Does anyone know anything about the "Student and Teacher" edition of MS Office Mac

[thomasp]

Hi,

I am soon (well, about August next year) to be getting a new mac as I will be starting University in September/October next year, and my poor old G3 iMac is a little slow I have realised that Microsoft Office is an essential piece of software for my Mac, while I'm at university.

After browsing Amazon.co.uk for prices for MS Office, I stumbled across this product: Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac, "Student and Teacher" addittion: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos...994/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/202-2132988-7003012 - it appears to be a full version of Office 2004, for Mac, with more features (well, a few more templates), a license to install it on three computers AND its only a third of the price of the standard edition


As I am a full time student (in the UK), it seems stupid to spend over £300 on a product when you can buy a practically identical one for less than £100. Therefore, I have a couple of questions about this product that the Microsoft site doesn't seem to answer:

1. How do Microsoft know you're a full-time/part-time student - what is there to stop an employed and working person buying this software?

2. Has anyone used it? And if so, is it any good?

3. What is Office 2004 like in general - is it stable?

4. (General MS Office question): Can you open and save AppleWorks files?

5. Should I buy this version, instead of the £300 standard edition?


Thanks for the help

 

[Maxicek]

1. How do Microsoft know you're a full-time/part-time student - what is there to stop an employed and working person buying this software?

2. Has anyone used it? And if so, is it any good?

3. What is Office 2004 like in general - is it stable?

4. (General MS Office question): Can you open and save AppleWorks files?

5. Should I buy this version, instead of the £300 standard edition?

1. I think I read an interview with someone from M$ when it was released saying that they were relying on peoples honest. If you read the stuff on the M$ UK website, it is available to parents with children in full time education - even if they are 5!

2. Yes, its the same as normal Office from what I have used of it.

3. Hasn't crashed on me yet.

4. Word will open Appleworks 5 & 6, I haven't looked at the rest, I assume the support is similar. Saving in Appleworks format no. Text or HTML only, other than Word. This is M$ we are talking about after all.

5. Yes. You are in full time education. Spend the rest on an iPod or beer.

 

[alywa]

I have the 2004 ST edition

It's MS Office, Mac, just $200 cheaper. We have it installed on my desktop and my wife's laptops. Works great, worth the ST price.

Get it. No sense in wasting the extra dough.

-alywa

edit: I should have clarified that my wife is eligible for the student teacher discount. I agree that one should not take advantage of a program if they are not eligible.

 

[jeremy.king]

Regarding #1,

This is usually up to the vendor to verify the status. Of course, if you happen to find one that doesn't do a good job, I am sure MS - and anyone that offers .edu discounts - would find out based on the volume of sales.

I have found that JourneyEd is a great place to find software at .edu discounts and they require proof of enrollment/employment before they send your order out.

Anyways, go for the "cheap" version but don't abuse the system.

 

[thomasp]

Thanks for the replies

I was under the impression that MS Office for Mac could open and save .cwk (AppleWorks) files.

On the Microsoft USA website, they give the End-User Licence agreement, with a definition of "student in full/part time education" as someone who's in an "accreddited K-12 education institute". What is K-12, and where abouts does it come on the English school system?

For the record, I'm in Year 13 (last year of state education, or "college", aka 'Sixth Form') and will be starting my first year at university next October (hopefully!). I'm not trying to 'buck the system' to get a cheap version of MS Office

 

[asif786]

Thanks for the replies

I was under the impression that MS Office for Mac could open and save .cwk (AppleWorks) files.

On the Microsoft USA website, they give the End-User Licence agreement, with a definition of "student in full/part time education" as someone who's in an "accreddited K-12 education institute". What is K-12, and where abouts does it come on the English school system?

For the record, I'm in Year 13 (last year of state education, or "college", aka 'Sixth Form') and will be starting my first year at university next October (hopefully!). I'm not trying to 'buck the system' to get a cheap version of MS Office

Hi Man,

I bought mine, I just had to show them my school/college ID card. It really depends on who's serving you, and if they like you or not. Typically in a big store (john lewis/micro anvika) if you bring sufficient ID they wont question you.

Or just order it from the Apple store Online - they dont even bother checking!

/asif

 

[Macmaniac]

Its a great deal, I got it as a High School student, and when I go off to college I have the extra CD Keys for a new laptop Its a sweet deal!

 

[blodwyn]

Thanks for the replies
What is K-12, and where abouts does it come on the English school system?

For the record, I'm in Year 13 (last year of state education, or "college", aka 'Sixth Form') and will be starting my first year at university next October (hopefully!). I'm not trying to 'buck the system' to get a cheap version of MS Office

K-12 is kindergarten through 12th grade, which is the equivalent of the infant school through 6th form in the UK. College students are also eligible, so if you're at school or college you are good to go. All we had to do was give the name of the school where my wife teaches at our local Apple store, and show her drivers license, and we were OK.

Office 2004 is very good and very compatible with Windows office files.

 

[Blue Velvet]

We've had a few stability probs with it -- mostly with Powerpoint although I suspect they might be font-related. Running on OS 10.3.4 on G5 dual 2.5/2.5gb RAM...

There is a new service pack (updater) on the mactopia website which I plan to put on all the machines at work when I get round to it.

Generally, I find it essential but annoying to use with those stupid transparent menus...

 

[thomasp]

Hi Man,

I bought mine, I just had to show them my school/college ID card. It really depends on who's serving you, and if they like you or not. Typically in a big store (john lewis/micro anvika) if you bring sufficient ID they wont question you.

Or just order it from the Apple store Online - they dont even bother checking!

/asif

Amazon.co.uk also seem to offer a pretty good deal - less than £100. I'll probably get it from them.


Thanks to everyone else for the replies and help

 

[cfd]

The main difference is..

The Student & Educators Edition is not an "Upgradable" version. Meaning you need to purchase a new Student & Educators box whenever a major upgrade is brought out.
With the current pricing of MS upgrade versions, you will be way ahead of the game in the long run.

 

[thomasp]

The Student & Educators Edition is not an "Upgradable" version. Meaning you need to purchase a new Student & Educators box whenever a major upgrade is brought out.
With the current pricing of MS upgrade versions, you will be way ahead of the game in the long run.

Ah, ok.

I think the Student/Teacher edition costs about as much as the upgrade for the Standard edition.