Review: Visual Studio 2008 or not

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This was going to be a review of Visual Studio 2008. I went to a Launch event today in Charlotte, NC. Microsoft launched Visual Studio 2008, SQL Server 2008, and Home Server 2008.

Before I tell you about the day. Let me start by saying I like Microsoft technology. The .Net development platform is AWESOME. Plenty of Microsoft haters exist but I am not one of them. I go to MSDN events very frequently. I went to the VS 2005 launch event. Visual Studio is a great environment. The .NET framework is well thought out and extremely powerful. Silverlight is AWESOME.

Today’s event was TERRIBLE. I mean awful. I spent the afternoon and should have learned all about the 3 new products. I sat through 3 sessions and a 4 minute keynote. I have no idea what is new in Visual Studio 2008.

The powerpoint slides were terrible as well. The whole afternoon was a train wreck.

The first Session was about tighter LINQ integration for ASP.NET. I think?

The second session was about Office development. There was a demo about creating custom ribbons for Office 2007.

The speakers were just plain bad. I know they want to sell software but what is new in Visual Studio 2008? How about 1 non-cluttered powerpoint showing a list of the new features.

I am NOT slamming Microsoft or its products. This was a POORLY designed and implemented developer event designed to market their products. It was a waste of my time.

At all the other events I have been to Glen Gordon has been one of the main speakers. Glen Gordon is a great developer evangelist for Microsoft. He was NOT at todays event and it showed. Wow did it show. The speakers read from a script at times, had no repore with the audience, and presented NO useful information.

I have always enjoyed Microsoft events but will not attend another without some assurance it will be better.

This ends my rant about the WASTE OF FREAKING time event I went to.