Now, for the first time, Microsoft is giving its valuable software developer and design tools directly to students worldwide at no charge! This site enables students like you to download professional-level Microsoft developer and design tools to unlock your creative potential and set you on the path to academic and career success, by supporting and advancing your learning and skills through technical design, technology, math, science and engineering activities.
Microsoft will be making its developer and designer tools available at no charge to college students in 10 countries around the world – in the first phase of the new Microsoft DreamSpark™ program. DreamSpark will be live as of Feb 19 in United States, the United Kingdom, China, Germany, France, Finland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Belgium. Additional country rollouts are planned throughout the year with full availability expected within 12 months.
In order to get this software from Microsoft at no charge, you will be asked to establish or verify your student status once every 12 months. This process is built into this DreamSpark site itself. Verification of valid student status will enable students from around the globe to download Microsoft developer and design tools at no charge. Note: You must be at least 18 years old or have otherwise reached the age of majority in the place (province, state or country) where you live, or if not, your parent or legal guardian must accept the Microsoft DreamSpark software license terms on your behalf, in order for you to download and use the software.
DreamSpark has been launched today at Stanford Univ. with Bill Gates giving the keynote. If you’re a student you get
- Windows Server 2003
- Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition
- SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition
- Microsoft Expression Studio including
FrontPageExpression Web, Blend, Design and Media - A one year subscription to XNA Game Studio Creator’s club
Students will be able to download any of the following software products via Channel 8 (channel8.msdn.com) and will have to go through a quick online third party-driven authentication process to validate their student status. Once this is done, they will be able to download the software of their choice– one title or all.
For full information, check out https://downloads.channel8.msdn.com/