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Microsoft Launches Visual Studio Express, VS 2005 Beta
An anonymous reader writes "At the TechEd Europe keynote today, Microsoft launched Visual Studio 2005 Beta 1. With it, they also released a set of five 'Express Editions' of Visual Studio. These currently free applications offer a student and hobbyist-oriented version of Visual Studio, and are available in C#, C++, VB, Web Developer, and SQL flavors. Each download weighs in at right around 50MB and features tools, documentation, and starter kits. There's been multiple posts and more information on this announcement over at MSDN Blogs, too." Update: 06/29 13:57 GMT by S : A clarification from the Express FAQ: Although the Beta Express products are currently free to download: "We have not announced pricing and licensing and will not do so until next calendar year."
Now I can finally learn to program! I'll just head on over and get that Visual Basic thing, I hear it's easy to use.
When I was 11, I wanted to learn programming. I had QuickBasic 4.5 on a 386 (Win3.1), a TRS-80 (w/ Basic), and an IBM PC (w/ GWBasic). I tried to get a C compiler, but I couldn't find one on any of the local BBSs and didn't have any money to buy anything. So I was stuck with Basic.
I realize that it's easier nowadays to come by serious, free programming tools. But this is a good thing for future programmers, and a smart move for Microsoft.
Visual Studio encourages people who don't know what they're doing to go into the biz, then once you're hooked, you have to buy the products... eeww!
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I find it highly amusing how Microsoft whines about the GPL being viral, yet they release things like this; where you can develop code and applications, yet they aren't legal to distribute. This is far worse than the GPL, as apps touched by this trapware isn't safe to use for freedom OR commercial purposes. I wonder if this just a trap to try to suck in free software developers, as once the app has been touched by this IDE, it is illegal to distribute it.
With my first experience with VS (2004 beta I believe), I felt I was taking several LARGE steps backwards. Up until then, most of my Windows dev work was with Delphi. VS felt sluggish, flakey and it was difficult to do things that were quite simple in Borland's IDE. Granted, alot of this was caused by limitations in the stock .NET framework components when compared to native VCL ones (What? Not even an Alighment property? GAH!).
I still don't know why it always seemed like VS's form designer was always a few pixels behind my mouse (2.4 GHz machine). Made me feel drunk and nauseous. As for RAD, VB just doesn't compare with Delphi. The flexibility and power of C++ with the ease of VB. I always found it way to easy to end up bashing my head against VB's limitations.
For a simple 'put some controls on a form app', VS worked out ok, but it showed serious weekness when managing more complex projects. It could handle them, but it didn't make it easy.
Microsoft created a pretty decent language with C# by hiring Delphi's cheif architect, so now maybe they should also grab up Borland's IDE team while they're at it and get rid of some of VS's braindeadedness.
If my day job didn't require me to sometimes code for Windows, all of this would be moot. VI and GCC for me all the way.
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>>...low-cost and will continue to be easy to acquire.
how low-cost? Low cost for poor people in india type of low cost? Low cost for deployment in the third world-low cost?
If it's more than $1, it ain't low cost no more.
>>Easy to aquire?
As easy as logging in to world-wide mirrored ftp archive with anon username?
That easy?
Besides, I see "Express" in the name and shudder. FrontPage Express, Outlook Express, Yuck!!!
"Piter, too, is dead."