Microsoft launches second Visual Studio 2010 beta

MSDN subscribers can now get their hands on Visual Studio 2010

The second beta version of Microsoft's Visual Studio 2010 and its .Net Framework 4 are available for download to Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) subscribers now, and to the public from tomorrow.

Programmers will be able to try out and use IDE enhancements for modelling, coding, testing and debugging, as well as built-in tools for Windows 7, SharePoint 2010, Silverlight and Windows Presentation Foundation.

"Developers face demanding, complex and fast-paced environments today. This next wave of tools and technologies will help simplify the development process from design to deployment, and will enable developers to use their existing skills and knowledge to build better software, faster," said S. Somasegar, senior vice president of the Developer Division at Microsoft.

"Now is the time to test drive the new functionality and features in these releases, which address everything from Windows 7 and SharePoint support to collaboration and life-cycle management."

The new products are on track for a full release on 22 March 2010 and Microsoft claims to have simplified its pricing to just three main versions: Ultimate, Premium and Professional.

MSDN subscribers will also get unlimited access to Visual Studio Team Foundation Server 2010 when it is released, a server product to help boost team collaboration, along with Azure development support and e-learning for up to 40 hours per year per subscriber.

MSDN Premium subscribers opting for the Ultimate offer will also get test and development rights for Windows Server 2008 R2 and SQL Server 2008, Office and premium Visual Studio tools.

The beta versions can be downloaded from the MSDN site.