When I purchased Ivor Horton's "Beginning Visual C++ 6"
several years ago, a software package came with it at no extra
charge. The software included an editor, compiler, linker, etc.
(the IDE), on one disk, and two other disk (the "library"), con-
taining header and help files.
  When I purchased Ivor Horton's most recent edition of this
book, "Beginning Visual C++ 2005", this past February, no free
software came with it. The software packages recommended by
this book are Visual Studio 2005, either the Standard or
Professional Edition.
  I have been unable to find either of these software packages
among the available downloads on the <www.wrox.com> website.
I even contacted four different retail software outlets here
in the Fort Lauderdale area to no avail.
  I am a retired physics instructor living on social security
and a small monthly retirement check. If I can't obtain one of
these software packages for $50 or less, I will have purchased
this book for nothing (too late to return it).
  Does anybody have any helpful ideas?

There are download versions here, free for one year:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/express/default.aspx

Is the MFC now included with the express versions? I am having the same problem as the OP, as learning C++ is just a hobby and at this time I can't invest $300 on the standard edition.