Training should be free.

DeveloperExpress is exactly that, i.e. it speeds up development time. Who wants to build custom controls? I know I can do it and have done it many times. Buy why reinvent the wheel and why major in control development. Leave that to those that specialize in it and let your focus be on the business. That is how to make money. Control development can be a blackhole. There is so much ready to go in DeveloperExpress to satisfy most specialized needs. And besides, it will give a consistency and a cosmetic facelift to your application that is worth the little amount invested for the suite. The suite has a similar look-and-feel that is across web and desktop apps and once a developer learns the ropes on one platform the knowledge is easily transferable across other UI types. The controls are easy to learn and use and there is so much great online help and support that one need not be worried that it will take too much time to learn how to start using the controls. At TaylorMade Software Inc. (www.taylormadesoft.com) we have used these controls for the last 15 years and it has been a big part of our success stories, time/money savings and why we are recommending them to others. We have used them on projects at Callaway Golf, EncoreNationwide, Media Services, and many other clients over the years. Do yourself a favor and evaluate them against the other big 3 out there for .NET and I think you will agree that DevExpress is a good choice. And you can even get bundled the CodeRush productivity tool now when you get the full suite. You can't beat that. And I have known Mehul Harry for over 15 years now and know that his experience and expertise is behind the product constantly improving to meet the needs of the .NET developer community.