Microsoft’s free Visual Studio 2005 Express (and SQL Server Express) developer suite has been downloaded five million times since its launch on 7 November 2005, the company announced on Wednesday.

To increase its reach into the group of "recreational and hobbyist developers," which - according to Microsoft - may include about 18 million individuals worldwide, the firm released new learning content on the Coding4Fun Web site to provide a launch pad for newbies in the developer community.