If you need quick development tool for win32, I think you should look at Delphi. It has power of C++ with easy/speed of development of Visual Basic. It is also well known that NET and C# have borrowed many things from delphi. If you need NET then go with C# in VS but in win32 Delphi is the Best. I am using both Visual studio (with C#) and delphi and I am about 50% quicker with delphi so most project I am creating with delphi. See site: http://www.turboexplorer.com/ for free personal copy of delphi, tutorials an info.