RSSMSDN Library CD Trio Slips Out
By Nate Mook | Published April 15, 2003, 1:39 AM
Normally available only to subscribers, three CD images comprising the April 2003 MSDN Library have been posted by Microsoft for public download. The MSDN Library contains documentation, code samples, technical articles and reference guides designed for Microsoft developers.
The posting follows last week's release of the final version of Visual Studio .NET 2003 to MSDN subscribers. Formerly code-named Everett, Visual Studio .NET 2003 includes the .NET Framework version 1.1, which adds improved performance and scalability. For mobile developers, the Visual Studio update now supports the .NET Compact Framework and includes integrated ASP.NET Web forms.
Visual Studio .NET 2003 will officially launch on April 24 alongside the long-awaited Windows Server 2003. Microsoft plans to push both products in order to promote development on its .NET platform.
Developers not wishing to wade through the online MSDN archive can view example code and documentation before the product's launch by downloading the MSDN Library CDs. Disc 1, disc 2, and disc 3 can be written directly to CD and total over 1.8GB in size.
This is wonderful. I do a lot of dev work on Windows, both Web & App, and there's hands-down no better place to look for relevant info than MSDN. Its nice to keep a local copy than always having to go online (if disconnect or remote, etc). Thanks, MS!
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|This was all explained by Andy Boyd, an MSDN Program Manager, on the microsoft.public.msdn.general newsgroup a while back... Due to the heavy bandwidth demands on the MSDN Subscriber Downloads site from the release of Windows Server 2003 (including Web, Standard, and Enterprise Editions, plus associated DDK, Platform SDK, and Windows System Resource Manager) as well as Visual Studio .NET 2003, the MSDN Library CD images were temporarily posted on the public servers where more bandwidth was available. They are scheduled to be removed from public access soon. Andy says the "leak" was totally expected but not a concern because (as kaalikas points out) all the content of MSDN Library is available free on the web anyway. Being able to download a locally-installable Library is more of a convenience than a steal.
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|What is Microsoft up to? There is some angle i haven't seen as to why they would want to open up the source to us peons.
OS stability?
Or is this some DMCA ploy?
my money is on DMCA.
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|basically... the contents of msdn library cd's are on the msdn web anyway... so i don't see a reason why they shouldn't make those cd images available to everyone...
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