SQL Server 2012 Release Date: April 1, 2012
Breaking news – Microsoft says it will be generally available for download on April 1, 2012 – yes, April Fool’s Day. Mary Jo Foley writes that MSDN/TechNet subscribers will be able to download it tomorrow, March 7th.
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The Download Page now shows RTM.
According to the Editions and Licensing FAQ, “Developer, Express and Compact Editions will also continue to be distributed without licensing or pricing changes.”, which is good news for tightwads like me.
So where do I get SQL Server 2012 Developer edition?
You can download it from MSDN or TechNet – check with your company sysadmins for access.
Brent, Thanks for your timely reply. However I have looked all over MSDN and TechNet and cannot locate a download for SQL Server 2012 Developer edition, do you have a link you could post here? BTW I am an independant consultant and hence I am my sysadmin, and have full acccess.
I can’t give a direct link into MSDN or TechNet, sorry.
Thanks anyway. Looks to me like it is not yet available for download/purchase.
It’s been available since March, actually. I’m not sure why you’re not able to find it – I’ve downloaded it as recently as yesterday with one of my clients onsite.
OK, so where did you download it from?
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/ – then click Access Benefits after you’re signed in.
Problem there, I am not an MSDN subscriber, I access it via my Windows Live ID. I did not want it through an MSDN subscription, I just wanted to pay the $50.00 and download it like SQl Server 2008 Developer edition.
Ah, if you don’t have MSDN, then you can’t use MSDN for downloads. Hello. 😀 That’s why you couldn’t find it. You can buy it from your favorite software vendor or buy SQL Server 2012 Developer Edition from Microsoft via licensing agreements.
Brent, Thanks for your help. As said I just wanted to pay the $50.00 and download it like SQl Server 2008 Developer edition. That does not seem to be available. I’ll try vendors etc. Thanks again.
There is a risk of this old concept of database end up very soon.
With Amithings, the first Web Database (it doesn’t work with Data, but Information), the SQL Language, Tables, Indexes, Procedures, Data, Metadata, and everything else, will be forgotten.
Awesome. So, let’s make a bet. I’ve got $100 that says that Amithings will power exactly zero of the world’s top 200 web site networks by the end of, say, 2016. Wanna take me on?