Why does QT Windows need Visual Studio?

[John Hall]

I was about to download the Windows non-commercial version of QT, but
noticed that it requires MS Visual Studio, so didn't.
This requirement surprises me - is there a way around that?

<rant>
I have the Visual Studio CDs and key, but can't install it.
I was wanting to get away from Visual Basic etc for all the usual
reasons, but after a lot of thrashing about trying other tools,
decided I would try VB just once more for a small project. Began the
install, but it hung. Now I can't use VB because it's not installed,
though it appears on the start menu. I can't re-install it because it
IS installed (or perhaps because it's NOT installed - my mind turned
to mush about then). I can't remove it because it's Not installed. I
don't want to reinstall Win 2000 Pro from scratch just to play with
something that is obsolescent.
</rant>

I'm working on an app in Rekall (Windows beta) but need to step
outside the main-stream Rekall stuff for a small but complex portion. 
This will be coded in Python & QT (like Rekall itself), but I thought
I should work on that completely outside of Rekall initially, and
integrate if when (or if) it works.

-- 
John W Hall <wweexxsseessssaa at telusplanet.net>
Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
"Helping People Prosper in the Information Age"