[Python-Dev] Python 2.4, VS 2005 & Profile Guided Optmization

[Joe Smith]

"James Y Knight" <foom at fuhm.net> wrote in message 
news:646666C6-A1DB-4D2C-8054-FA9F7E2129E4 at fuhm.net...
> On Jul 23, 2006, at 4:41 PM, Giovanni Bajo wrote:
>> I think Martin decided to keep VC71 (Visual Studio .NET 2003) for
>> another
>> release cycle. Given the impressive results of VC8 with PGO, and
>> the fact
>> that Visual Studio Express 2005 is free forever, I would hope as
>> well for
>> the decision to be reconsidered.
>
> Wasn't there a "Free Forever" 2003 edition too, which has since
> completely disappeared? Why do you think that MS won't stop
> distributing the Free Forever VS 2005 once VS 2005+1 comes out, the
> same way they did the 2003 one?

I am not aware of any full free ofeering based on 2003. There were ways
to get the command line tools, but the GUI's were not available.
Most of the freely available command line utilities are still available from
microsoft if you find the correct page.

I will note that according to the FAQ,  Profile Guided Optimizations will 
not be available
with Express. Because the compiler is the same, this means the tools to 
generate a profile
are all that is missing. Express should still be able to build using the 
optimized profile.

Microsoft as a general rule, does not go after people distributing products 
that Microsoft has labeled
free, even after Microsoft no longer distributes that product. So the 
express editions will continue to
be available long into the future if 2005+1 does not have a free version.

(The logic behind this is that Microsoft would have a hard time explaining 
to a jury how somebody can
"pirate" software that is available at no cost.)