Visual Basic 2008 Express Edition -

Design Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) applications with built-in designer support
Create data-enabled applications with the lightweight SQL Server Compact Edition or powerful client/server applications with SQL Server 2005 Express Edition
Develop quickly with IntelliSense support for the latest Visual Basic enhancements
Add cool, fun controls to your projects using the C4F Developer Toolkit and the C4F Vista P2P Developer Kit
Share projects with others using the Popfly Explorer
Connect with your friends and create cool applications with the Facebook Developer Toolkit
Checkout cool fun projects dedicated to Do-It-Yourself developers on Coding4Fun
Get started quickly by becoming familiar with the Visual Basic development environment with the Introduction to Visual Basic 2008 video
New to programming or Visual Basic? Start with the Beginner Developer Learning Center
Access the online documentation including samples and walkthroughs
Get online with your peers and connect with other beginners and hobbyists
note: Minimum: 1.6 GHz CPU, 192 MB RAM, 1024x768 display, 5400 RPM hard disk
Recommended: 2.2 GHz or higher CPU, 384 MB or more RAM, 1280x1024 display, 7200 RPM or higher hard disk
On Windows Vista: 2.4 GHz CPU, 768 MB RAM