This is a discussion about <B>Microsoft Computing: Visual Studio .NET 2005</b>.<p align='center'><a href=http://www.mcpressonline.com/mc? This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it @.6b322b76>Click here for the article</a>.</p>

Microsoft had originally planned to sell the free versions for $50 each. However, they evidently woke up and noticed that a capable tool for free will probably lead to higher software sales. I expect it will always be free, but we will have to see. <p>The free versions are good for home, hobby, and light business development. Someone who is not an Enterprise level developer would be able to write a useful departmental application with the free versions. Deployment would be hard in an Enterprise setting. But, in that case, popping a couple of hundred bucks for a higher level version would be appropriate. <p>The reporting tools you mentioned are free. However, you can not integrate Crystal Reports into the free versions. The reporting tools look like a nice gui report writer that is database driven. If it is anything line SQL Server Reporting Tools, you can buy books on thew subject. It is not a toy. <p>ASP.Net also has a light web server suitable for development purposes. This means you can now learn how to develop ASP.Net 2.0 applications without a copy of IIS loaded on your personal computer.