Microsoft is putting pride in one-size-fits-all... that is, the same system on Smartphones, Tablets, Cheap Netbooks, Desktops, Workstations, Webservers and Datacenter servers. The different editions are not that different.

A Windows server does not get much lighter than 30-40 GB of disk drive and 1GB of RAM. For companies with virtual machines, 10s, 100s or 1000s of them, significant amount of resources are wasted here. There are of course SAN-technologies to de-duplicate blocks, but this is both advanced and expensive. Many Windows servers dont do more job (create more value) as a web-server, light database-server, printer server, or an AD/directory server than a RaspberryPi with Raspbian can easily do. Storage requirements for Raspian is 1-2% of Windows Server!

Tablet buyers who buy an iOS/Android tablet with 64GB of storage more or less gets 64GB for their media. While an owner of a 64GB Windows tablet finds that not much more than 32GB is actually available to be used.

Even if Microsoft manage to keep their requirements at the same level for the years to come, they will still be much heavier than the competition, and in many cases it matters.

But why not just write that: "We are no developers left on the project. If anyone seriously wants to take over we may hand over the source code under another license." Instead of making lots of effort creating a crippled version and lots of confusion?

I agree about the separate download... I develop QT/C++ stuff sometimes. I develop in Linux, but I want to build executables for Mac and Win that I can distribute easily. There are different ways to do it, but last time I tried it, I got best result when I compiled QT myself, and then my Application against that QT build. (Perhaps at that time, it was the way to build pure 64-bit executable on Windows). So, yes, I just need the compiler, not the GUI.

But nevertheless it is good news that 64-bit tools come with Express.

I basically just want C/C++ libraries, compilers and build tools. But not the GUI of Visual Studio.

It used to be possible to Download the Windows SDK/Platform SDK for no charge, and it contained all the command line tools and libraries need to build applications. Now: directly from the download page: "The Windows SDK no longer ships with a complete command-line build environment. You must install a compiler and build environment separately. If you require a complete development environment that includes compilers and a build environment, you can download Visual Studio 2012 Express, which includes the appropriate components of the Windows SDK."

Years ago, Visual Studio C++ Express was 32-bit only, and the Window SDK made more sense for me.

Anyone knows if Visual Studio Express 2013 for Windows Desktop now comes with the 64-bit compiler too? In that case I can forget about the Windows SDK for now. Otherwise I will need to rely on old Windows SDK that came with the compiler. Or install professional version of Visual Studio of course.

Isn't the ironic thing here, that ARM is also not very good at branching? No branch prediction - that at least used to be the case.

Problem is, it is NOT informative. Follow the links from picture searches above. Most of the pictures are just bad, pointless and vulgar. As people are quick to point out, it is arguably not even porn. I think anyone who really cares about the quality of Wikipedia and the creative commons stuff, should worry about these pictures as much as those people who are overly sensitive to nudity do.

My employers standard internet filtering proxy used to block slashdot for being pornography. I told my boss it was silly, and they removed slashdot from the list.

It often does not make sense to talk/think about USA as one country...
Ask this in Seattle or Minneapolis. And then try again in the countryside of Texas.

For how many states in USA is the figure 40-50% ?
What is the percentage of americans living in states where the figure is 40-50% ?

I agree! Mod up.

And, when it comes to databases... think about having a (few) large physical database server(s), and run your own "database hotel" that way.
My experience (mostly MS SQL) is that databases do not behave well in virtual environments. Better to consolidate by putting many databases on the same physical server, than putting many virtual database servers on the same physical server.

Basic compiler? I had the feeling it was the complete thing (but without the IDE of Visual Studio). I opted for the Platform SDK a while ago, because it contained complete x64 stuff, which VS Express did not.

If Windows 8 SDK will not include C++-stuff, then... will Visual Studio contain new updated versions of C++ compilers? Or will there be no new version C++ tools at all? Will they ship the new version of Visual Studio with Windows 7 SDK (7.1 I believe) as well as the new Windows 8 SDK.

Either they are making the C++ stuff truly proprietary. Or they are just not planning on updating them at all (for paying or for free) for Windows 8.

Anyone who can comment on this?

Above 0, until my SSD breaks again.

Exactly, Intel made the crappy P4, and at that time AMD invented AMD64, which, for a while gave them a double advantage.

I prefer to have space for my applications, not for my dock. So on widescreen I always put it left or right. On 4:3 I always put it top or bottom. I have a problem filling my dock anyways... I mean: shutdown-button, firefox, terminal, and the "menu" for all the stuff I only use occationally.

You seriously think that "less is more" is a worrysome, generic contradiction?
I think it is very often a very good principle, in very different aspects of life.