All available c/c++ ar so sub standard and incompatible . They put a struggler off learng.
My experience:
dev-c++: crash prone.
Maybe cuz its assembled with the notorious nullsoft installer . Many programs created with it either fail to run after their downloaded or crash after their in use.
Devc++ doesnt do gui s.
Mingw: the code size generated by this one is unforgvable.
A 5kb source file cud compile to an executable in megabytes (mb's).
Code::blocks: downloaded ,installed , typed the simplest c program into it but it never compiled!
How does one wrk with such unstable tools?
No useful help doc to help the confused user around this system.

Borland compiler:
this one didnt output bloated code like mingw did but the set up documentation is unforgettably bad. Its like these ppl dnt even care to help shoe som1 how to use their products. Fallout of d unix,linux wrld.

Watcom : this one was created in d 80's but still lives on. Its so praised on d web. I downloaded it.
It may wrk for those who used it in 80s but poor user documentation ruined it.

Lcc:
not free. Opens with warngs to the user . Unusable. Suffers from poor doc.

Tiny c: wrks but cant do gui.
Compiles c only.
Not used for mainstream work in d c world.

Visual studio: yet to try it out.
Ms wont provide their separate language compilers as standalone downloads.. Making redownload necessary in event of system crash , formattg etc.
The full visual studio weighs in at a few gigabytes(2+-4 gig).
An entire data plan or 2 may b needed to get it.
Cost doubles if downloaded file wont open.
Finally the capstone tht killed them all, i removed all them compilers from my system wen an example from a textbook, dietel c how to program, wudnt compile consistently on them (mingw,bcc)
. Meaning, u cudnt write d same c,c++ program and expect it to compile smoothly by the most popular compilers!!

The reason I advice C/C++ beginners to use Visual Studio. Get VIsual studio Express 2012. Express version is free and size is about 600mb, check cnet. Just try it you won't be disappointed. That's what I use. MINGW will be later, when you really need it.

m
m pqbmp

c free is free and simple