Microsoft Website Spark
I have been pretty happy with the moves Microsoft has been making over the last couple years. It started with taking the internet more serious, carried on in the developer tools, and then a bit of a movement towards the open source world. All of this has greatly improved Microsoft and its standing in the software community. Now it is Google and Apple, the “darlings” of the tech world, that seem abusive and monopolistic.
Microsoft has continued its show of good with Website Spark. Website Spark follows the idea of Dream Spark and Biz Spark that help college students and business startups (respectively). Website Spark is a way to get the latest Microsoft products and try them out for free.
Now I don’t kid myself and I do see Website Spark and Biz Spark for what they are, a good marketing idea and a way to push Microsoft products. Yet it is still a good idea and frankly it is very different from the traditional “demo” software. There is more support and ideas available for free. That is the real change, something more personal than a 30/60/90 day demo.
So if you are interested head on over to Website Spark or Biz Spark… Oh and if you are a college student (even at 39) then hit up Dream Spark for free developer tools. I did and now have Visual Studio 2008 professional, SQL Server and a whole host of tools to learn with that are limited by time or use (outside of some use limitations). I hope they continue these programs and expand them… ok I am just really hoping Visual Studio 2010 Professional is on the list… Hey I’ll be a senior and then onto my masters just shortly after.
Personally, I hope they do a charity spark next…
Related posts:
- Microsoft Dream Spark
- Visual Studio 2010 Professional Free to College Students.
- Visual Studio LightSwitch: My Thoughts
- 2010 Developer Machine
- Automated Uninstalling of Visual Studio