Didn't think Microsoft give anything away for free did you? Neither did I. That is, until I saw that you could download 'Express' versions of all their 2005 development software.
What's the catch? Well, you can only download them for free till November 2006. Also, they have a few small limitations.
So, is it really worth your time? Well, if you don't have a C/C++ Compiler already then maybe Visual C++ 2005 Express is right for you and possibly SQL Server 2005 Express. Regularly, SQL Server will cost you a pretty penny, but SQL 2005 Express is free, for life. You can also download the SQL Server Management Studio Express CTP to go with it. It's biggest limitation is the 4GB database size limit, and the lack of full-text search. Click Here for a full list of features.
To summarize, don't get the express versions unless you need them (or want the feeling of getting something from Microsoft for free at least once in your lifetime). Try out SQL Server 2005 however, because it's not entirely crippled.
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