VS 2005 Express is now free, even for commercial!

Vox · Post by **Vox** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 1:32 pm

On November 7th 2005, Microsoft officially released the downloadable versions of Visual Studio 2005 Express on MSDN and they are free to download for one year!

http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPo ... 6&SiteID=1

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 2:14 pm

downloading all 5 image files right away (5x450mb or something like that .. gonna take a while hehe) the image files dont need registration and will work even after 1 year.

so if you download the imagefiles you can use this software free and commercial and forever !! hahahahahaha

ps: how can i prove that i downloaded it before 07.11.2006 after one year? i could also have downloaded it from edonkey at 08.11.2006

just to make sure

in 9:20 minutes my visual c++ 2005 express download is already finished

AndyCR · Post by **AndyCR** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 3:30 pm

Wow, this is -great-! Great find, thanks a ton! Wonder why Microsoft would do something this... nice?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 3:36 pm

there are a few possible reasons:

1. less warez
2. more hobby programers (as they cant always afford the $$$ versions)
3. marketing ... if the product is used by more people, it will be known by a wider range of people. also advanced programmers that used this software will may buy the professional/standart version of it because its a little better
4. domination ... the more users use this product, the more software for windows is developed = good for windows
5. image ... microsoft will sure get a "wow microsoft is really nice and friendly!!" image because of that

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 3:38 pm

btw: just downloaded all IMG files, unpacked them in directories and burned them on DVD!

this is really great

edit: if somebody cant find the IMG download link:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/expre ... t/install/

MrPotatoes · Post by **MrPotatoes** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 3:39 pm

i can agree with that

but doesn't matter to me. i already have pro, architect and enterprise. my dad works for a very large software development firm. so i sometimes get free poop. horrah

saigumi · Post by **saigumi** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 6:54 pm

I'll have to give them a spin. I was planning on upgrading my VC++ 2003 to VC++ 2005 already, but if the Express has enough functionality... I might not bother.

genesisrage · Post by **genesisrage** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 9:12 pm

is it possible to use the compiler of 2005 express in another ide such as codeblocks?

i know they have VC Toolkit that works with codeblocks, but if you read the license for it, it can only be used for debug/beta versions and not actually for any commercial app.

just a thought, if i were to make something great (doubtful though), dont want to get sued for not doing it legally

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 9:38 pm

visual c++ IDE is much better in my opinion

and _much_ less bugs

afecelis · Post by **afecelis** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 10:12 pm

whoa! amazing! So this is not the beta that shuts down after a year anymore?
My last experience with the express versions was that they ended up screwing my system...badly (specially if I installed the SQL stuff) . I hope this one is harmless.

Gfx; have you tried it already? If so, give us some feedback (interested in the c++ version and compatibility with Irrlicht)

Are there any limitations in the compiler? Is it like a standard version, which doesn't optimize code? Questions, quesitons questions!

well...all these years...relo..vc toolkit...codeblocks.....buuuuuuaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

LOOOOOOOOL

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 10:50 pm

yes i downloaded all and installed vc++. the compiler even optimizes the code. and i also dont see any limitations to the compiler. debugging works too. irrlicht doesnt work for me but i think its my fault (i am too stupid to setup an irrlicht project in visual c++

never done that before) but opengl/sdl and other stuff works fine (i compiled some sample apps of me and they work good)

the IDE was a little slow first at starting up but if you disable the startpage and the newspage so that you start with a blank workspace it starts up in less than 2 seconds (takes 1 second for me) which is DAMN fast i think. it uses about 12mb ram when no project is open and 32mb ram when i load up a simple opengl app. the compiled binaries are very small in size (for release mode). also it did not crash a single time for me and also did nothing to my system

but the microsoft sdk is not included, it has to be downloaded separately (which i did already). MFC and ATL are not included, but i think a formdesigner is (so GUI designer in the IDE HAHAHA how long did i wait for that in codeblocks or devc++???) i did not try the other visual studio apps since i dont need them

but its always nice to have them.

the compiler has warning level 3 enabled by default (which reports every stupid "warning" which the compiler could possibly find, i think i even noticed something like "error: you did not drink your milk today!" ) so i turned it off for all warnings. there are so MUCH options that i could never list them here, its too much (which i like btw). after all, i think that this app is _way_ enough for us to develop with (microsoft did a good job on this one).

well i dont know what to write more, if you have any questions just ask

visual studio 2005 express FAQ:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/expre ... px#general

and a list where all versions are compared:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/produ ... fault.aspx

which says that express ~ standart

afecelis · Post by **afecelis** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 11:22 pm

Great chart. Another question: Do I HAVE TO install SQL express even if I don't use it, or is it optional? Believe me if I'm paranoid about it; after installed it just won't let your system go!!! Damn thing is impossible to uninstall!!!

AndyCR · Post by **AndyCR** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 11:23 pm

Works great for me, compiles irrlicht after I install platform sdk and the summer 2004 directx 9 sdk, and tell it to ignore libci.lib (i believe it was called) in linker input. I took the lib and dll once compiled, and irrlicht projects compile flawlessly. I love it.

SQL server is an option in the installer, and comes unchecked by default.

afecelis · Post by **afecelis** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 11:26 pm

you guys sure are lucky downloading the freaking image in a matter of minutes!!! I just checked my DL manager and it still has 13 hours to go!!!!

damn Colombian internet, I hate it..arrrrrrgggggghhhhhhhhh akgjlkjh`wtj/&)/&)(/&%)&%(/&%(/&%(&/%(/&%(/&%=)Y=JKLBHLKJª!!!!!!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 11:26 pm

well i did not recompile the engine

maybe i have to try that out!

afecelis: as andy said, no sql needed, it works without it! hope you can test it out soon hehehe