Microsoft

Microsoft 45887G Expression Studio 2 Upgrade

4.0 (4 reviews)

Professional design suite for creating standards-based websites, rich applications, and polished video content.

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Overview

Microsoft Expression Studio 2 was a professional design suite aimed at web designers, application developers, and digital media creators working within the Microsoft technology ecosystem. The package brought together five complementary tools: Expression Web 2 for building standards-compliant websites with ASP.NET or PHP support, Expression Blend 2 for designing rich user interfaces targeting the .NET Framework and Microsoft Silverlight, Expression Design 2 for creating vector graphics and artwork, Expression Media 2 for cataloging and organizing digital assets, and Expression Encoder 2 for encoding and publishing video content. The inclusion of Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Standard Edition made this a particularly compelling bundle for designer-developer teams who needed both creative and coding tools in a single purchase.

It is important to note that this is an upgrade version, meaning it requires a valid license for a qualifying predecessor product — such as any previous Expression product, Adobe Creative Suite, or Macromedia Studio — to install. Additionally, Microsoft has since discontinued the entire Expression product line, and key technologies it was built around, particularly Silverlight, are no longer supported in modern browsers. The system requirements reflect its era, calling for Windows XP SP2 or Vista, a 1 GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and DirectX 9.0-compatible graphics. While the software remains functional on compatible hardware, it is not a viable choice for new projects and is best suited for maintaining legacy applications or systems that were originally built with these tools.

Key Features

Expression Design 2 lets you create assets and use them with Expression Blend 2 to design user interaction for a new wave of expressive Windows applications

Adhere to today's Web standards using built-in support for XHTML, CSS, XML, and XSLT; design sites that work on any browser

Use Expression Media Encoder 2 to enhance and publish rich video experiences for both Windows and Mac

With support for more than 100 media formats, Expression Media makes managing your digital universe a snap

Expression Studio 2 brings design and development together--design elements like video, 3D models, and vector art are combined with full support for the latest Microsoft development tools and platforms

Specifications

Included Applications
Expression Web 2, Blend 2, Design 2, Media 2, Encoder 2
Bonus Software
Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Standard Edition
License Type
Upgrade (requires qualifying product)
Operating System
Windows XP SP2, Windows Vista
Processor
1 GHz or faster
Memory
1 GB RAM minimum
Hard Disk Space
2 GB or more
Optical Drive
DVD-ROM
Display
1024 x 768, 24-bit color
Graphics
DirectX 9.0, WDDM Driver, 128 MB VRAM, Pixel Shader 2.0

Pros & Cons

👍 Pros

  • Comprehensive suite bundles five professional design and media tools plus Visual Studio 2008 in one package
  • Expression Web 2 supports standards-compliant development with ASP.NET and PHP server-side functionality
  • Expression Design 2 provides professional vector artwork creation for both web and desktop interfaces
  • Includes Visual Studio 2008 Standard Edition, adding full code development capabilities to the creative suite

👎 Cons

  • Discontinued by Microsoft with no ongoing support, security updates, or compatibility patches
  • Limited to Windows XP SP2 and Windows Vista — not tested or guaranteed on modern Windows versions
  • Silverlight and many Expression-dependent technologies are now obsolete and unsupported in modern browsers
  • Upgrade version requires proof of ownership of a qualifying prior product to install
  • System requirements include DirectX 9.0 and WDDM graphics drivers, which may complicate use on older or virtualized hardware

Frequently Asked Questions

The suite includes five tools: Expression Web 2 for website creation, Expression Blend 2 for application UI design, Expression Design 2 for vector graphics, Expression Media 2 for digital asset management, and Expression Encoder 2 for video encoding. It also includes Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Standard Edition.
Yes, this is an upgrade version. You must own a licensed copy of any Expression product, any Adobe Creative Suite product, or any Macromedia Studio product to be eligible for this upgrade pricing.
It supports Windows XP with Service Pack 2 and Windows Vista. It is a Windows-only product and does not run on macOS or Linux.
Yes, Expression Blend 2 is specifically designed for building Microsoft Silverlight user interfaces, and Expression Encoder 2 supports publishing video for Silverlight experiences.
Microsoft Expression Studio has been discontinued and is no longer actively supported or updated. It remains functional on compatible systems but does not receive security patches or new features.