SQL 2008 RTM Released, and includes .NET 3.5 SP1

Yesterday, Microsoft released the final RTM release of SQL Server 2008. Finally, the long anticipated release of SQL 2008 is here. Unfortunately, the Express edition of SQL 2008 isn’t available yet (and according to the previous link, it wont be until the end of August), but if you have an MSDN Subscription you can download any of the other editions today.

I’m currently installing SQL 2008 Developer Edition, and before the installation could proceed, it needed to install an update to the .NET Framework 3.5. What update does it need to install? Well, .NET 3.5 Service Pack 1 is the update it needs. Now as you can see from the below screenshot, it doesn’t say anything about being Beta. I wonder?… I wouldn’t think SQL 2008 RTM would install .NET 3.5 SP1 Beta… So, I could only assume that this is the .NET 3.5 SP1 RTM that it’s installing. However, this is a presumptuous conclusion and I don’t really have any facts to back this up. It does make you wonder though…