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Announcing the release of Visual Studio 2005 Express Editions

  • Article

I am proud to announce that today, November 7th 2005, we officially released the downloadable versions of Visual Studio 2005 Express on MSDN and they are free to download for one year!

Download Visual Studio Express
You can download Visual Studio Express from the links below:

Express is free for one year

Until November 7, 2006, we are promotionally discounting the downloadable versions of Express to free. This doesn’t mean that the product turns off after a year, but rather that as long as you download the product before November 7, 2006, you can get it for free and you can use it forever.

Rewards for Registering

The other big news announced at the Visual Studio launch is the availability of the Visual Studio Express DIY Kit, which is a set of benefits you get for registering Express and includes:

  • 250 royalty-free stock photography images from Corbis

  • Free Windows Icons from IconBuffet

  • Free eBooks including: Microsoft Visual Web Developer 2005 Express Edition: Build a Web Site Now, Microsoft Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition: Build a Program Now!, and Microsoft Visual C# 2005 Express Edition: Build a Program Now!

  • 3rd party components from VSIP partners

  • And we have more benefits coming soon

Want More Information?

Take a tour of the newly revamped Visual Studio Express Edition Web site, read the Frequently Asked Questions, and as always, please tell us what you think :)

 

We hope you enjoy Visual Studio Express as much as we do!

 

Sincerely,

The Visual Studio Express Team

Comments

  • Anonymous
    November 07, 2005
    Well,

    that's absolutely stunning, the 2005 Express editions are such GREAT tools that I can't believe my eyes they are released for free.

    It was really exciting to follow the developement stages on the blogs.

    Thank you very much for your work and keep staying open to the customers suggestions and feedback. It was the most important change in the last years.
  • Anonymous
    November 07, 2005
    Nice of Microsoft to offer visual studio for free as a nod to us hobbyist. I would be glad to pay a small fee for it.
  • Anonymous
    November 07, 2005
    I don't get it, the faq (and other info) says : SQL Server 2005 Express is a easy-to-use and free-to-download version of SQL Server 2005 that is designed for building simple, data-driven applications.

    Then why say it's a free download for one year? Won't it be a free download anymore after a year? Please clarify. MSDE was free for eternity. Where is SQL Exrpess different from MSDE other then that it has better features? I mean on pricing and licensing here!
  • Anonymous
    November 07, 2005
    Hey, read any further mate! :)
    "Note that SQL Server 2005 Express Edition is also a free download. The free pricing for SQL Server Express is not limited to the same one-year promotional period as Visual Studio Express."

    But I didn't know the Express editions were going to cost something after a year. I thought they'd be free for eternity as well.
  • Anonymous
    November 08, 2005
    Just waiting to evaluate it, must be amazing... This is gonaa be a great turn around
  • Anonymous
    November 09, 2005
    Could you clarify something? Are
    * Visual Web Developer 2005 Express
    * Visual Basic 2005 Express
    * Visual C# 2005 Express
    * Visual C++ 2005 Express
    * Visual J# 2005 Express
    all part of the free Visual Studio 2005 Express?
  • Anonymous
    November 10, 2005
    So Bill is Santa?!
    He never gives anything away without having something in exchange.

    What sort of suspicious code do the programmer unawares introduce into the users' PCs belong with the applications produced with this development package?

    "Palladium represents a modern innovation which could lead to a Digital Dark Age: a period of innovative stagnation where the majority of the world's computing population will become unwitting subjects and indentured servants to the profiteering desires of the new corporate ruling class, and Microsoft the enforcer", "The Register" commented on Microsoft's Palladium project.

    Is M$ Visual Studio 2005 Express one more step in that direction?

    Wish you a Merry Chrismas and remember to verify if who's coming down the cimney is really Santa. How? Ask him for userID and passfrase!
    If, while becoming blue, he says "A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer" you can be certain, he IS Santa! ;-)
  • Anonymous
    November 11, 2005
    The comment has been removed
  • Anonymous
    November 13, 2005
    These express editions are great! Visual Studio is really evolving in a positive direction. I use Visual Web Developer 2005 and have found it to be a great all around web tool for html, CSS, and ASP. The designer view represents HTML better than GoLive, something I thought I would never see.
  • Anonymous
    November 21, 2005
    its unbeliveble, i'm real happy, btw is there any books regarding the same, i'd be happy to own a set of books that are direct from Microsoft. (not for free if not possible) ;-)
  • Anonymous
    November 22, 2005
    The Express Editions you download today can be used forever without cost or obligation, they don't expire. Beginning November 7, 2006, you will have to pay to get the Express Editions (but if you already have the free downloaded versions, you won't have to pay to keep using them). The last I heard, the cost was to be around 50 bucks for each module. I haven't heard that there will ever be a cost for SQL Express.
    Hope that clears that issue up :)

    I'd suggest downloading all the Express Editions. Even if you don't right now plan to use them, if you should change your mind later, you'll have them. You can burn the ISO's to CD and stash them someplace.

    As an aside, I seriously doubt that there exists any "suspicious code" in any of the Express Editions. This is merely a promotional discount for products that do actually have a selling price. If anyone feels unconfortable accepting free software, then they can always buy the Standard or Professional Edition.
  • Anonymous
    November 25, 2005
    The comment has been removed
  • Anonymous
    November 25, 2005
    The comment has been removed
  • Anonymous
    February 21, 2006
    Can I download ebooks  like
    Microsoft Visual Web Developer 2005 Express Edition: Build a Web Site Now, Microsoft Visual C# 2005 Express Edition: Build a Program Now!

    separately?
    I am having sharpdevelop so i just want to download
    above ebooks for learning .NET 2.0
  • Anonymous
    February 22, 2006
    No, the eBooks are only available to customers that register Visual Studio Express. If you download and register Visual Web Developer Express and Visual C# Express Edition, you will then get an email to our benefits system that will enable you to download them, but they are not available for downloading without registration.

    Thanks,
    -Dan
  • Anonymous
    February 27, 2006
    Alguns Alunos tem me pedido muito os links para baixar as ferramentas Express que são grátis. Pois bem,...
  • Anonymous
    March 22, 2006
    Can anyone confirm or deny that the express edition of C++ allows you to build native 32bit apps?  There is a rumour going around that it will only build .NET apps.

    A confirmation or denial from any of you folk that have downloaded it would be appreciated.

    Thanks!
  • Anonymous
    March 22, 2006
    The rumor is false :)

    C++ Express does support building both managed and native 32bit applications.

    Thanks,
    -Dan
  • Anonymous
    April 15, 2006
    (NOTE: I'm not really updating this list any more, but instead using del.icio.us. Hopefully soon I move...