[brimanning]

You shouldn't be using the Express version for professional development anyway, you really need to use the paid version - that's a whole different Java vs .NET debate running into OS vs proprietary that will never end.

As for NuGet, as soon as you build, all code, docs, etc are right there and it's up to the creator of the library to have created the info. It manages versioning and updating for you as well.

[edwinnathaniel]

Excellent, I didn't know that (about NuGET), here's the link for those who are interested to know how to set it up:

http://blog.davidebbo.com/2011/04/easy-way-to-publish-nuget-...

Unfortunately the whole debate of OSS vs Proprietary does matter when it comes to "which tools is better". I know it'll never end but it affects the playing fields.

The fact that you can get up to speed very very quickly without spending money or talking to Finance, MS Sales/re-sellers using Eclipse+plugins and Java+OSS libraries/frameworks that were more mature is probably a significant point on this debate.

[rjbwork]

The money thing is a semi-moot point at this stage due to BizSpark. Yeah, it's a bit "drug dealer"-esque with the whole "first hit's free" thing, but you can use the full MS stack/toolset for free for 2-3 years or until you've got 1 million in yearly revenue. At that point, you can easily afford the relatively minor premium MS extracts from companies using the platform.