FREE/FAR items w/MS Office 2003 Suites OMAX and STAPLES ADDED -CompUSA, Best Buy, Office Depot, Outpost.com

Kwad Guy · Oct 20, 2003

Yeah, that DVD player is a bit cheap. But it uses a Lithium Ion battery and I expect it will be fine for a full movie. Basically, you should think of the deal this way:

Buy all the crap, including the STudent/Teacher version of Office 2003. Sell Office 2003 on eBay for $110 or so, putting you $40 down on that purchase. Everything else is free after rebate, but you will have to pay tax in most states. Assume 5% tax. (Sorry California). That puts you at roughly 5%*$800 + $40 = $80 after rebates for all that crap. I think most people would agree that a portable DVD player + a 128mb USB 2.0 flashdirve + the seiko pen + the USB 2.0 8-in-1 reader + the (crappy, sell on eBay) Canon printer is worth $80.

That is, if you can deal with a rebate hassle...(9 rebates, count 'em, 9...[excluding Norton, which won't be free for a lot of people]).

Kwad

imported_Mike · Oct 20, 2003

thats the other thing, do you have to get everything in the package to get the rebates?

Kwad Guy · Oct 20, 2003

Nope, each rebate is separate. I kind of went with the flow and got everything but Norton. But you could, if you desired, just get the best stuff. Which I would say is the DVD player (or DVD writer), the Seiko pen, the USB 2.0 reader and the 128mb flash drive. If you're in at all, I can't imagine not going in for these freebies.

Kwad

overclock · Oct 21, 2003

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
Great post allisolm, anyone seen what Staples is going to offer yet?

I called Staples and they were clueless concerning Office 2003. I was simply informed that the CSR could not sell me something that was not in the system. No clue on when it was going to be offered. Maybe next week. It is weird for Staples not to be offering the typical free stuff. Only CompUSSR has anything this time and Officemax has their bundle too.

allisolm · Oct 21, 2003

OfficeMax - Purchase any version and receive HP Digital Photo Studio FAR ($299.99 value). Includes 2mp digital camera, inkjet printer, 32mb SD card and photo paper. Offer shows on OMax home page right-hand side. Bundle is $50 w/office purchase and has a $50 MIR.

PhotoSmart 320 camera
HP PhotoSmart 7350 printer

batmanuel · Oct 21, 2003

Originally posted by: TekDemon
I think they're being very friendly with the student edition because college students(the people who would most likely actually need powerpoint and excel and access and word) have a tendency to "borrow" CD-R's of Office and install it if you tell them the price is $500...and then even at $150 you'd have a hard time getting people to pay up...

Offer it for $150, loosen up restrictions so your FAMILY might buy it for the home and install it there while also installing it on your computer(3 computer allowance) and said college students' parents might decide that this could be a cheap way to get in on office through their kid and pony up the $150 for it, instead of the kid bringing home the CD-R one day...

....the purpose of this exersize is of course not to make money, but to get enough people on 2003 so that they can make money off the people who will be forced later on to buy it in order to remain compatible with 2003.

Ah...MS tactics. Of course, who cares...I'm gonna get paid to buy this software =P I happen to need a copy of office anyway...this stupid laptop I'm on came preloaded with Works and it stinks... I installed OpenOffice for now, but I'd rather have the real Office anyway...and if I can install it at home too, sweet.

I agree totally. Hopefully, more companies will realize the money that can be made by selling fully functional versions of their professional software cheaply with a strict non-commercial license. (Adobe, were looking at you. Elements was a nice try, but we want a noncommercial version of the whole thing, along with Premiere and After Effects. Maya PLE is a nice try as well, but the watermarks are a deal-breaker - not to mention disabling mental ray and cel shading).

Office 2003 acutally can save files in an XML-compatible format (I think you have to turn off all the backwards compatability options in order to fully do this. Otherwise I believe it just saves in the same format XP and 2000 does) that can do a lot of neat stuff IF you are running Server 2003. Also, take note of the warning on the front of the box that the software only works with 2000/XP. That is gonna sell some upgrades or maybe even new PCs, I'm sure. Evil, but if this finally wipes the 9x based OSes off the face of the earth, some good might come of it. The diehards need something to push them into the NT-based future...

murphy55d · Oct 21, 2003

Guys, office 2003 is on Staples website, and it appears that Staples is giving $50 gift cards w/ any Office 2003 purchase(student/teacher version $149 + $50 gift card=not bad?), and $100 gift cards if you buy Office 2003 and Windows XP together.

http://www.staples.com/Catalog/Browse/sku.asp?PageType=1&Sku=518240&bcFlag=True&bcSCatId=3&bcSCatName=Technology&bcCatId=5&bcCatName=Software%2C+Books+%26+Training&bcDeptId=1883&bcDeptName=Microsoft&bcClassId=141933&bcClassName=Microsoft+Desktop+Suites+%26+Apps

shizANDgigglez · Oct 21, 2003

Man, they really relaxed the restrictions on the academic version since Office XP. When I last looked, you could get the acad version of XP if you had a student in your family, but only the student in the family could use it. The only time I could use it was if I was helping my child with HIS homework not my own work. Looks like a good deal.

Shiz

batmanuel · Oct 21, 2003

Originally posted by: GtPrOjEcTX

Originally posted by: Dogbertt
Read it again...qualified Grades are k-12+

So my 5 year old daughter qualifies!!! Woot!

Click to expand...

Heh. Nice. BTW, been using Office 2k3 now (for about a day) and best improvement is definately Outlook. Pretty awesome changes in there.

