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Microsoft giving away developer software to students

by Parm Mann on 19 February 2008, 13:16

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qalso

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Chase your dreams and create the next big breakthrough in technology

That's right, Microsoft wants to give you a head start on your professional career by giving students free access to a wide range of its developer software as part of its DreamSpark program.

DreamSpark, currently operating in the following 11 countries; Belgium, China, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States, offers students the following software free of charge:

  • Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition
  • Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition
  • XNA Game Studio 2.0
  • 12-month free membership in the XNA Creators Club
  • Expression Studio, which includes Expression Web, Expression Blend, Expression Design and Expression Media
  • SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition
  • Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition
  • SQL Server Developer Edition
  • Virtual PC 2007
  • Visual Basic 2005
  • Visual C++ 2005
  • Visual C# 2005
  • Visual J# 2005
  • Visual Web Developer 2005

That's a whole lot of software, and believe me, the retail prices aren't cheap! Maybe Microsoft's soon-to-retire chairman, Bill Gates, is getting a little soft as he prepares to step down later this year. Here's what Mr Gates had to say about the program:

All you need to do to get your hands on the free software is have a Windows Live ID and verify yourself as a student once every 12 months. Better still, you can do all this at Microsoft's DreamSpark website.

Go forth students, get your free software and design our programs of the future.

Official DreamSpark website: downloads.channel8.msdn.com



HEXUS Forums :: 16 Comments

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MS have always been doing things like this.

The Imagine Cup i found to be a very worthwhile endevor.
I have an ISIC card and have tried to verify and nothing happens so it doesn't work at the moment. Won't accept any card number.
Damn, UEA is not on the list :(
If it's in their interest MS can be very, very generous.
I get most of that anyway bar the xna stuff thanks to MSDN: AA.