MSDN - to renew or not, that is the question
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This is true, there are a lot of things in the subscriptions that many developers may not need. Of course, all this depends on just what you have to test all your products on such as the different versions of SQL Server (you might need features that are only available in full versions for those clients who use the full versions). Some may have to have several different platforms to test their products on and maybe even the slight differences to between them. Of course, if you develop products that will be used with the different server products, they can be costly to obtain for testing. I also like making sure I have my hands on the latest betas of new technologies. While $2,200 per year is a bit costly, it is handy to have any tool at your hands when you need it. If a developer is doing even half way decent in their profession, that should not be too hard of bullet to bite. For my own use at this time: VS - SQL Server Management/Profiler - Vista - MS Office - Expression web/blend Test platforms: Windows 2003 - Windows XP - Another copy of Vista - SQL Server I know there are others but they are not coming to mind at the moment. You add those up and you are over the $2,200 tag, but of course once you bought them, they are yours to keep, you do not have to buy them again next year unless a new versions comes out. For shops with a number of developer though, it can make sense to have one or two subscriptions and then purchase develop tools per seat. I wish they would give away their tools also, but I think they just might make a ton of money on them now ;)
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Rocky Moore wrote:
you do not have to buy them again next year unless a new versions comes out
My point exactly, with a subscription you are paying and paying over and over again. I think if you are doing even halfway decent in your profession, particularly as a small shop it's *because* you are spending money wisely. The old msdn was costing us thousands of dollars a year that we put into 3rd party components instead which saved a *lot* of time and development costs which in turn means faster time to market etc etc. A positive cashflow feedback loop. Once you have the basic tools you need the single most important area to spend money on for a small shop is pre-made components. The subscription made more sense a while ago when new products were coming out left right and center at a furious pace but Microsoft isn't releasing significantly new products anywhere near as often as they used to.
Rocky Moore wrote:
I think they just might make a ton of money on them now
I don't think they are actually which is why they are so expensive and getting more expensive all the time, but I could be wrong. I bet they are making a lot more money on the stuff destined for the typical end user, not the developer. Time will tell but I wouldn't be at all surprised if they change their business model towards developers.
"I don't want more choice. I just want better things!" - Edina Monsoon