However, be forewarned that the international versions will double the number of disks to more than 150. Most subscribers view the suspension of the international version with some relief. In prior years, the number of CDs to manage was excessive due to these international versions. The web site is kept fresh with remarkable efficiency. New products and betas are posted right away and the download pipes are good.
Discussions happen frequently and the atmosphere is surprisingly helpful.
Microsoft has done a good job with it, and I believe the site will increasingly become Microsoft's true competitive advantage in its pursuit of developers. To respond to this volume, Microsoft has dedicated staff to answer questions, follow up on problems, verify posted data, and the like. There is no doubt that the growth of MSDN and all of Microsoft's developer programs is tied to the greater development of the MSDN web site. Sun Developer Essentials Sun Microsystems has taken a page from Microsoft and fashioned its own version of MSDN aimed at developers using Solaris and Java. It also uses a three-tier subscription model.