Well like I said these are really the only thing i see the pro has over the standard: * remote debugging(which i don't think i need), * crystal reporting(i know i don't need), * advance XML editing(which is not major), * development for mobile devices(could care less about), * object unit/bench testing(which i believe there are other free options).
Remote debugging does not help me, if i am going to be debugging I will be on the computer that will be debugging. I have no real need for crystal reporting. I don't see any plans in the future where i would need advance tools for xml documents. I know for a fact that what i want to work on will not be for mobile development. I am pretty sure there are other and better unit/benchmark tool out there. I mean if i missed something you think is big and that i might need but for the extra $400 I basically get nothing and that money would be better spent on something like visual assist. It not that i don't have the money, but i don't like to waste it; why buy something that you only have a very slight chance of using.
If you're only looking for Standard, Microsoft hands it away like candy at just about all of their events. Occasionally they hand out Professional as well, but generally to more focused groups; I got my (first) copy of Professional through Dreamspark, then another through my university, and a third from a user's group meeting where somebody from Microsoft spoke.
What with all the VS, Windows, and SQL Server discs, I'm getting to the point where I could shingle my house in Microsoft freebies...
