Hello!
I read on another thread that the config file is going to disappear in future wine versions. While I think that the dosdevices-principle is a good idea (it's very intuitive), there are several disadvantages in moving the content of the config file to the registry:
1. Even if the registry keys and values of wine's configuration should be well documented, it's easier to set some values using a text editor than to use regedit and look for the keys.
2. Although it might be convenient to access both, wine's and the Windows programs' data, using the same functions, this should not be done as there should be a clear distinction between wine and the programs it runs.
3. If a program misbehaves and messes up your registry and/or if you decide to start again with a clean installation, you just delete some registry files and directories and have a new system (I think of the case you don't work in a native Windows installation) without to setup wine's configuration again.
4. To put wine's configuration into the registry is a step towards a "Wine-is-Windows", i.e. not just providing Windows' functionality but also behaving like Windows (and this should be avoided under all circumstances ;-) ). Wine is "just" an emulator for Windows, it is not supposed to be a new "Open Source Windows". The Windows' handling of configuration data (every application puts its data into the same two files: the registry) is inferior compared to the Unix' one's (every application has its own configuration file/directory in a common place). This makes it difficult e.g. to manually deinstall a program/software package.
Well, my opinion. What do you think about it?