>Hi all,
>
>Just got this MS sales pitch in the mail regarding MSDN Universal Subscription. Trouble is, I haven't a clue, from reading the brochure, just HOQ it works!
>
>1) Is this an annual price, or an "initiation fee" with substantially lower rate once enrolled?

Annual fee.

>
>2) Is this even an annual thing, or does the price mean for a 'lifetime' subscription?
>

Every year.

>3) It suggests that I get almost the whole MS universe by subscribing, but then I read ". . . you get *access* to the latest products and information, including a complete set of MS operating systems and BackOffice Server components, MS Office Developers Edition. . .".
>- does this mean I get the full standard retail packages of each, or does oit mean that I can I can go shoewhere and 'review' them, or what does it mean????
>

You ge all the Desktop operating systems, all of BackOffice licensed for 10 users, all of Studio and related tools at the Professional or Enterprise level, the entire Office product, the SDKs, the DDKs, a wide range of betas, and the infinitely useful MSDN library. No manuals, but BFD. Most major betas, too.

>Its pricey in Canada, but might be the way to go, depending on what the answers to the above turn out to be. Can anyone elaborate, or is it just standard practise today to go ahead and "buy a pig in a poke"?
>

I have it for myself at home, as well as having them at the office.