# Visual Basic > Slow Chat with the Microsoft Visual Basic team >  Will we be able to purchase VB2008 by itself?

## EntityX

:Duck:  
I'm using VB.NET 2003 now. I bought it back in mid 2005 and I didn't know about VB2005 at the time. I didn't have to buy Visual Studio 2003. I noticed that you can't buy Visual Basic 2005 by itself but have to purchase the Visual Studio 2005. If this isn't the case I haven't seen anywhere that you can buy just Visual Basic 2005. I'm hoping that Visual Basic 2008 will be made available by itself. No one likes to buy things that aren't necessary. If someone works only with Visual Basic and isn't interested in the other languages in the VIsual Studio I think that they should have the option of buying only the component of the Visual Studio that they are interested in. 

I don't know what the Visual Studio 2008 Standard or Pro is going to sell at but let's say that the Visual Studio 2008 Standard sold for $750. If you could buy Visual Basic 2008 by itself for $ 250 you would save a good deal of money. Microsoft might actually make more money because more people would be able to afford what they were interested in. If someone wanted 2 components of Visual Studio 2008 they could spend around $ 500 and if they were interested in 3 or more then they could just buy the Visual Studio 2008 Standard and be getting a good deal. 

This is just a suggestion of course but for Visual Studio 2003 the separate components were made available so maybe they'll do so again and I hope that they do.  :wave:

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## Paul M

This sounds like a really good idea, but this isn't really the forum for that you would need to get in touch with someone in the marketing section of Microsoft maybe?

Or hopefully one of the MSVB Team members might have a great enough influence to tell them instead  :Big Grin:

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## EntityX

I might be way off on the pricing but my suggestion is that any separate component of the Visual Studio 2008 whether it be Visual Basic 2008 or C# or whatever be made availabe to buy separately for around one third of the price of the entire Visual Studio. Perhaps the separate components will be sold separately but if they aren't, maybe the idea should be discussed. Visual Basic hobbyists as well as small businesses that create software would appreciate it and even the big companies that have the big money could save money that might be spent on other things.

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## EntityX

Ok so it's not really the forum for discussing this but does anyone know the answer to the question. Will we have to buy the entire Visual Studio 2008 or will Visual Basic 2008 Standard and Pro (and if there's anything else that they sell ) be made available for purchase separately?

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## RobDog888

You can download the Express versions for free of 2008 final release from here:
http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/

VB 2003 was a separate product and 2005 should be as well.

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## PaulYuk_MS

Thanks for your feedback on pricing.  I agree there may be some good options in a sweet spot price range.  

Yes, VB Express 2008 is a very good deal at Free.  You can build some serious applications with it, however you'll want to upgrade to at least VS Standard to get client/server development and client + Web in the same box.  There is also a Visual Web Developer Express product that allows Web development in VB and C#.  

There is no longer a VB2008 Standard standalone product.  There is only VS2008 Standard and above.  VS2008 Standard is a lot of product at a modest price at $199 for upgrade or $299 for full retail.  All pricing details are here:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/aa700832.aspx

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## EntityX

I was very surprised to see those prices. I clicked the link but noticed those prices are for VS2005 not VS2008 but nevertheless they're not that bad. I thought the prices were higher. Were they the same 6 months or a year ago? VS2005 Standard $ 299 Full, $ 199 Upgrade. VS2005 Pro $ 799 Full, $ 549 Upgrade. I went on ebay and found VS2005 Pro Full New in the box only $ 137 and was very surprised. Not that many months back the prices were much higher. It seems these prices are definitely coming down. Time for me to quit my whining. That you can't get the components separately doesn't bother me too much now.

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## EntityX

Another question is what is the price for VS2008 in its various forms. I don't think that the pricing is out yet. I did somewhat of a search and from what I saw it was saying that it's not out and the pricing isn't either.

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## techgnome

That's because *technically* VS2008 hasn't been released to the public. It's RTM (Release To Manufacture - I think that's what that is) and the DVDs are being pressed. For those with the appropriate MSDN subscription, it's available for download. 

But.... it might not be a bad idea to release the pricing for it, being close to the end of the year, budgets are being made..... 

-tg

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## RobDog888

Its been those prices since 2005 came out. I think Paul is saying that the pricing will be the same for 2008.

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## EntityX

If the prices for VS2008 and VS2005 are the same that will be great.

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## RobDog888

From the pricing of 2003 to 2005 they remained the same.

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