I like the way that when you click on the Outlook icon you don't have to go get a cup of coffee while the program is loading. Outlook 2002 was so pokey I started using Express for reading e-mail. I'm glad they got 2003 working at around the same speed as Express. I wonder if they just trashed the old Outlook mail client code and replaced it with the faster stuff the Express guys wrote? The collapsible-by-week Inbox is pretty spiffy as well. Glad they finally spent some time on the most neglected member of the Office family. (Well, besides Visio, and that got an overhaul this time around, too). I just wish it was a bit more like the Mac version of Office. I've never understood what MS has to give the Mac users the best version fo Office. You'd think they'd love US more, but no they go after the people that play hard-to-get. Isn't that always the way?

RossMAN · Oct 21, 2003

This kind of reminds me of the "purchase Windows XP" and a get a lot of free stuff hysteria, anyone else remember that?

murphy55d · Oct 21, 2003

Ross, hell, I remember the purchase WinME and get free stuff. I am embarrassed to say I actually fell for it. That was before I knew better, though.

joecool · Oct 21, 2003

sweet, hit my local crapusa at 9:00 and got all the stuff - snagged the last inklink thing and the last thumb drive. what a zoo. tons of people running around trying to find everything. half of it was at the front of the store and the other half was behind the camera counter. i got majorly lucky 'cause i just beat another lady to the counter. pure luck 'cause the only reason i even went to the counter was because i saw some folks with carts full of stuff standing there and went to ask 'em where to find everything.

anyway, the problem was that the registers weren't printing out some of the rebate forms. a bunch of folks were milling around and harrasing the employees about it. one guy finally said you could get them off the web so i took off. now, of course, the forms won't download off the web. anybody have 'em and could pm 'em to me? i need the dvd express, norton, and dvd player forms.

thanks,

joe

imported_Mike · Oct 21, 2003

Well, I got the dvd player. More than i expected, comes with the battery/battery charger/remote/rca cables/car adapter. Very small screen, & the picture quality is less than average in a lot of light. I picked up the dazzle, printer, 128mb thumb drive, & the student version...but spend $540 :Q

I havn't looked yet, but I bet ebay is already flooded with this crap.

Paazel · Oct 21, 2003

i got in on the crap usa deal. picked up student & teacher version, 128 thumb drive, norton, fuji cd-r's (taiyo's!!), dazzle media reader, and the dvd player, for a hair less than $500. i wanted the dvd burner but it was OOS.

fornax · Oct 22, 2003

The Student/Teacher Office editions are NOT "academic" versions. You can walk into any store and buy one without any hassle like IDs, etc. I bought several Student/Teacher Office XPs without questions. Academic versions are something different.

stormont · Oct 22, 2003

Here's my question:

All of the rebates for the free stuff require a copy of the receipt showing the purchase of Office and the UPC from the product in question. (e.g. DVD player, NAV, media reader) None of them need the Office UPC. Since I have now sent off all of the rebates and haven't even had to crack open the plastic casing in which Office comes, can I now return it to CompUSA for a full refund for the price that I paid for Office and still get the money from the rebates?

The places to which the rebates were sent aren't going to be contacted by CompUSA and notified that I returned it, right?

Steve

overclock · Oct 22, 2003

Did you not read the rebates? The free stuff needs a copy of the Office UPC. The DVD player needs the original Office UPC. If you didn't include it, you can kiss your money goodbye. Or did you copy the UPC thru the plastic? In any case returning Office to CompUSSR would constitute fraud.

stormont · Oct 22, 2003

Crap, I missed that. Guess I'll be opening the box and sending some ammended letters with the UPC copies.

Paazel · Oct 22, 2003

Paazel · Oct 22, 2003

ink link
http://image.compusa.com/pdfs/0005404.pdf

see this page for more info:
http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=306472&pfp=BROWSE

for some reason i can only quick reply, that's why nothing is linked.

doinmybestatlast · Oct 22, 2003

Just received the OM bundle. Wow! I ordered yesterday. Printer and camera in ONE box. S&T MSOffice in another. Paid $183.15 out of pocket (used 30 off 150 - didn't jump in on time with the 50 off). There's a $50 rebate. I'm trying for another $50 rebate with computer purchase.

50 · Oct 22, 2003

Damn...I kinda wish I got on this deal rather than the amazon deal (Office XP S&T for 75 bucks + 14$ upgrade to 2k3), I dunno if I can trust Compusa for rebates though.......

stormont · Oct 22, 2003

You gave me a scare there overclock. I got home and checked the photocopies of all of the rebate forms that were printed at the register and none of them request the original/copy of the Office 2003 UPC. I still won't return it, but at least I don't have to worry about not getting my rebate money.

Steve

overclock · Oct 22, 2003

Originally posted by: stormont
You gave me a scare there overclock. I got home and checked the photocopies of all of the rebate forms that were printed at the register and none of them request the original/copy of the Office 2003 UPC. I still won't return it, but at least I don't have to worry about not getting my rebate money.

Steve

Sorry for the scare. However, if you look at the web versions of the rebate coupons, for example
the dvd player, it says:

Mail this form with a copy of your sales receipt(s) and the original UPC labels from the product packages to:

So the dvd player rebate requires BOTH ORIGINAL UPC labels (office and the player). If it didn't print out on the register generated receipts then pray hard because the UPC will be required.

Heinrich · Nov 10, 2003

Do we have any updates on these offers? Are they still available? Thanks

FREE/FAR items w/MS Office 2003 Suites OMAX and STAPLES ADDED -CompUSA, Best Buy, Office Depot, Outpost.com

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