Comments on: Microsoft gives development software free to (some) students http://www.tomrafteryit.net/microsoft-gives-development-software-free-to-some-students/ Tom Raftery, social media consultant, speaker, blogger and podcaster Wed, 03 Dec 2008 07:39:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: M http://www.tomrafteryit.net/microsoft-gives-development-software-free-to-some-students/#comment-114703 M Sat, 23 Feb 2008 14:21:45 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/microsoft-gives-development-software-free-to-some-students/#comment-114703 So Sean, Why wait for a national database? Get proactive and talk to every college. Get your teams to build an authentication system, where some colleges have an email format studentnumber@college.ie, let that be enough verification for those particular colleges. Find some other ways for other colleges to do it. If you can't do this easily then you're looking for too much information. So Sean,
Why wait for a national database? Get proactive and talk to every college.

Get your teams to build an authentication system, where some colleges have an email format studentnumber@college.ie, let that be enough verification for those particular colleges.

Find some other ways for other colleges to do it. If you can’t do this easily then you’re looking for too much information.

]]> By: WT http://www.tomrafteryit.net/microsoft-gives-development-software-free-to-some-students/#comment-114635 WT Thu, 21 Feb 2008 03:38:20 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/microsoft-gives-development-software-free-to-some-students/#comment-114635 <blockquote>...making commercial tools used by professionals available for free to Students is one (small) way of helping.</blockquote> I think students would be better off with things like <a href="http://java.sun.com/">Java</a>, <a href="http://www.eclipse.org/">Eclipse</a>, <a href="http://www.python.org/">Python</a>, etc., because there are no strings attached and they are cross-platform tools unlike the Microsoft tools which limit students.

…making commercial tools used by professionals available for free to Students is one (small) way of helping.

I think students would be better off with things like Java, Eclipse, Python, etc., because there are no strings attached and they are cross-platform tools unlike the Microsoft tools which limit students.

]]> By: Saen Foley http://www.tomrafteryit.net/microsoft-gives-development-software-free-to-some-students/#comment-114617 Saen Foley Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:51:41 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/microsoft-gives-development-software-free-to-some-students/#comment-114617 Tom, We are working to bring this into Ireland as soon as we can. The challenge in Ireland is that there is no central database of registered students - whereas that exists for many of the other countries that are in the launch group. In Ireland, student ID's are held by the colleges rather than a central organisation. We have started discussions with individual colleges and in parallel with organisations such as the CAO to try and get basic student authentication in place. Once we have some form of electronic authentication mechanism in place, we should be able to bring the program onstream here. In the meantime, for those who want to get access to some tools right now (including those in second-level as Brian suggested), Microsoft already make available free versions of their dev tools known as the Express editions. Have a look at http://www.microsoft.com/express/product/ if you're interested in this area. The real goal here has to be to raise the capability of future Irish developers in a global context, as well as encouraging more people to take on Computer Science/Engineering as a career. (The large drop in CS intake in recent years is a real issue not just in Ireland, but across most of Western Europe). Anything that helps that to happen is a good thing, and making commercial tools used by professionals available for free to Students is one (small) way of helping. /Sean Tom,

We are working to bring this into Ireland as soon as we can.

The challenge in Ireland is that there is no central database of registered students - whereas that exists for many of the other countries that are in the launch group. In Ireland, student ID’s are held by the colleges rather than a central organisation. We have started discussions with individual colleges and in parallel with organisations such as the CAO to try and get basic student authentication in place. Once we have some form of electronic authentication mechanism in place, we should be able to bring the program onstream here.

In the meantime, for those who want to get access to some tools right now (including those in second-level as Brian suggested), Microsoft already make available free versions of their dev tools known as the Express editions. Have a look at http://www.microsoft.com/express/product/ if you’re interested in this area.

The real goal here has to be to raise the capability of future Irish developers in a global context, as well as encouraging more people to take on Computer Science/Engineering as a career. (The large drop in CS intake in recent years is a real issue not just in Ireland, but across most of Western Europe). Anything that helps that to happen is a good thing, and making commercial tools used by professionals available for free to Students is one (small) way of helping.

/Sean

]]> By: WT http://www.tomrafteryit.net/microsoft-gives-development-software-free-to-some-students/#comment-114613 WT Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:07:44 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/microsoft-gives-development-software-free-to-some-students/#comment-114613 @Tom Sorry... I didn't word that well. I meant that it is better not to get people hooked on Microsoft products when there are FOSS alternatives. It sounds like people are getting something for free from Microsoft, but they are going to pay Microsoft for it down the road. It's just a first dose. @Tom

Sorry… I didn’t word that well.
I meant that it is better not to get people hooked on Microsoft products when there are FOSS alternatives.

It sounds like people are getting something for free from Microsoft, but they are going to pay Microsoft for it down the road. It’s just a first dose.

]]> By: Tom Raftery http://www.tomrafteryit.net/microsoft-gives-development-software-free-to-some-students/#comment-114611 Tom Raftery Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:29:23 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/microsoft-gives-development-software-free-to-some-students/#comment-114611 @Brian Good points. @WT - Sorry, I'm not quite following. Are you saying it is better not to get people hooked on Open Source or on the Microsoft Dev tools? @Brian Good points.

@WT - Sorry, I’m not quite following. Are you saying it is better not to get people hooked on Open Source or on the Microsoft Dev tools?

]]> By: WT http://www.tomrafteryit.net/microsoft-gives-development-software-free-to-some-students/#comment-114609 WT Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:23:35 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/microsoft-gives-development-software-free-to-some-students/#comment-114609 The open-source alternatives are free. I think it's better not to get people hooked on that stuff. It sounds like people are getting free stuff, but it costs them more money in the long run, and I think it's bad for the future of the Web in general. The open-source alternatives are free. I think it’s better not to get people hooked on that stuff. It sounds like people are getting free stuff, but it costs them more money in the long run, and I think it’s bad for the future of the Web in general.

]]> By: Brian http://www.tomrafteryit.net/microsoft-gives-development-software-free-to-some-students/#comment-114607 Brian Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:45:13 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/microsoft-gives-development-software-free-to-some-students/#comment-114607 I'd disagree that students pick their development language before college. I can't remember anyone in my class in college that had done so but it would be good to see it come to Ireland. I feel the big issue for Microsoft is when students want to do some commercial work during the summer, for their final year project or for trying to start their own ventures. As students can't charge as much as established firms, the cost of software licensing is very prohibitive. At the moment, Microsoft are shooting themselves in the foot. They'll make their money on .NET related servers and hosting if the development tools are free for all (Or for everyone with a turnover below 100k). I’d disagree that students pick their development language before college. I can’t remember anyone in my class in college that had done so but it would be good to see it come to Ireland.

I feel the big issue for Microsoft is when students want to do some commercial work during the summer, for their final year project or for trying to start their own ventures. As students can’t charge as much as established firms, the cost of software licensing is very prohibitive.

At the moment, Microsoft are shooting themselves in the foot. They’ll make their money on .NET related servers and hosting if the development tools are free for all (Or for everyone with a turnover below 100k).

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