Australian Students Can Get Office at 95% Off Retail 246
tora201 writes "Microsoft Australia is offering university students in that country Microsoft Office 2007 Ultimate Edition for just $75 Australian dollars, a 95% discount off the usual retail price. Alternatively students can buy a one year renewable license at just $25, or download a trial version that can be later activated. Eligibility is determined through a valid Australian university e-mail address with payment made via credit card."
But the sad thing is... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:But the sad thing is... (Score:5, Insightful)
Now, perhaps most companies running Office 2003/2007 could also have managed with OpenOffice, but that argument is not going to help a job-seeking student...
$1500 ? (Score:5, Insightful)
That's what it should cost. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:But the sad thing is... (Score:5, Insightful)
The vast majority of Office users never really use more than a very limited subset of the available features. A univeristy level student should be able to pick those up in a span of a few days, if familiar with Office applications in general.
If you're aiming for a job which requires serious Office involvement it's a good thing to learn MS Office. But for writing papers, etc. buying it makes little sense. Spend a few hours every now and then in the uni computer lab and practice with MS Office instead.
If the ultimate edition... (Score:5, Insightful)
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:The first one is free... (Score:3, Insightful)
No, sorry, you're wrong. More companies should NOT take a leaf out of MS's ultra-profiteering monopolistic exploitative book. Just because they're selling it to you for a less ridiculous profit doesn't make them heroes.
Re:But the sad thing is... (Score:2, Insightful)
Oh and you know it's funny, but I don't recall anyone wailing and gnashing their teeth because people who are already employed and using Microsoft Office 2003 will have to "learn" the new Microsoft Office 2007 user interface. Your argument seems to be that it is O.K for Microsoft Office 2007 not to look like Microsoft Office 2003, but it is not O.K for OpenOffice.org 2.1 not to look like Microsoft Office 2007. Que?
Re:What about us? (Score:3, Insightful)
I have to say I am surprised. Here in AU the uni bookshops and normal software shops have always been loaded with cheap "Academic" versions of major software. You just need a student ID to buy it, even off campus.
I always assumed it was a way for the publisher to lock people in early. I am surprised they don't do it in the states.
Re:The first one is free... (Score:3, Insightful)
Use OSS tools. They're free, cost you poor poor students nothing.
Besides academic papers should be done in TeX unless you're one of them polysci wannabe students, then just muddle your way through with notepad because you don't have anything useful to say anyways
Honestly, I hate comments like yours. OMG what can we do as poor students, oh thank you MSFT for saving us
Tom
Limited installations (Score:4, Insightful)
- This ultimate edition thats available through this offer is limited to installation on one PC, vs installation on three PCs available to those who buy the student edition (around $249AU)
- You don't get the CDs with the offer, but can download it, or get a disc from a participating university (I didn't check if it was just a burnt copy or a nicely labeled pressed disc). I'd pay $75 if OpenOffice came in such a fancy box!
I was one button away from purchasing it, until I realized how unnecessary it is for me. I use OpenOffice for my university studies, it opens every word document and PowerPoint presentation thats given to us from the Lecturers. I'm not sure how it is for other things. But for those of you who think this is a good deal, please consider, or atleast try OpenOffice [openoffice.org] first!
Re:The first one is free... (Score:4, Insightful)
The comments that are worse than that come from students pirating software saying that they're "sticking it to The Man." No, they're not sticking it to The Man. They're doing exactly what The Man wants, because....
"As long as they are going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to collect sometime in the next decade." - Bill Gates, about Chinese software piracy. Thing is, that quote is also applicable to students, just end the sentence with "and then we will collect after they graduate"
This "we're letting you license Office Ultimate for $25AU/year" is a price just slightly above outright software piracy, and maybe even cheaper than buying a burned set of disks from the "dorm software dealer." Hook 'em while they're young.
--
BMO
Re:But the sad thing is... (Score:5, Insightful)
Remember that I am talking about jobs that a student, in his last couple of years or just post graduation, might consider. NOT the most technically advanced positions, more like entry-level. In those, I've found, they only care about past positions.
First one's always free (Score:3, Insightful)
Read the EULA. Understand about DRM, and Microsoft's plans for the future. ORCON is fine and dandy until you realise that the provider of the control mechanisms is the real owner of the document.
This FUD brought to you by the number 51 and a Tin Foil Hat.
Re:But the sad thing is... (Score:3, Insightful)
"It works okay. It's at least 5 years out of date; the track changes feature in Word 2002 is vastly superior to OO.org's, and it's very possible that even earlier versions were the same. There is an open enhancement request [openoffice.org] for OO.org to support one of the main differences if you want to vote for it."
... and that's the problem with a lot of FOSS in a nutshell. Another option is to do the damn coding myself, but if I can't or won't contribute back to OSS, then I must wait, because the fellow responsible for such a feature has a day job of his own, and that's what I should expect for free.
If my time is worth $25AUS an hour, and it will take me three hours to modify OO to make it do what I want, or to spend time cajoling somebody in Finland to work on the feature that I need, then Office 07's $75 price starts looking good. I'll pick up and wave the holy sword of FOSS when it relates to something that's not so mission-critical.
Re:Reality check (Score:3, Insightful)
Nice ad hominem. I love the implication that your move away from Microsoft is some kind of intellectual philosophizing and of scholarly merit, and that someone who likes a product released by Microsoft is some immature child, dazzled by a new toy and "blind to the ways of the world".
That's their problem. I know I wouldn't keep working at something I detest. Let alone say that it's someone else's fault. I know plenty of people who are happy administering Exchange (though personally I find its admin to be cumbersome and unintuitive).
Why, because he has the unmitigated gall to have a differing opinion from you on the subject? I happen to think O2007 is a vast improvement in usability to O2003. The ribbon is far more contextual and I spend less time menu-hunting/surfing. HOWEVER, I will admit that there is a significant effort in becoming familiar with this new system. For some people, myself included, the usability of the product once this has been overcome is worth this initial expense. For you, it may not (above and beyond the fact that you imply you've never used it).
Re:Reality check (Score:3, Insightful)