LinkBack URL
About LinkBacksRead more.Being a student has its benefits and now here's another one. Microsoft is giving students professional-level developer and design tools completely free of charge as part of its DreamSpark initiative.
Read more.Being a student has its benefits and now here's another one. Microsoft is giving students professional-level developer and design tools completely free of charge as part of its DreamSpark initiative.
MS have always been doing things like this.
The Imagine Cup i found to be a very worthwhile endevor.
throw new ArgumentException (String, String, Exception)
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.
Core i7 860 @ 4ghz
MSI P55 GD65 4gb Gskill Ripjaw 2xAsus 5770 1003/5600 Corsair HX620 psuhttp://trust.hexus.net/user_profile.php?user=10950
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.
I get most of it except XNA as well but thats what I really want from this so just tried doing it, it sent me to a uni webpage to log into my uni account and then said it was either invalid or already in use, guess its not working properly at the moment :S
This sounds perfect for what I wanted to do...But I'm not on the UK and not at Uni yet!
Already have access to lots of MS development stuff.
...and I don't touch it, not even with a barge pole.
PHP Code:$s = new signature();
$s->sarcasm()->intellect()->font('Courier New')->display();
Originally Posted by Steve
...Why?
Booo! RGU isn't there (yet) - I guess we'll see if it appears in due course...
"If you're not on the edge, you're taking up too much room!"
- me, 2005
Standard Microsoft Operating Procedure.
=> "Get them while they're young".
They want and need future developers to use MS solutions and nothing else. (They do this regularly to ALL education systems around the world).
They know, when people are young, its easy for them to learn things. As people get older, its harder to break habits.
Like a drug dealer, the first one is always free.
Once you're dependent on MS for your software tools/solutions, you'll be forever paying them. You are then part of the Microsoft software infrastructure. A slave. When they change specifications, protocols, or formats: You have no choice but to accept the changes. ie: They say "jump!", you say "how high?" (Sure, you can complain, but it will do you no good because you will eventually have to accept any change they make.)
I was in the same situation, and like Steve, I stayed wide away from them.
Today, I'm learning programming on a multi-platform level. I don't care if you use Windows, Linux, BSD, Mac, etc. I select software tools that are not tied to any specific company or their specific solutions. Languages like C/C++, Python, etc. GUI libraries like GTK+, Qt, wxWidgets, etc. Server solutions which are based on open source, etc. (Linux, BSD or OpenSolaris).
Don't tie yourself or become totally dependent to one specific source. Keep yourself diverse and flexible to maximise your employability.
Always be weary of corporations baring generous gifts.
So, out of intrest, which platform do you recomend?
.Net has MUCH less in the way of legal restrictions than Java?
C# is an ECMA controlled standard, MS can't (directly) say jump.
Ignoring someones tools out of a (what appears to be) completely un-informed posistion is just plain stupid.
On leaving uni, my CV had good examples of where i'd used Java, C#, python, php, perl, vb, C, C++, MASM32, MASM (PIC12/16/18 and dsPIC). I started a job in C#, because it not only paid best, but also because the posistion (ie the front office, assigned to the equity derivs desk) was the best.
Our bonuses where 3 times that of the Java grads, i don't think because we where much better developers, but because we where just able to churn out better software so much faster.
Without getting to religious, .Net is un-disputadly ahead of java (mabye missing platform independant garenteed floats in the MSIL level). But espesually in terms of remoting/WCF, and basic SoA. Not too mention in data abstraction.
In short, yes beware of greaks bearing gifts. But never look a gift horse in the mouth.
throw new ArgumentException (String, String, Exception)
Wow, that was really easy and painless, it took me 10 secondsme to verify my student status and that was that.
Ill definitely look into these, I doubt theyll be able to convince me to switch from adobe but I may as well try them out since theyre free. Itll certainly be interesting to see what the latest version of expression is like, having tried out one of the pre-release betas it really had a long way to go before being able to compete with ps and illustrator.
Anything that runs Java, Python, C/C++ and allows me to see the source code (implementation of everything, nothing to hide). I like Python the most, I've only had minimal experience in C/C++. (Got a few simple DirectX apps compiled and working before I went with OpenGL).
But if it was a choice between .Net or Java. I would lean to Java. (Some reasons will be mention below).
GPL vs Shared Source? I rather GPL. (same license as Linux, VLC, MySQL, Nmap, Perl, Wireshark, etc)
Be weary on that, there are Non-ECMA standardized libraries in MS's .Net (Novell's Mono for other OSs are trying to implement some of them). But this does not change the fact that MS can introduce non-ECMA implementations into their .Net...Do you see what I mean? They may have things very legit on paper, but the implementation is a different story. They'll worm their way out of situations as long as they end up in real control of the implementation.
Anyway, its not just about legality and official standards bodies. Its also about how things are implemented and how the world community views Microsoft.
Microsoft, regardless of their generosity, wants to maintain some sort of control. (Because control leads to profits). .Net in its full entirety is really only available on one platform. Windows. Even then, its only available to specific versions.
When they make such wonderful gestures, there's always some sort of catch. People are becoming more weary of this.
For example: Oh look! They are releasing specs to their binary document formats! Awesome! Its gonna mean third-parties are able to implement MS Office compatible software!
Microsoft Office Binary (doc, xls, ppt) File Formats
But reality hits: How can one implement MS's binary document formats based on a "promise" without looking at the potential legal issues?
What's worse, the promise is very open to interpretation. In this case, they promise they won't sue you "for making, using, selling, offering for sale, importing or distributing any implementation" in relation to the specs they're handing out, but it doesn't cover other issues. (like software patents!).
A promise isn't a license. Its just easier not to bother with it and stay far away from it as possible.
If you really want to get a glimpse of how they think...
Groklaw - How to Get Your Platform Accepted as a Standard - Microsoft Style
NOTE: The term Slog is their term for guerrilla marketing.
(You should click the link to read its entirety.)Our mission is to establish Microsoft's platforms as the de facto standards throughout the computer industry.... Working behind the scenes to orchestrate "independent" praise of our technology, and damnation of the enemy's, is a key evangelism function during the Slog. "Independent" analyst's report should be issued, praising your technology and damning the competitors (or ignoring them). "Independent" consultants should write columns and articles, give conference presentations and moderate stacked panels, all on our behalf (and setting them up as experts in the new technology, available for just $200/hour). "Independent" academic sources should be cultivated and quoted (and research money granted). "Independent" courseware providers should start profiting from their early involvement in our technology. Every possible source of leverage should be sought and turned to our advantage...
So when Microsoft does something supposedly wonderful for the world, I'm always weary of the long term consequences, effects it plays, and why they're doing it.
Anyway, in relation to the thread topic...
Analysis: Popularity of open-source, Adobe tools on campus prods Microsoft's giveaway to students
i dont want to think too far ahead, the only thing i realise now is that quite a lot of jobs ask for .net or c#
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote