Although Visual Basic 6 could be purchased by itself, Visual Basic .NET is only sold as part of what Microsoft calls Visual Studio .NET. Visual Studio .NET also includes the other Microsoft supported .NET languages, C#.NET, J#.NET and C++.NET. Visual Studio comes in a variety of versions with different capabilities that go well beyond just the ability to write programs. In October 2006, Microsoft's posted list prices for Visual Studio .NET ranged from $800 to $2,800 although various discounts are often available.
Fortunately, Microsoft also provides a completely free version of Visual Basic called Visual Basic .NET 2005 Express Edition (VBE). This version of VB.NET is separate from the other languages and is also completely compatible with the more expensive versions. This version of VB.NET is very capable and doesn't "feel" at all like free software. Although some features of the more expensive versions aren't included, most programmers won't notice anything missing. The system can be used for production quality programming and isn't "crippled" in any way like some free software. You can read more about VBE and download a copy at Microsoft's web site.
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