Microsoft to give students free developer tools

[slugger]

looks like M.S. is plannin to get people hooked on to M.S products right from the start of their coding days

Microsoft wants more students using its software tools and it thinks it has hit on the right business model.

It's going to give away its software.

Starting this week, college students in 10 countries will be able to get Microsoft's Visual Studio and several other programs for free as part of an effort dubbed DreamSpark. Over the next year, Microsoft plans to offer the program worldwide for college and high school students.

In addition to giving away its Visual Studio tools, Microsoft is also providing no-charge access to its Expression Web design tools and its XNA studio for developing Xbox 360 software. Microsoft already provides discounted academic versions of its software, as well as a free "express" version of Visual Studio. Students can also get free copies of Windows Server and the developer version of the SQL Server database.

"You can go build software applications," said Joe Wilson, Microsoft's senior director of academic initiatives. "You can go build Web sites. You can do a really cool Facebook application...There are a lot of possibilities that comes with this small list of products.

Included in those initial 10 countries are the United States, the United Kingdom, China, France, and Germany.

Clearly, Microsoft has a couple of goals here. One is to get more students who have enough design or science aptitude to enter the software field. The other is to get them using Microsoft's tools early.

"That next generation and future generations of technologists, they are vital to any industry leader like us," Wilson said. Wilson said his goal is to be able five years from now to spot businesses that got their start because a student used Microsoft's tools for free.

"I expect that to happen," Wilson said. "Maybe it's hundreds or thousands of companies."

Bill Gates is set to discuss DreamSpark Tuesday in a speech to students at Stanford University.

source

not sure if India is included, but if it is not then I guess it will do so in some time

[mediator]

How noble !!

[din]

Lite version, free student version, stripped version !!!!

India ? Hmm, kids will say - We prefer the P version (Pirated)

People should start learning dev tools which are opensource.

[gxsaurav]

Where is it written that MS will be giving lite/stripped editions & not proper editions tailor made for student.???

Why give a mechenical engg. student a Porche to test & learn about an engine, when he can learn the same with a Maruti 800 Engine.

[din]

Originally Posted by gx_saurav

Why give a mechenical engg. student a Porche to test & learn about an engine, when he can learn the same with a Maruti 800 Engine.

WOW. Thats great.

First iMav talked about competition, monopoly etc !! Now GX making an excellent comparison (Maruthi stands for ? ? )

I am confused, world is going to end soon ?

Back to topic

Express edition is a limited thing. For more etails, please have a look

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microso...Studio_Express

from the link - "it is a stripped-down version of Visual Studio"

Not sure why people are behind old Maruthi (that also not free) while they can drive home a brand new Porche absolutely free

[slugger]

ok correction M.S it seems is indeed plannin to give away visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition for free to students of United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, China, Germany, France, Finland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Belgium

Welcome to Microsoft DreamSpark

the express edition was free anyway

y wud M.S announce that all over again

[naveen_reloaded]

good move...

[Quiz_Master]

Originally Posted by slugger

ok correction M.S it seems is indeed plannin to give away visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition for free to students of United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, China, Germany, France, Finland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Belgium

Welcome to Microsoft DreamSpark

the express edition was free anyway

y wud M.S announce that all over again

You have a good point.. and if it is really true.. Then we have a jackpot.

[Zeeshan Quireshi]

Originally Posted by Quiz_Master

You have a good point.. and if it is really true.. Then we have a jackpot.

Plus you can get the Tools in ANY country if you have a valid ISIC Card .

http://www.isic.org

[adi007]

please can anyone tell how to download Professional edition..i just visited https://downloads.channel8.msdn.com/ and found out that India is not in the list..does that mean we can't download it....

Originally Posted by Zeeshan Quireshi

Plus you can get the Tools in ANY country if you have a valid ISIC Card .

http://www.isic.org

what's that site..i visited it but i'm confused...can you explain what it is and how can we use it to download visual studio pro edition....

and BTW what's this ISIC card and how to obtain it..i'm an engg. student from hassan,karnataka..so can i get it..?

[Zeeshan Quireshi]

Yes you can get an ISIC Card . The address of the Official Indian Site is

http://www.isicweb.net .

There download a form , fill it up , attach Rs 250 + Attested Passport Photocopy + Letter From your Principal n send it to the address given .

Btw , i applied for my card about two weeks back as i had to send my University Documents n DHL was giving 50% discount to students with ISIC card .

[slugger]

Originally Posted by Zeeshan Quireshi

Plus you can get the Tools in ANY country if you have a valid ISIC Card .

http://www.isic.org

i doubt the ANY country theory

from what i read online - found info related to UK and Canada only, in order to be eligible for this program in these countries, you must have a valid ISIC card

To qualify for the deal, you have to be at an accredited college or university. In the UK apparently this means getting hold of an ISIC card. The Inside Microsoft blog reports that the registration and download process is fairly pain-free, and the downloads fast.

source

Earlier this week, Gates announced Microsoft’s DreamSpark [LINK http://channel8.msdn.com/] program, which gives students free access to its Visual Studio and Expression Studio tools. To get the tools free of charge, Canadian students need an International Student Identity Card (ISIC), which is issued by the International Student Travel Confederation, to verify their status as students.

source

UK and Canada are alredy in the list of countries included in the program

with people in India realting Windows OS to a Freeware anyway, it might be some time before it will be introduced for Indian students

[khattam_]

snip

[infra_red_dude]

Originally Posted by Zeeshan Quireshi

Plus you can get the Tools in ANY country if you have a valid ISIC Card .

http://www.isic.org

Whats all this about? I'm an isic card holder. I'd lke to know more about those tools.

[slugger]

@khattam

Nepal is not part of the countries where M.S. has introduced the program. so I request you not to go OFFTOPIC with experiances you may have had with M.S. not related to Dreamspark

This thread had been started with the sole intention of informaing people about the DreamSpark program So if you have anything to say about this particular program, please post. Else please refrain from posting Offtopic

Anyway I realised I wen offtopic with this post
my last OFFTOPIC post in this thread

[khattam_]

@slugger
i thought it was related to that project. Not interested in it so didn't bother to remember the name of the project.....

edited out the earlier post....