MSDN Subscriptions pricing

I'm generally not a fan of subscription software (WoW excluded), but MSDN Subscriptions were not too bad. All you had to do to stay up to date with Microsoft developments was subscribe to MSDN Universal and ALL (used to be all their dev software) the MS software was at your finger tips for AU~$1,500 p/year (renewal).
But unfortunately with the release of Team System the old pricing model is out the door and in comes the new subscription model.

and you should see the prices today in AU dollars, (grabbed 6/Jun/07) from
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/vstudio/aa700832.aspx

Subscription Model	Renewal	New
Visual Studio 2005 Team Suite with MSDN Premium Subscription	$6,100.00	$19,060.00
Visual Studio 2005 Team Edition for either Database/ Architects/ Developers/ Tester with MSDN Premium Subscription	$4,010.00	$9,530.00
Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition with MSDN Premium Subscription	$3,485.00	$4,355.00
Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition with MSDN Professional Subscription	$1,568.00	$2,084.00

Side note: A lot of Microsoft website pages still don't display correctly in FireFox 2.0! Either Microsoft or Mozilla fix this (someone is not following the rules).

Note there is also the "Microsoft Empower ISV program" which can get you 5 x "unknown MSDN" types of subscription (probably Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition with MSDN Premium Subscription) IF you regularly provide proof of MS development for AU$875 . This is the best deal if you can get it. And of course there is the Microsoft Certified Partner and Gold Partner program as well for discounts and MSDN licenses (harder to get and maintain).

Now even the cheapest subscription for the regular chumps (which has less tools than the old Universal Subscription) is AU$1,500 and it doesn't include tools like "Expression Web/Blend" (Although it will include them in built into the Orcas release of VS 2005). Also it doesn't include Office tools or Dynamics etc...

And the one which does include everything is AU$19,060 (which is about 1/2 of an average annual graduate salary). Or 1 billable hour for me (I'm also a plumber).

Now let me just search my change draw for some coin to pay for that subscription. Oh wait, I don't have AU$19,060 in change. Oh well guess I can't get that version. Seriously is there any corporate/enterprise in Australia willing to fork out that cash for ONE developer/architect license PER YEAR? My guess is that most corporates can haggle a much better deal for this subscription.

Problem is now that I can't afford the "all developer tools version" I have to think very hard about should I pay AU$3,000+ for a "not everything" version subscription which has a lot of confusing Premium/Professional names and potentially not the new software when it comes out (remember its the version that DOESN'T have everything).

I propose they move to a simpler a cheaper system of subscriptions where even Joe W Blogs can get the "everything version" of MSDN subscription for around 1-2 weeks of gross salary. Microsoft doesn't have to support all licensed tools for that price, but at least I can get it, play with it and feel satisfied that I don't need/want have to know about it. But more importantly I don't have to worry that I will miss out on the new tools and developments because "my subscription" doesn't cover that tool or technology.

I would have thought giving the people the best tools to develop software cheaply and on-mass would help Microsoft keep its nichè programs that make people compelled to return and purchase their operating system.

By all means charge the corporates for the support of those enterprise / large scale tools. But at least let the little people have a chance to use them. I mean its not like a small 2-4 person development project can gain much by the over head required to run a Team System Project anyway. Why price the Subscription so that only 2% of developers can even try it (and I mean try it on small projects indefinitely)?

Anyway I'm lucky my company is an "Empower ISV" so I get one of their licenses, because I can't afford to fork out more than $AU1,500 p/a for my tools of trade. And if I didn't have access to an MSDN subscription I would look at Eclipse, SharpDevelop or just Visual Studio Pro standalone. But of course then if I'm going to do that then why don't I just look at Java instead.

Microsoft please make it a slam dunk reason to stay with .NET for your independent contractor, small ISV, by making all the development tools available for a reasonable price. Also simplify the names of each subscription to at most 3 words.