sorry i couldnt help more. I like VS but alot of people would advise against it since it is quite expensive. I believe theres a free (limited) edition of VC on microsofts site but i dont have a link. You may also be qualified to get a student edition for a smaller price.
I would suggest that wether you use VS or not getting an installable version of the MSDN is alot easier and helpfull than thier online one.
