The Windows Mobile SPARK

So far, doing embedded development with Microsoft products has been somewhat expensive since you would need Windows Embedded or Windows Mobile, the hardware, and the development tools. Now Microsoft has announced a new initiative, named "SPARK Your Imagination" which "offers [an affordable] kit that combines Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R2, Visual Studio 2005 Professional, and an embedded device."

However, SPARK is for non-business use, which makes it especially interesting for hobbyist and other startup developers. If you are interested in embedded development, this might be just what you were looking for.