OT: Microsoft office? what's best?

Personally, I use OpenOffice.org at home on my Linux box, and MS Office at work. Open Office is fairly clunky, but it's totally adequate for your kid's schoolwork and can read and write the latest MS Office file formats. If your kid's school REQUIRES MS Office, then the school should provide it. It's absolutely ridiculous to expect the average person to spend hundreds of dollars on software for school when free alternatives exist.

The suggestion about college kids is right on. My daughter gets any Microsoft title for $10.00 after you buy a generic license copy for $25.00. The license is supposed to be renewed every year but darned if we aren't getting absent minded these days.

Office 2003 student/teacher edition has more capability than the 2007 version due to the new one dropping PowerPoint off the menu. Student 2003 is really difficult to find now that 2007 is out. I bought a copy of 2003 about 3 months ago and had to search on-line a bit. I think it was around $110.00 for the 3-machine set. By the way, there is no requirement for student/teacher verification so anyone can use it.

I have not used the 2007 version but my daughter says it's more difficult. Some of that comes from it being a new interface I'm sure. I am putting all software upgrades off as long as I can. That will probably be the last month of her senior year at college.

Many higher ed institutions have Microsoft MCA agreements which cover home use for all students/faculty/staff.

My university has covered faculty and staff for several years, but just brought students' coverage online this past Oct 1.

Howard

MicroSoft prices are outrageous, pack of thieves

we got 2003 Office student/teacher package at very reasonable price (compared to full package), was able to legally install/activate it on 3 computers, have to have a student in the family

watch the Office Max/Staples ads

Get the latest Student/Teacher version; they're all backwards compatible with stuff created in earlier versions. Should be around $100 at office supply places & Costco, might find it a little cheaper on-line. You can install it on multiple computers for your own use.

Keith

I use it with XP and vista.

Microsoft Office has had several variations and editions the past several years. Some include features and programs that others don't. Check and make sure of the programs you need, such as Word, Excel, Access, Publisher, etc... Not all of them come with all Office packages.

The Upgrade option only works if you have a qualifying Office product already, such as Office 2003, Office 2000, etc. If you don't, the upgrade won't work. You have to buy a full version. The package the upgrade is in should have a list of what products qualify for upgrades, and you will need the original CDs for that product.

Also, the interface and look of Office 2007 is different than all the past versions. This could make it challenging for some if the school is using one of the older versions. Office 2007 has this ribbon thing for the menus, which many people hate, but some like.

Go to Microsoft's web site, and explore and search the Office section. There is a lot of information there, and screen captures of what they look like.

I have the 2003 Professional edition, which came with Word, Publisher, Excel, Access, Outlook, Powerpoint, Infopath, and a selection of tools for processing pictures and images, scanning, a snapshot viewer, and picture viewer, and some other things.

I don't use all of these, but I use most. This one included the applications I needed for what I wanted to do. And I got a good deal on it from the computer shop that built my computer.

You can also buy the Office applications separately if you only need 1 or 2, but if you need more than just Word or just Excel, then it can be more costly than buying the full package.