January CTP of Visual Studio "Orcas" is available
"Microsoft Visual Studio Code Name "Orcas" is the next generation development tool for Windows Vista, the 2007 Office System, and the Web."
Some of this version's highlights:
- Extended, more powerful data APIs with the ADO.NET Entity Framework and LINQ to ADO.NET
- C# 3.0 Language Support: This CTP implements all of the C#3.0 language features from the May LINQ CTP.
- LINQ to Objects API
- ClickOnce improvements
- Managed classes for Elliptic Curve Diffie Hellman and Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm cryptographic functionality
- Runtime and design-time support for Office 2007 (including Outlook 2007)
- Support for advanced lifetime management of add-ins and their AppDomains
- Client service support for Login/Logout, Role management and Profiles
- A trace listener that logs event to ETW, event tracing for Windows in Vista
- Jscript Intellisense support
- A new numeric type that provides support for very large numbers (Beyond the range of In64)
- LINQ over XML (XLinq)
- SQL Server Compact Edition (SSCE)
Enjoy!