When I install Visual Studio 2010, I only install the stuff I really need. It’s easy to just do the “default” install but in my experience I find that not only does it take up additional hard drive space but the installation time is significantly reduced if I am selective about what components I use.
Altogether, my install is 3.7GB compared to 5.5GB with Visual Studio 2010 fully loaded and takes around 35 minutes to install from scratch.
What’s your experience and what configuration do you prefer?