There are Microsoft Products available to many at greatly reduced prices, direct from Microsoft nor some pirate source.
"The Ultimate Steal" is available to those with an .EDU email address. $60 for the full version of Office 2007, which is usually about $400 (list $680) A student w/o an edu address has other ways to purchase but they are more cumbersome than simply going to...
http://www.microsoft.com/student/discounts/theultimatesteal-us/default.aspx (http://www.microsoft.com/student/discounts/theultimatesteal-us/default.aspx)
MILITARY personnel, past and present, are eligible for the Military Appreciation Edition. It is available through the PX or online at http://www.aafes.com/ (http://www.aafes.com/) The military version allows installation on up to three computers. $80 US
A lesser known part of Microsoft's volume licensing programs for large companies and organizations is the Home Use Program (HUP). It's so little known many companies don't seem to know about it and let their staff take advantage of it.
http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/sa/benefits/home_use_rights.mspx (http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/sa/benefits/home_use_rights.mspx)
Organizations that subscribe to Microsoft's Software Assurance program (part of Volume Licensing) can allow employees to buy a special license to use MS Office on a home computer. Cost, $30 US
Then there is always The Home and Student edition for around $170 US
Thanks for the tip. I will probably buy this through a family member that has an edu adress. When I was in college, they just gave it to us. The logic was if we learned on MS Office in school we would carry that over to our jobs. I guess MS figures they have the market locked up now.
I've been playing with OpenOffice from OpenOffice.org on my secondary computer. So far, it has done everything I've wanted to do, and looks and works just like MS Office. Has anyone else had any longer-term experience with this free program suite?
I haven't used it but heard it's good.