Microsoft DreamSpark?

[Marik]

Microsoft announced a few days ago the launch of its program DreamSpark for students worldwide. They have the opportunity to enjoy free licenses, usually paying Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition, Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition, Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition, SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition, Expression Studio, XNA Game Studio 2.0 and XNA Creators Club Online.

The offer extends first in a number of countries, but ultimately it is more than a billion students and students who should benefit, potentially. This gift is also a form of investment since its effect is to accustom virtuous these seedlings in soil Redmond.

Faced with this campaign, AFUL, French Association of Users of Linux and Free Software urge a “Operation Last Chance” an operation mounted in response to the spread in universities and engineering schools of open source software Specialized (databases, Web servers, languages, and so on.).

Alternatives license free “actually do not in their statements of account, and yet they are used to train tens of millions of students of all levels. They elude the agreements Microsoft / directions (schools, universities, communities, municipalities) including Microsoft enjoying, but which often prove to be out of step with the reality on the ground and with respect for interoperability, “says AFUL.

In addition, Microsoft can build here on the practice of tied selling, without proven wrong in the field of wholesale distribution. The association, however, reveals several potential risks to what it sees as a poisoned chalice: “Free does not mean free; the apparent gift today is intended to create dependencies tomorrow, both techniques that economic.” Moreover, the program is determined by student status, checked once every twelve months. Suddenly: “Without freedom, free one day does not mean free forever! “

[sidekick]

Sounds Cool,

I'm pretty happy with the opportunity to use and experiment with some professional software and not have to pay for it.

The licenses are for non-commercial use, but if I develop something that I know will make me more money than the product itself costs then I can buy it.

And if I feel that an open-source alternative is just as good or I'm just completely unsuccessful, at least I didn't have to spend a bunch of money to come to that conclusion.

I've browsed the DreamSpark FAQs & channel 8 forums,

and it appears that the only thing that must be validated every 12 months is your student status which gives you access to the free software.

Meaning after your first validation you are granted 12 months of access to download their software for free, after 12 months if you are no longer a student you no longer have access to download more software, but you may continue to use the software that you downloaded during the 12 months.

And if you're still a student then you get another 12 months of access.

I'm still awaiting my card to verify myself as a student, but I should have it soon.

Then I'll know if it's actually as cool as it sounds.

[dock98]

i think its about time microsoft did something like this.its a good start and will make them money in the long run.

[sidekick]

Yup,

It's definitely pretty cool,

A whole bunch of free software (for non-commercial use),

and part of the dreamspark software agreement states that after your dreamspark access has expired you are still allowed to continue using the software that you have already received (for non-commercial use)