Will Harris has a great write up and interview about Georgia & Verdana.
The article is his take on the fonts, and why they are so great. The interview is with Simon Earnshaw, who is a typographer at Microsoft.
Verdana really is a good font. It ought to be. I didn't realize that Matthew Carter designed both fonts. (I'm not the biggest fan of Georgia, but I don't use Serif fonts much anymore.) Matthew Carter designed Bell Centennial (and other fonts). I really love Bell Centennial.
Anyways, if you love type, you'll like this article and interview.