SQL Server 2008 Express: An Oxymoron

I just installed SQL Server 2008 Express on my new laptop. Being a brand-new Vista machine with the latest updates (including Framework 3.5), I imagined it would be a breeze. But it turned out to be much more complicated, making me fear the potential complications of deploying a setup package that includes SQL 2008 Express.

Here’s what you have to do before you can even start:

• Download and install Framework 3.5 SP1 (the installation takes seemingly forever: what is so complicated about extracting some DLLs?)
• Download and install Windows Installer 4.5
• Download and install PowerShell 1.0
• Download and run the Windows Genuine Product Validation Tool
• Reboot your computer twice

And then you have to pay attention when running the SQL 2008 Express installer, because if you blindly just click “Next”, you’ll wind up with a dysfunctional installation.

Of course, I appreciate that SQL 2008 Express has lots of good features—and the product is free, too. I’m grateful, don’t get me wrong. But what ever happened to “Express”? Installing SQL Express 2008 takes the best part of an hour!

Tell me your thoughts: do you plan to deploy Express 2008 in setup packages, or perhaps use SQL Server Compact instead?