EW looks and feels like FP minus the Web Components that required the extensions.

If you are currently using some of the Web Components (Navigation, link bars, forms, hit counter, etc) you can continue to use them but not insert any new ones. EW can use the FP extensions for the old web components and for HTTP publishing but does not require them, just like FP did not require them.

You can read lots more at the Microsoft EW discussion group
http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/en-us/default.aspx?dg=microsoft.public.expression.webdesigner&cat=&lang=en&cr=US

So would you both recommend that I not spend the $99 to upgrade to EW?

Or, better yet, ask Santa for something else? 

Here is some information to help you decide if you should move from FrontPage to Expression Web.

* Expression Web can be thought of as FrontPage without the features that require the extensions but with better adherance to HTML coding standards.

* If you are using the features that require the FrontPage server extensions and want to keep using those features, consider staying with FrontPage.

* If you are a more advanced user or desire to be and you are not using the features that require the extensions,  consider moving to Expression Web.

If you decide to move Expression Web and don't mind waiting awhile, consider waiting until Expression Web Version 2 appears sometime in 2008.