>Anyone care to explain why SQL Server database is so expensive.
>
>Prices are (MS Web Site):
>
> U$ 3,700 Workgroup Edition
> U$ 5,737 Standard Edition
> U$ 23,911 Enterprise edition
>
>Can these sort of prices really be justified?
>
>I may be wrong, but it just seems a bit of a rip off. It’s just a bit of software on a DVD.
>
>It’s high time someone came up with an alternative.

MS SQL Express (http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/express/sql/download), it is free.
MS SQL Compact Edition (http://www.microsoft.com/sql/editions/compact/ssceoverview.mspx), it is also free.