"Visual Studio 6.0 removed from MSDN [Subscriber] download on 12/16/2005"

Federal Developer Weblog : Visual Studio 6.0 removed from MSDN download on 12/16/2005

"Please note that Visual Studio 6.0, Windows 2000, Windows NT 4.0, and all other products containing MSJVM will be withdrawn from availability on MSDN Subscriber Downloads beginning December 16, 2005. MSDN subscribers interested in this content and eligible to download these products are encouraged to make any needed downloads before this date. Recipients of MSDN Subscriptions media are encouraged to retain their latest discs containing these products for future use. Affected products will no longer be included in new MSDN Subscriptions media shipments or in future media updates, and once withdrawn, will not be available in any form from MSDN Subscriptions.

Visual Basic 6.0 will continue to be available until June 30, 2006, after which point it will also be withdrawn from availability. Microsoft will continue to support products throughout each product’s support lifecycle, but will no longer offer these products."

[flame on]
Okay, this kind of pisses me off. Didn't MS and Sun kiss and make-up (Reference the MSJVM above)?

Or is this a move to push developers off older products?

Crap, I can download Windows 3.1, QuickBasic 4.5, VB2,3,4, C++ 1.52, etc, etc! But after 6/30/2006 I won't be able to download VB6? COME ON...

You know, as much as MS doesn't like it, VB6 will be used in production apps for years to come. Making it harder/impossible for me to find VB6 a couple years from now because I have to fix a production app will not earn anyone any points.

GRRRRR!!!! This is just pissing me off the more I think about it (man I sooo need a life).

So I'm going to finish this up by saying I think this is a bad move that makes one MS customer pretty unhappy...

[flame off]

Update #1 12/7/2005 @ 12:54PM (PST):
So I go to download the items in question so I have enough ISO's copied around so I can find them in the future.

VB6? Well... Looks like the only version of VB6EE are the Chinese editions. That doesn't help me much.

MSDN Contact/Support email submitted

sigh...
Update #2 12/8/2005 @ 1:56PM (PST):
"Thank you for contacting MSDN. We would be glad to assist you. The stand alone English version is no longer available for Visual Basic 6.0, but you can download Visual Studio 6.0 English version which Visual Basic 6.0 integrated in Visual Studio 6.0."

Oh... Okay. Downloaded.