Visual Studio free for students

patricklucas · Post by **patricklucas** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 12:30 pm

If you're a university student of any kind, check out DreamSpark, a Microsoft thing to give students free dev software.

Available free softwares:

Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition
Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition
SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition
Expression Studio
XNA Game Studio (For XBox 360 dev)
Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition

Express editions are, of course, free for everyone.

torleif · Post by **torleif** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 10:56 pm

Hmm, Dreamspark doesn't allow New Zealand students. At my uni they let you walk in and ask for the software and they hand it out.

I was tempted to get a pack of free software from Microsoft awhile back, but is there any real difference between the 'professional' version and the 'express' edition?

I don't really think it makes you code better, and if you start using Microsofts SQL in a situation where you make money, they will charge you like you have pockets with no seams

That being said, M$ visual studio is fantastic at debugging. It picks up things you don't get in g++, like referenced null pointers you forgot to create.

patricklucas · Post by **patricklucas** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 3:18 am

I thought I remember there being some line about New Zealand... Hm.

I know of two differences: (Meaning there must be many more) Professional edition lets you edit resource files and compile in 64-bit... Don't know any more detail than that.

BlindSide · Post by **BlindSide** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 4:42 am

torleif wrote:Hmm, Dreamspark doesn't allow New Zealand students.

What!?! That sucks. On the bright side I sent Adobe a photocopy of my Auckland Uni id and received a free copy of Flex Builder

. Being a student is great.