"[Data-binding] makes it much easier to create data-driven applications, and most applications are data-driven, and there is a whole host of new features on the Web development side of Visual Studio," he said.

Data-binding improvements bind forms to specific columns in data, boosting data-oriented operations, he said.

Noting that some developers sought a third beta release of Visual Studio 2005 because of concerns about bugs, Huckaby said Microsoft has enabled early access to technology and has taken heat because of attendant bugs that would be expected in early versions. "I don't think that critique was warranted," he said.

Visual Studio Tools 2005 for the Microsoft Office System also drew raves.

"You now have a design surface where Word and Excel is the actual design surface. So it's just like working with a Windows form for other types of smart devices," Homnick said. Developers can add Windows control to the Word surface, for example.