visual studio.net is indeed a better ide than any other for windows. When installing it you have the option of C++ and C# (the .net C), C++ creates standard x86 windows executables, you can even write pure C, if you dissassemble a compiled app- you will see it is indeed not .net byte code. The .net ide doesn't add any extra includes, dlls, or polute your source with any other junk, those of you experiencing strange problems such as this, bloat, and slowness must just be producing .net apps (which again, you don't have to).
Also, cl is a better (only in terms of optimization and speed, not compatability at all) compiler than gcc, I was working with an engineer from hp who was working to speed up gcc, and it's not exactly the fastest code I have ever seen.