run into many clients who not only don't understand the differences between versions, but even those who do can't figure out why this is done as it is.

SQL Server is kind of unique in this way because, more than any other MS product, scale is highly important - but we are seeing Windows 7 cause a great deal of confusion in the marketplace due to these different versions. The same was true with Vista although thankfully, it had very low business market penetration.

Scale seems to me to be the most obvious factor in differentiating versions, especially in the case of any RDBMS. Unfortunately, I think the differing versions in other products (OS's, Office, etc.) is simply a gimmick - and its a gimmick we don't really need in the marketplace.