4 ms·

Not terribly surprising. MSDN subscriptions are still around and a good option for anyone who makes a living on via MS software.

trotsky 13y ago
I agree, TechNet had already been gutted. It's worth noting that BizSpark appears to be very, very easy to qualify for and includes free MSDN + $150/mo of azure credits for three years.
velodrome 13y ago
It's still a short-sighted move by Microsoft. People who train using this software will find it really annoying to reload every 180 days. If a college grad wants to learn new skills, will he/she: 1) reload the whole stack (Server, SQL, etc) every few months or 2) not be bothered with stupid notices and just learn Linux, OSS. Technet was great program for learning. I am not willing to spend $6k on a MSDN subscription for learning to use Microsoft products. Instead, I will use this opportunity to learn more OSS software. Thanks Microsoft!
- gebe 13y ago
  Well doesn't most IT-students qualify for a free MSDN subscription or at least Dreamspark (which has Windows Server, SQL, VS and so on for free for any student)? My experience with Microsoft is that they are very generous with their software in regards to students since they have a lot to gain and really nothing to lose by letting soon-to-be-professional-developers get comfortable with their stack.
  - rmk2 13y ago
    You don't even have to be an IT-student to qualify for Dreamspark, the only thing that matters is whether your university is a member.
- incision 13y ago
  >If a college grad wants to learn new skills, will he/she: 1) reload the whole stack (Server, SQL, etc) every few months or 2) not be bothered with stupid notices and just learn Linux, OSS." Or... 3) Spin the stuff up on EC2 as needed and likely spend less than the TechNet sub + power. While I'm sure there are exceptions, my anecdotal experience says the typical TechNet subscriber wasn't in it to "learn new skills" they were directly or indirectly selling keys. This is surely why MS went through several rounds of reducing key allowances prior to this.
eli 13y ago
And hopefully all the startups here are aware they can get a free 3 year MSDN subscription via BizSpark, provided they meet some requirements.

trotsky 13y ago

I agree, TechNet had already been gutted. It's worth noting that BizSpark appears to be very, very easy to qualify for and includes free MSDN + $150/mo of azure credits for three years.

velodrome 13y ago

It's still a short-sighted move by Microsoft. People who train using this software will find it really annoying to reload every 180 days. If a college grad wants to learn new skills, will he/she: 1) reload the whole stack (Server, SQL, etc) every few months or 2) not be bothered with stupid notices and just learn Linux, OSS. Technet was great program for learning. I am not willing to spend $6k on a MSDN subscription for learning to use Microsoft products. Instead, I will use this opportunity to learn more OSS software. Thanks Microsoft!

gebe 13y ago
Well doesn't most IT-students qualify for a free MSDN subscription or at least Dreamspark (which has Windows Server, SQL, VS and so on for free for any student)? My experience with Microsoft is that they are very generous with their software in regards to students since they have a lot to gain and really nothing to lose by letting soon-to-be-professional-developers get comfortable with their stack.
- rmk2 13y ago
  You don't even have to be an IT-student to qualify for Dreamspark, the only thing that matters is whether your university is a member.
incision 13y ago
>If a college grad wants to learn new skills, will he/she: 1) reload the whole stack (Server, SQL, etc) every few months or 2) not be bothered with stupid notices and just learn Linux, OSS." Or... 3) Spin the stuff up on EC2 as needed and likely spend less than the TechNet sub + power. While I'm sure there are exceptions, my anecdotal experience says the typical TechNet subscriber wasn't in it to "learn new skills" they were directly or indirectly selling keys. This is surely why MS went through several rounds of reducing key allowances prior to this.

eli 13y ago

And hopefully all the startups here are aware they can get a free 3 year MSDN subscription via BizSpark, provided they meet some requirements.