>>>The Framework is free. Anyone can download it. What you have to buy are
tools like Visual Studio .Net that use the framework.
>>
>>So, if I download the framework, I can't do anything with it. I have to make
a choice of purchasing a development environment such as VB.Net for example,
right?
>
>
>Yes, you'll need some kind of development tool. There are, according to MS,
something like 50 languages that will be available for .Net, mostly from third
party companies. You're not required to use an MS language.


I was of the belief, and ill quote from a book in a minute, that you can
download the framework and SDK, and it is all you 'need' to develop apps. It
comes with compilers etc..
And the VS.NET is just a visual IDE for the framework...

The basic .NET SDK comes with tools that make the developer's life easier.
There are tools for building and viewing IL: the Intermediated Language
Assembler and the Intermediate Language Disassembler. Also included are the C-
Sharp compiler and a debugger. 
Visual Studio.NET is the development environment of choice and is obviously a 
big part of the whole .NET developer experience, but its not included with the 
basic SDK. 
You can do useful development without VS.NET using Notepad or some other simple 
text editor if you cant afford VS.NET or if you just want to try out the 
concepts.

Taken from "C# and the .NET Framework, The C++ Perspective" by Robert Powell
and Richard Weeks. © Sams Publishing 2002. ISBN: 0-672-32153-X