TOO HOT TO HANDLE! Free M$ software for some students! WinXP, Win2k, and more

[vlad88]

First of all, XP is a lot more stable. It also boots up faster. You could also do dual monitors with it unlike 2k. Oh, and my roommate was deleting some old drivers and accidentally deleted a crucial file. So he just used "restore last good configuration" and it Actually worked. Now, that's new!

 

[sworshs]

I saw atleast 3 different threads regarding school giving out free MS products....but nevertheless....it's a good reminder for those who don't know about....

 

[straubs]

<< First of all, XP is a lot more stable. It also boots up faster. You could also do dual monitors with it unlike 2k. Oh, and my roommate was deleting some old drivers and accidentally deleted a crucial file. So he just used "restore last good configuration" and it Actually worked. Now, that's new! >>




A lot more stable than 2k? I leave my comps (home and work) up for about a month each. And then it's usually because of a software/hardware install that I have to reboot. How can it get more stable than that? More stable than 9x, but not 2k....

Booting? What use is that if you don't reboot in a whole month? And it's not THAT much faster anyway.

Dual montiors I'm not sure about.

Win2k has "windows file protection." That's not new at all.

So in summary...I don't agree with any of your points!

 

[scREEEAMZ]

Just for the curious, you'd be surprised how amazingly cheap this can be for the school. I did this for my school and MS has a program called MSDNAA new this year where the school can give all OS's and most server products and all progamming software away to students taking classes w/in the department that purchased the program license. It only costs $800 for the department to be enrolled for one year. That is INCREDIBLY cheap when you consider that students and instructors can download or borrow CD (up to dept to decide) and install on their own system and keep it as long as they want. I talked w/ MS reps, and they said supposedly when the student leaves the institution, they aren't supposed to update the software anymore, but I'm not sure if they really would track that.

For the $800 price, you're only supposed to give out 50 cd's of any one product at a time, and students can borrow it, install it, register it, and then return it. MS mails you TONS o' keys for XP and Visio, and gives you generic keys for a lot of the other stuff, or it doesn't require it. Plus the school can install it on as many computers of their own (in that dept) as they want. I realize some of you may be referring to campus wide agreements (if they give you Office products), but that costs MUCH more based on student and instructor population. The MSDNAA for $800 is BY FAR the best deal MS has come out w/ for schools.

- scREEEAMZ!!!

 

[Goosemaster]

That's very interesting. I am at Drexel in Phili as well, and we get a whole host of apps for free. From numerous OSs to Maple-type programs, almost all of our software is downloadable..even WIndows 2000. Office XP is free but you have to walk to the library.:disgust::frown:


I would've thought schools were shelling out for the software, but appearantly, according to scREEEAMZ, its not so bad after all..for them.
Something tells me we get a bill somewhere..

 

[XZeroII]

At UW schools, they mail you a copy of it and it takes about 2-3 days (from what I hear...I havn't tried it yet) and it costs $30. If it were on a burned CD, I would immediatly complain and want an actual Microsoft Certified disk. As soon as VS.net is available, I will be getting that

 

[tallest1]

Free at Univ of Florida

 

[nhutp]

Hey Purple D, I go to UIUC, anyone know how this microsoft download thing works? I never heard about this...

 

[bigdooker]

wayne state has no such lic.
they suck
i guess no go for detroit area

 

[Kilrsat]

<< I would've thought schools were shelling out for the software, but appearantly, according to scREEEAMZ, its not so bad after all..for them. >>




I can't speak for all schools, but I know the UW contract with MS for delivery of all products and making every student/staff member (205,000 students, not sure on the # of staff) elligible for it, cost the university system $1.2 million for 3 years.

They're currently in negociations for the next 3 years, so I'm not really sure what the next deal will be like.

 

[madalien]

I'm at UW-Madison as well and have called several times on the cost of software here as it seems we pay more than a lot of you other folks at other schools. Microsoft is the only product that is really very cheap here, and not as cheap as a lot of other schools. Hope the new contract does better for us.

 

[flabbergasted]

<< I'm at UW-Madison as well and have called several times on the cost of software here as it seems we pay more than a lot of you other folks at other schools. Microsoft is the only product that is really very cheap here, and not as cheap as a lot of other schools. Hope the new contract does better for us. >>



Eventhough we may pay more outright, whether by $30 for WinXP or the X amount of dollars the university pays, I think our licensing agreement is for the WHOLE University of Wisconsin System plus the technical colleges (Madison ATC, Milwaukee ATC, Blackhawk TC, etc...etc) so that the number of people capable of receiving $30 WinXP is around 100,000.

