Will SQL Server 2005 Express finally kill Jet?

Well, I wish! After all, MSDE 2000 almost did.

For some time I have been expecting Microsoft to ship a product that anyone could use as a an easily embeddable, reliable, fast and of course, SQL Server compatible database engine to ship with their applications. I understand it also had to be free because of the open source databases out there, but I would have settled for it just being inexpensive.

I would say MSDE covered 90% of the requirements. But now Microsoft comes with SQL Server 2005 Express and its darn 256 MB RAM required (512 MB recommended). And some even have the guts to call it a "lightweight version of SQL Server 2005". If planet Microsoft continues to get farer from planet Earth at this pace, I will soon have to give up on flying so often between them.

Guys, for gods sake, there are still billions of computers out there with 64MB RAM or less, and they won't upgrade soon. And yes, this will either be your market (I would better say our market) or MySQL's.

Ok, I need to check the runtime RAM requirments for myself. I still hope they are kidding or there is some way to destile something of a slimmer engine. Otherwise I will conclude that Longhorn is getting most of its bloat from SQL Server code.

I also want to find out if SQL Express supports full text searches, something I cannot find an answer for in the documentation I have read so far.

But so far the installation just fails in my computer before writing any LOG file. At least I will be able to fill a bug thanks to Sara Williams and the other people at MSDN that struggle to keep planet Microsoft in reach.