Closure of Cheap MS Software

[spinaltap]

I have received an email from Software4Students that Microsoft has signalled the end of being able to purchase its low-priced software on 31st March.

So, if you are in education yourself, or have children in education, be advised that there is but a short time left to bag an MS software bargain.

 

[davidjpowell]

I have seen this as well. Can't decide whether it's true or a marketing ploy. Nothing else obvious on the web...

 

[BTB 500]

Interesting, I have used them recently but not had any email yet.

Various other suppliers listed on the Microsoft UK website:

Microsoft UK Education - Students - Student Promotions

 

[John]

At a time where I understand Google Apps and that sort of thing are gaining, you would have thought keeping it going would be a good idea...

 

[jaymanek]

I got the email too... but I just bought office and windows so that'll do me for a good few years.

 

[HughJarse]

Mmmm didnt know that!

 

[redbaron]

Why would you bother... Microsoft offers Office 365 (Professional P1) for £4 per month giving you an email account with 25gb storage... Sharepoint with10GB for documents, Lync (think messenger for business but with proper video conf) and Web App version of outlook,word, excel, powerpoint and onenote for £4 per month... including anti spam and backup... so not only do you get to use the apps (on anything inc iPads and so on...) you get proper Exchange Email account with calendars and sync to mobiles with everything back up for you.....

 

[timskemp]

Office 365 P1 doesn't appear to actually include the office desktop apps, so unless you are connected 24/7 then it's no better than Google apps or gmail at £0/mth, plus $5/yr for 20 gig of storage, synced calendars etc and ios / Android / blackberry integration.

Office 365 E plans with desktop apps are 17.75 per month. two years of that and you could have bought Office Pro at full price, three months is more than the education price.

Looks like the new edu scheme will only change to prevent exploitation by parents who have lots of kids in primary / secondary school who have been buying up Office 2010 pro in the kids names - I can't imagine anyone would even think of such things. It's going to be available only to higher / further education users from April. Office home/student edition will continue.

 

[redbaron]

Office 365 P1 doesn't appear to actually include the office desktop apps, so unless you are connected 24/7 then it's no better than Google apps or gmail at £0/mth, plus $5/yr for 20 gig of storage, synced calendars etc and ios / Android / blackberry integration.

Office 365 E plans with desktop apps are 17.75 per month. two years of that and you could have bought Office Pro at full price, three months is more than the education price.

Looks like the new edu scheme will only change to prevent exploitation by parents who have lots of kids in primary / secondary school who have been buying up Office 2010 pro in the kids names - I can't imagine anyone would even think of such things. It's going to be available only to higher / further education users from April. Office home/student edition will continue.

I understand your point but google apps are basically rubbish - they dont display documents correctly.... and we are talking student products here.. when is a student not on line these days...

Yes E3 is 17:75 but it is a business product with 10yr unlimited storage compliance archiving and sharepoint we extensions etc...

You can buy Office pro plus (local (upto 5 concurrent devices) and web apps for £8 per month stand alone...

 

[timskemp]

I expect there'll be some kind of subscription model for students and home users sometime. More software is moving towards that model.

 

[redbaron]

I expect there'll be some kind of subscription model for students and home users sometime. More software is moving towards that model.

its very simple... you can't pirate a subscription.....

 

[jaymanek]

its very simple... you can't pirate a subscription.....

have you ever been to china...

 

[redbaron]

have you ever been to china...

no but you can't fake $2.3Bn worth of geo-redundant data centres..... and I'm sure they will try...

 

[John]

They can fake Apple stores convincingly...