Yesterday, Microsoft launched Visual Studio 2010 Express Edition and it is free to download. These express editions are simple and easy-to-learn tools for non-professional developers like hobbyists, students and novice developers who want to build dynamic Windows applications, Web sites, and Web services.
They are useful for someone who needs to write a small piece of code and don’t want to buy the full software and there are no licensing restrictions for applications built using Visual Studio Express Editions.
Visual Studio 2010 comes with .NET Framework 4 and supports developing applications targeting Windows 7. It has integrated support for developing Microsoft Silverlight applications.
Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Express Edition – Download | FAQ | Homepage

