Hey if you’re like me you have gone through high school or college hacking away with free, cheap, or otherwise obtained software. (We won’t go into that….) It works, typically, but now there is a better way. Students can actually obtain some of the finer Microsoft products free of charge. If you’re a student check out http://www.dreamspark.com. You will have to register and go through a verification process but once that’s completed it’s off to downloading!

The site offers developments tools for games and general applications, the SQL Server platform, Virtual PC, and the Windows server operating systems themselves. This is a great way to get your feet wet with a few different angles of the Microsoft technology offering without dropping a dime. I encourage anyone new to tech to check it out. Heck, even if you’re a seasoned techie with a .edu email address I would say check it out…