C++ Builder is miles above MSVC in my opinion.
Of course it’s not free, but it is the only reasonable “move up” for when you’re ready for a /real/ production tool.

Quality has a pricetag.

Another alternative to Code::Blocks is Aptana Studio.
It pretty much does everything, and supports everything from Java and Python to Ruby and Groovy.
It’s a one-stop-shop with a very nice interface.

Code::Blocks is a pretty good alternative and its updated installer package makes it a lot easier for beginners to use. However, it doesn’t get updated frequently enough to compete with other well-established projects like Eclipse (not really for beginners, I know) and CodeLite.

Regardless, I always suggest that someone who is uninsterested in cross-platform development and is a Windows user should use Visual Studio Express Edition. It’s (mostly) full featured despite a lack of a few resources, in particular those that power and professional users will [probably] never need. And, it’s a great introduction to Visual Studio development so that should a beginner decide that they want to continue development moving to a full version of Visual Studio is pretty painless.

There are always better alternatives to any software package and it often requires a bit of research to make a final decision. No matter which way you look at it, however, Dev-C++ is one package that should not be blindly linked to anymore when there are other much better solutions available.

It’s my firm belief that people should continue working to create and improve documentation on proper use of newer solutions rather than encouraging beginners to use an outdated option like Dev-C++, and that although there is unfortunately currently a slightly increased level of difficulty in starting out with these newer tools it is well worth the effort of using them in the long run.