Cheapest(legal) way to get MSDN and...

[VectraMan]

After much prevaricating I've decided I want VS 2010 Professional with MSDN subscription. Any happy shoppers know how to get it reputably for less than £905.20 + VAT before I hit the QBS checkout?

Not with MSDN, but you can get an upgrade from 2005/8 standard to VS2010 Pro for £280. I bought 2005 standard 5 years ago, so this is what I was going to do.

[PRC1964]

Just out of interest, how much extra do you get in the Visual Studio Pro version that you don't get in the Express (free) versions?

[VectraMan]

Just out of interest, how much extra do you get in the Visual Studio Pro version that you don't get in the Express (free) versions?

In the C++ version you don't get MFC and ATL. Pro has things like the profiling tools, and also Express doesn't have the ability to use add ins or macros.

I've been using VS2010 C++ Express on my plan B-2 project (based on an MFC project but I've moved it to use wxWidgets instead), and had to rewrite a small bit of ATL based COM code to get it going. But other than that it seems to do everything I need. I would think the case for C# Pro is even weaker, but a lot of legacy C++ apps use MFC so Pro is the only option.

[thunderlizard]

Not with MSDN, but you can get an upgrade from 2005/8 standard to VS2010 Pro for £280. I bought 2005 standard 5 years ago, so this is what I was going to do.

or £219 on the QBS special offer.

Unfortunately I want my TFS.

[VectraMan]

or £219 on the QBS special offer.

+ VAT = more or less the same as MS (which is £270, not £280).

[lilelvis2000]

Well, if you are lucky and attend a meeting where an MVP is offering MSDN free. But those occasions are rare.

BizSpark is probably the best and I think you get a equivalent of MSDN subscription with it. Check out Home and BizSpark Software and Tools

[thunderlizard]

Wow, that Bizspark option does seem to contain VS2010 Ultimate + MSDN for literally* no money at all.
Unfortunately my company is a lot older than 3 years! but you young whippersnappers should definitely go for that one if the T's & C's aren't too onerous.



*not literally

[lilelvis2000]

You can also try this Andy Leonard : Project Phoenix

Well I certainly am!

[VectraMan]

Wow, that Bizspark option does seem to contain VS2010 Ultimate + MSDN for literally* no money at all.
Unfortunately my company is a lot older than 3 years! but you young whippersnappers should definitely go for that one if the T's & C's aren't too onerous.

Start a new company?

I noticed this:

Startups cannot be in the business of providing services to others such as hosting, Web agency, system integration, or outsourced development.

[thunderlizard]

hmmm. For I do also have a company that is less than 3 years old and doesn't do any of those "services to others" - it's a listings website. And that would be the first beneficiary of my VS2010. I wonder whether a listings website counts as a "Software Startup", like http://www.microsoft.com/bizspark/ seems to want.

If not, they are basically targeting independent software houses.