4

So basically I heard today that with a CJP card (a Dutch card for cultural activities etc.) I can download Visual Studio Professional from DreamSpark. It was all simple, I went to www.dreamspark.com, logged in, entered my card number, and all of a sudden I was able to download Visual Studio Professional Edition free of charge.

I'm just curious to know how this will affect anybody, mostly financially? Will I really have it free of charge? Will my school eventually pay the bill? I have some kind of feeling that Microsoft is not giving away such products completely for free.

Journeyman Geek
  • 133,878
pimvdb
  • 383
  • 4
  • 13

2 Answers2

10

Students can use the products free-of-charge. Microsoft doesn't change anybody for their use, as they know that giving away the product to students at a younger age will encourage them to continue to use/develop for/purchase Microsoft products in the future.

Just like the illegal drug dealers: "First one's free!" Once they (Microsoft) get you hooked, they can count on you for revenue in the future.

So, to directly answer your question, it doesn't cost Microsoft anything (except maybe the bandwidth for distributing the software), and it's in their best interest to have the DreamSpark program. I am taking advantage of it right now, and I couldn't be happier.

EDIT: Like the other answers/comments have posted, the tools you are provided with are strictly for non-commercial use.

squircle
  • 6,773
2

No, it's really gratis.

Well, no it's not. You see by providing you with "free" software, Microsoft hopes that you will like it and be ready to use it on your job. This way their products are more interesting to potential employers since more students know how to use them. So you could say that MS is investing into future when it provides you with "free" software.

As for University paying, there's a different program called MSDNAA where Universities can pay to MS for "free" software for their students. It usually has better selection of software than dreamspark.

Also, be sure to check the EULAs. They are probably limited in some way, like only for educational or non-commercial use or there may be a limit of activations for Windows Server and what not.

AndrejaKo
  • 17,143
  • 22
  • 85
  • 129