.Net Framework?
Here's how I recall the progression:
v1.0 - Holy God, it really needs to be called BETA
v1.1 - Oh that's better, now it works correctly most of the time.
v2.0 - What is this, you just wanted to add Garbage Collection to C ++ and restrict multiple inheritance.
v3.0 - WPF, WCF, WF - OMFG, do you want me to learn a whole new set of APIs to do the same thing I just learned? Are you kidding me?
v3.5 - LINQ (specifically for SQL). Oh great, what have 6 different data access technologies been doing over the past 10 years? Come on, let's just learn Python or Ruby.
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Wikipedia has a better overview of the framework changes 1.0 to 3.5:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.NET_Framework#Versions
MSDN There is also an overview for each version of the framework:
v1.1
Highlights: Interoperability, Security Enhancements, IPv6 Support
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/9wtde3k4.aspx
v2.0
Key Features: 64-bit support, generics, System.IO.Compression, much more (huge update)
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/t357fb32.aspx
v3.0
Highlights: Basics of Windows Communication, Workflow and Presentation
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb822048.aspx
v3.5
Highlights: HashSet, Linq Introduction, Expression Trees
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb332048.aspx
v3.5 SP1
Key Features: DataRepeater Control, WPF Performance Improvements
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc713697.aspx
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Here's a similar blog that shows Differences and added features from .NET Framework 1.1 and ,
.NET framework 1.0:
This is the first release of the .NET Framework, released on February 13, 2002, and available for Windows 98, Me, NT 4.0, 2000, and XP.
.NET framework 1.1:
This is the first version of the .NET Framework to be included as part of the Windows operating system. NET Framework version 1.1 extends the .NET Framework version 1.0 with new features, enhancements to existing features, and documentation enhancements.
.NET framework 2.0:
This brings a lot of evolution to the classroom framework and reorganizes some control. Another big evolution here is in a supported language:
* generics
* anonymous methods
* partial class
* nullable type
* …
.NET framework 3.0:
This structure is the key to developing a Vista application. This is just a set of assemblies that use XML to render:
* Communication (WCF)
* View (WPF)
* Workflow (WWF)
* Digital identity (CardSpace)
The framework is still the .NET framework2.0. For many developers, this is not the real foundation.
.NET framework 3.5:
It implements the evolution of Linq in the language. So, we have the following evolution in the class:
* Linq for SQL, XML, Dataset, Object
* Addin system
* p2p base class
* Active directory
* ASP.NET Ajax
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If you want a serious answer to this question, you should check the Microsoft website, Wikipedia, or other questions on SO that ask the same thing. Here are my two cents ...
Let's see ... version 1.x, Microsoft seems to have taken all platforms in all languages all along. Mono looked promising for other platforms and it was quite an exciting moment. I was proud to develop on Windows!
When MS.Net 2.0 came out, Mono was in stable, good shape, but it is clear that it will lag behind one version of Microsoft.Net forever. It was clear that Microsoft would not only not support Mono, but was also involved in a series of lawsuits with Novell. Are they investing in the development of Mono?
Now there is no 3.5 version and it is clear: if you are not developing for Windows (that is, the deployment platform is Windows) and you are not a Mono enthusiast (there are millions, but I think there are 10x as many Java people as Mono- based.Net devs), you don't care about .Net anymore at all.
So Microsoft is usually in a position to take over the world a second time, but they've decided that selling Windows is more important than a single platform for everyone. And they might be right ... they have enough money to still do something very interesting.
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