What's going on with Microsoft...? (.net, SQL Server Express)

[malfunction]

I'm job hunting at the mo and have been put forward for a role in a company that uses Java/J2EE and C#/.net... Was pleasantly suprised to see that the .net SDK is free but then even more suprised to find out that there's a version of MS SQL Server that's free too (even if it is heavily restricted and supposedly only for embedded use)

[Moby-Dick]

isn't just a small step up from MSDE though ?

[malfunction]

Yes... Just suprised in general that MS are doing free stuff... I mean Access is, for example, a steaming pile of poo (IMHO at least )... But that doesn't stop them from charging a premium between the different versions of office...

[Spunkey]

Access isnt that bad when its used properly. Its handy for testing small SQL statements and running front-ends to SQL Server DBs. If used as a main infrastructure then yes, it is a steaming pile of cack, but it was never intended to be like that.

Its like saying Win98 is a crap web server OS.

[suryad]

Sorry if I am mistaken but isnt .NET an exact copy of J2EE?

[malfunction]

Access isnt that bad when its used properly. Its handy for testing small SQL statements and running front-ends to SQL Server DBs. If used as a main infrastructure then yes, it is a steaming pile of cack, but it was never intended to be like that.

Its like saying Win98 is a crap web server OS.

I appreciate where you are coming from but is it really good even as a front end these days? Compared to a say a web based front end?

[malfunction]

Sorry if I am mistaken but isnt .NET an exact copy of J2EE?

I can't say I've gone far enough to say yes or no to that at the moment - it's certainly Microsoft's answer to J2EE style stuff. And C# - again not from an in-depth perspective - seems VERY much like a 'copy' of Java even down to the available classes / API...

[Spunkey]

I appreciate where you are coming from but is it really good even as a front end these days? Compared to a say a web based front end?

I only use it for in house employees to keep tabs on data systems, simply for the fact you can knock up simple reports and maintenance screens in 1/2 the time it takes to create a useable web interface - but its really down to personal preference.

And how much they pay you of course - If they pony up enough they can have a VB front end

[DaBeeeenster]

"What's going on with MS"? They've been doing this for years, havent they?

[malfunction]

"What's going on with MS"? They've been doing this for years, havent they?

Quite possibly - it's just that I'm only just starting to look at these things and was fairly suprised to see it was 'all' free. The last free thing I knew about was the DX SDK and I presumed that was only free to get everyone using it in the first place (probably same reason for .net being free)

[malfunction]

I only use it for in house employees to keep tabs on data systems, simply for the fact you can knock up simple reports and maintenance screens in 1/2 the time it takes to create a useable web interface - but its really down to personal preference.

And how much they pay you of course - If they pony up enough they can have a VB front end

Fair enough

[Brodieman]

Microsoft have been doing free stuff for years..

The SDK's are generally free with only a few exception.. the few exception as still free it's just they are only availble to certain people like the XBOX sdk (feel free to correct me if i'm wrong).

The free app's the end to give out like SQL Express 2005 is effectively a beta or the release version of SQL Server 2005.. It's for us (sys admins, developers, database admins) to try.. IE to have software ready for the release.

I had an alpha copy and beta copy of 2003 server when it was still named .net server and i didn't pay for it and i didn't download it though P2P. No i got it direct from a MS download.. (could of had it CD but couldn't be bothered waiting)..

I must agree that Access.. well at least upto Office XP is a steaming pile of POO!! not used 2003.. I'm only really design to do little stuff.. I have unfortunately had the misfortune of using Access (granted 97 and 2000) as the data store for some VB app's i've written, but only becasue the company i was working for wouldn't pony up for SQL server... and couldn't be bothered with MySQL or Oracle... they want me to use DBase.. :LOL:

Keep an eye out, and you shall find more microsoft goodies

Of course you can also get free trial software from the as well... like VS.net 2003, Windows 2003 SBS server or even just Windows 2003 Server... list goes on....