Microsoft released Visual Studio 2008 a couple weeks ago. If you’ve got an MSDN subscription you can download your copy and start coding. If you don’t have an MSDN subscription you have several options.
- Install one of the free Express versions
- Install 90 day trial version of VS 2008 Pro
- Wait for the the DVDs to hit your local computer store
- Attend a local ‘InstallFest’ and get a free license for VS2008 Pro
I heard about the Microsoft InstallFest from friends around the US. Apparently Microsoft is sending teams of evangelists to your local user group. If you bring your laptop to the user group meeting they will install a free copy of Visual Studio 2008 on your computer.
Catch me at one of these locations
I just so happens that I’ll be at a few of these InstallFests at these user groups in the December.
Central New Jersey .NET User’s Group
December 13th, 2007
Next week I’m giving a WPF data-binding talk in New Jersey. The InstallFest guys will be there.
From Ed Blankenship;
Our local Microsoft evangelists are going to be attending this meeting and will be installing free VS 2008 Pro licenses to anyone bringing their laptop.
NJ.NET – Central New Jersey .NET User’s Group
Bay.NET UG
December 13th, 2007
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032360757&Culture=en-US
.NET Developer Association – Redmond WA
December 17th, 2007
Other groups
Find out if the event is coming to your neighborhood.
Pre registration is required and some meetings are already sold out.
I received a free license for Visual Studio 2008 at the InstallFest event in Olympia. I have received the DVD. My “Trial Professional Edition” is soon to expire, and I would like to use the license I received by attending InstallFest, rather than deleting VS2008 and re-installing it from the final copy I got in the mail. How can I do this?
Thanks!
Bob