VS.NET Beta2 Installed

The installation took about an hour or so. It all came on one DVD. Yes, it has documentation. Tons of documentation.

The IDE is amazing. It is also intelligent. There is a window that picks up on every single word you type and there is about 100 buttons all over the place and hyperlinks. It will take some time to learn how to use it. I built a simple hello world program in C++. I don't know C# yet but the option is there. I have to study so I can't mess around with it next week, but I finally have it.

BTW, I would suggest that you have a fast hard drive and fast computer in general. The DVD requires that you upgrade to IE 6.0 and several other stuff which are on the disk. I had to put in my Win2k disk to activate some FrontPage 2000 components but this was not required, it just allows you to use expanded features. Apparently you can build websites like nothing and acquire free webserver space. Overall this compiler uses OOP. You can write programs in different langauges and share objects. Anyway the install worked. Like I said though, it takes about an hour and there is some slack, but just leave it to do it's work, keep an eye on it and it will do it's job. I think it downloaded a bunch of stuff from the web when it was doing the install.

Maybe I'll quickly test out my first C# program today. I got the DVD from September issue of MSDN magazine. The DVD goes through a 3 step process. Oh yeah, it even downloaded a service pack for beta 2. DVD has the framework and the compiler on it, also has documentation.

Did you have to pay for it?

you need an MSDN subscription, which requires a credit card (that's as far as I got in the registration), so I'm guessing so...

You don't need an MSDN Subscription. I just went to the local bookstore and bought the September issue of MSDN Magazine. It cost $5.95 USD. A whole six dollars, and I even got the magazine and a mini newspaper all about .NET.

So in other words, to be perfectly clear. I got the DVD that contained everything, the .NET documentation, the .NET framework, VS.NET Beta 2 compiler, and when I installed it I also got the service pack 2 update. Plus you get the magazine itself and a copy of the MSDN newspaper. All these things for $5.95 USD.

If you are completely helpless than I can maybe even ship you a copy but I would rather not have to do that.

Well, I'll have to rush off to a bookstore or something tomorrow, won't I? What bookstore was it? Or was it some small place? I've never seen MSDN down here, so I dunno where I'm gonna find it...:(

Since you live in the US you should go to Barnes and Noble. Isn't that what it's called? I go to a large chain of stores called Chapters/Indigo books. www.indigo.ca

The sad thing is that Canada probably has better stores than the US with a few exceptions. They had about 5 copies in the location that I went to this afternoon but there are about 10 locations in the city of Calgary so that means tons of copies. I checked a couple small newstands first of all, but they didn't have anything but it was no problem finding it at the book store. Apparently MSDN Magazine has only been available since Febuary 2001, so it is a relatively new magazine. Maybe that is why you have never seen it anywhere.

I would seriously consider downloading those 1 hr video's as well because almost all of them talk about .NET, infact it is called the .NET show.

Barnes&Noble doesn't have it, but I checked books-amillion's website and they do. So I guess that's what I'm doing tomorrow...

Cool, just download the video's tonight.

http://www.microsoft.com/canada/msdn/TV/

Under 'Episode Archive' you can download the movies and play them full screen in Windows Media Player. Some of these movies show you .NET, for example the most recent episode. I think it's #15.

Episode:
July 9, 2001
Visual Studio.NET

ahh but the question is - which version of VS .NET are you running - standard, pro or enterprise. I have currently got enterprise running on my Whistler AS Beta2 machine and its all cool and very very funky....

btw for fans of .net etc - windows XP will be out in soon - BUT only the Home and Professional versions (home version cannnot be added to a domain the professional one can be) - therefore only the client OS will be released. What is now Whistler Advanced Server(think its at RC1) et al will be later in the year and will at the moment be called .net server (though knowing ms that is liable to change!!!)