How much we pay is determined by how much the UW System and the Area Technical colleges payed upfront and the number of people the software will be available to.

But, I would think more people would equal lower cost...but what do I know.

 

[sjwaste]

Well, I'm at JMU.. I think the biggest school in VA. And we dont have anything like this.

Of course, I dont think it would apply to Econ majors anyway. Well, maybe, but it's non-existant here.

 

[CKDragon]

<< That's very interesting. I am at Drexel in Phili as well, and we get a whole host of apps for free. From numerous OSs to Maple-type programs, almost all of our software is downloadable..even WIndows 2000. Office XP is free but you have to walk to the library. >>



Where are you d/ling them from legally? Plenty of people host them over the network to go and get... but that's more than just a bit questionable. As I said, I go to Drexel, but have been on vaca and co-op for the last 7 months so it's possible they've changed in that time... I went and got my Office XP from the library and was informed we'd be getting an XP Pro CD in the Spring Semester.

CK

 

[bigrash]

Hey thanks for the info guys. I don't think that my college offers them, but I'm gonna try next week when school starts.

btw, I go to Queens College in NYC. anyone know if they offer it?

 

[pX]

Va Tech gives free OS to all engineering majors, have to download it though. Vis studio is available as well..

and just as a side note JMU is not the biggest school in VA, I know for a fact Tech and UVA have more students. (Tech 25k, UVA 20k, JMU 14k).

 

[Fraggle]

anyone know if the Univ. of Kansas, Lawrence has any sort of licensing agreement like this? I asked a KU bookstore employee, and he seemed to think not, but I doubt he really knew what he was talking about... tho he may have been accidentally correct.

 

[Packy]

<< Yep my school has that program as well but, we have to burn the discs ourselves. Oh Well. My brother on the other hand goes to OSU and they get Office XP as well I think. Oregon that is >>



I should have gone to OSU instead of University of Oregon

 

[schmeckp]

<< Hey Purple D, I go to UIUC, anyone know how this microsoft download thing works? I never heard about this... >>



It's for CS majors - tonight at 5pm in DCL (20 mins from now). Non-CS are welcome, but have to pay a fee - like $5 or something. Just a little get together including free Za's subs and pizzas...


++schmeckp

 

[Lars]

That is unfair. I would have to pay a lot for software at the bookstore. (Colorado Tech)

 

[toshiba3020]

wow free! it costs me $5 a cd...im getting ripped off

 

[CyberZenn]

<<
and just as a side note JMU is not the biggest school in VA, I know for a fact Tech and UVA have more students. (Tech 25k, UVA 20k, JMU 14k). >>



you are correct, but last i heard Tech had over 30,000. VCU is # 2 with 25,000ish

 

[ChefJoe]

I looked into getting a legit XP copy (wisc.edu Madison) and saw the $30 price for an upgrade, which seems to be a lot more than I remember it being two years ago when they were selling 200 pro for $10. Very bad contract negotiation (perhaps has to do with CS putting in a bunch of tux machines?).

They're doing monopolistic practices, but the real reason is because they want you to use it when you get that high-paying out of college job. If you know how to use MS-Word, then you're likely to tell your company to buy you a $500 copy of it when you get outfitted for your cubicle <G>

 

[pukemon]

<<

<< Hey Purple D, I go to UIUC, anyone know how this microsoft download thing works? I never heard about this... >>



It's for CS majors - tonight at 5pm in DCL (20 mins from now). Non-CS are welcome, but have to pay a fee - like $5 or something. Just a little get together including free Za's subs and pizzas...


++schmeckp >>



Whoa! You mean there's actually a sense of community amongst the CS majors at UIUC now? I graduated there just last May and if that's the case, then I tell ya, that's great... I guess all the cynical disgruntled students got out with their "piece of paper" within the past year or so...

Oh man, I miss Za's subs and pizzas...

 

[GermyBoy]

LOL, I'm glad that Purdue sucks. Too bad I feel secure enough about my school to go around and not try and "compare" my school with other, lesser schools. You nerds really need to get lives.