Silverlight is a powerful development platform for creating engaging, interactive user experiences for Web, desktop, and mobile applications when online or offline.

Here are a few top features of Silverlight :

IIS Smooth Streaming

IIS Smooth Streaming, an IIS7 Media Services 3.0 extension, enables adaptive streaming of live and on-demand media via standard HTTP protocols, and provides a high-quality viewing experience that scales on massive content-distribution networks, bringing a fantastic visual experience to any viewer regardless of their connection and computer capabilities.

Microsoft has released Silverlight 4 and is available for free download. Silverlight is a powerful development platform for creating engaging, interactive user experiences for Web, desktop, and mobile applications when online or offline.

Version : Silverlight 4 (4.0.50401.0)

For Windows Internet Explorer users:

The browser will prompt you to either run or save the installation file (Silverlight.exe). Click Run to start the download. When the download is finished, the browser prompts you again to run the installer. Click Run to start the installation. Note that you must have sufficient administrative privileges to install Silverlight.

The Microsoft .NET Framework 4 is comprehensive and consistent programming model for building applications that have visually stunning user experiences, seamless and secure communication, and the ability to model a range of business processes. The .NET Framework 4 works side by side with older Framework versions. Applications that are based on earlier versions of the Framework will continue to run on the version targeted by default.

Microsoft has released the Visual Studio 2010 final built around the globe at Tech Ed Days. Tech Ed India too launched VS2010. You can have a test Drive by downloading its Full Trial.

Visual studio 2010 Express is now available for windows phone for free from Microsoft. Now you can create Windows mobile applications as well 3D games for the phone with XNA Game Studios, Optimize your existing Silver light application for the phone and  enjoy Windows Azure services from within your phone .

Windows Phone Developer Tools includes:

• Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone

Visual Studio, World’s most popular development environment is about to go RTM in 2nd Week of April for it latest version Visual Studio 2010. It was initiated as early as 35 years ago when Bill Gates and Paul Allen wrote a version of Basic for Altair 8080. And since then it has been released as Basic, QuickBasic, Visual Basic and finally Visual Basic. Net. Here is a timeline of this product covering measure releases in development of this Platform.

Visual Studio 2010 Reviewer’s Guide is a detail document highlighting the new features and capabilities of the Visual Studio 2010 product. 

Microsoft announced the availability of Visual Studio 2010 Release Candidate version for MSDN subscribers since 8th Feb 2010. However, general availability will be staring 10th Feb 2010.
Visual Studio 2010 is an integrated development environment that simplifies the entire software development lifecycle, from design to deployment.

A lot of Applications & features on Windows requires .Net Framework to be installed over it. Since Service Pack versions of Windows XP, Microsoft has started including .Net framework on Windows. This Chart shows which version of .NET Framework is included in which version of Windows.

However, you may check it in Programs and Features (or Add/Remove Programs) control panel as well.

Chart Via MSIGeek.

The .NET Compact Framework is a collection of runtime libraries which allow you to run .NET Compact 3.5 applications and services on your Windows Mobile device. If you have been getting error messages “Newer version of Dotnet framework required” while executing newly installed applications on your Windows Mobile device you may need to get a compact version of .Net framework for your device.