[RESOLVED] Visual Studios - Which one to get?

[Nightwalker83]

Hi,

Next year I will be starting my programming course and I can't decide which version of Visual Studios to buy. As far as I know there is VS 2008, 2009 and soon 2010 will be available. However, I haven't used VS before so I don't know which version is right for me.

Also, are the versions backwards compatible? I don't know which version my school will be using next year although, going by previous experiences I don't think it will be the latest version available.

Thanks,


Nightwalker

[Hack]

If I had the money, I would always go with the latest version available.

Isn't there someone at your school that you can contact to find out what version they are using?

Even if it isn't the latest, you can probably get the version they are using in the Express (Free) edition.

[JuggaloBrotha]

VS 2009 ??

If you can wait until VS 2010 is released in the next 6 months or so, I would simply get that if the school doesn't have a specific version that they use and you'll have to use too.

If they do have a specific version, I bet it'd be VS 2008.

[Cavar]

You can always go the DreamSpark route, which is great for students.

C

[Nightwalker83]

If I had the money, I would always go with the latest version available.

Yeah, my dad asked me if I wanted to by the full licensed version because I've got enough money for it. Also , it has a few extra valdation features, etc that could be useful that the academic version doesn't have.

Isn't there someone at your school that you can contact to find out what version they are using?

I doubt that I could get in contact with anybody from school at the moment because unlike the northern hemisphere our Christmas holidays are 6 - 8 weeks, instead of 2 weeks. Every one would probably be on holiday some where they don't have internet access but I will try to contact my lecturers and see if they know what VS version is being used.

Even if it isn't the latest, you can probably get the version they are using in the Express (Free) edition.

I am thinking od downloading the beta of VS 2010 to try it.

VS 2009 ??

I don't know! Someone at one of the shops we went to told us that there was VS 2009 but that could be wrong. The only versions of VS I know that are factual are 2005, 2008 and 2010 (to be released).

If you can wait until VS 2010 is released in the next 6 months or so, I would simply get that if the school doesn't have a specific version that they use and you'll have to use too.

Yeah, that is what I was thinking! bIs it worth downloading the VS 2010 Beta in the meantime?

You can always go the DreamSpark route, which is great for students.

C

Ah ok! I have a look at it.

[JuggaloBrotha]

Well the difference between the Academic edition and the Professional edition is that anything made with the academic edition can't be sold. Other that that you've got what the professionals use in terms of the IDE. Some go a step further and get the VS TFS (Team Foundation Suite) but that stuff is the professional edition plus some server side stuff like a source code control, share point server, etc all built together. You don't actually run the TFS on your local machine.

Anyways there is no VS 2009, also I do recomend getting the beta (it's free) of VS 2010 and at least start playing with it, if you can use it for classes (get the real thing when it's released) and if you need VS 2008 for classes, you can always get the Standard or Pro edition then (the express edition might be all you need, which is free)

[Nightwalker83]

Well the difference between the Academic edition and the Professional edition is that anything made with the academic edition can't be sold. Other that that you've got what the professionals use in terms of the IDE.

Yeah, I know! I bought CS4 Academic version because I needed Photoshop which I didn't already have for my web development course.

You don't actually run the TFS on your local machine.

I have recently setup my own domain to host my websites! Whould that work for the TFS?

Anyways there is no VS 2009, also I do recomend getting the beta (it's free) of VS 2010 and at least start playing with it, if you can use it for classes (get the real thing when it's released) and if you need VS 2008 for classes, you can always get the Standard or Pro edition then (the express edition might be all you need, which is free)

Ah ok! Thanks for the information. Will see if I can download it.

Edit:

I'm download the Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Ultimate Beta 2 - ISO now.