I’ve been setting up a machine for my daughter to take to university and have been looking at what to install. She’ll need some form of Office package. Obviously I have access (not Access) to all kinds of software but without legal licences for her to use. I was encouraging her to use Open Office (as I do at home) but apart from it being that little bit different she is put off by the name “open” doesn’t that mean other people can change it? I don’t want my work open to others. Did I mention she was going to university? She isn’t really as stupid as that comment makes her sound. Anyway the other option (apart from the obvious illegal one and the one that should be obvious but somehow isn’t - ie buying MS Office) is to get a student edition - MS have for years provided cheap licences for students. I have been trying to find out how to get one.

Google “Microsoft student” or “educational” turns up Amazon references to Encarta, the Nation Union of Students site search for Microsoft came up with “how to get a job at MS”. Then, just as I was looking for my Open Office install disks along came http://www.computershopper.co.uk/shopper/news/124820/students-get-office-2007-ultimate-for-39.html

(IT Pro sister mag, I’m sure IT Pro will cover it soon)

The only problem is you need a .ac email which she won’t have until next week. I’m installing the trial version and hopefully she can get the key then.

The advantage to MS is obvious, if they didn’t provide cheap ones students could easily share versions and are not likely to be paying the £400 for a retail one anyway. And it is important that students use your software. In a few years they will be buying and specifying for industry and they’ll want what they know. Cheap copies for students should reap benefits in futre sales.

I’ve installed http://cdburnerxp.se/ for CD/DVD burning (the used DVD burner from ebay came without s/w), http://free.grisoft.com/ for anti virus so all in all it’s been pretty cheap so far.

What someone needs to do is set up a site with a complete set of software for students (or links to). Why the NUS aren’t doing this I don’t know - or maybe I missed it. If you know of one please leave a comment with a link.

Actually a site with profiles (home user, small business, student, silver surfer, gamester, school kids, pre-school) and suggested packages would be a useful - is there one?