The Deal with the Microsoft Store Student Discounts
Whether
on a PC or Mac, chances are that at some point today, Microsoft
software made your life easier. Microsoft realizes how indispensable
students are to the future and wants to make it easy and affordable for
them to succeed. Their solution? Their genius idea of student discounts
on software bundles put together with students in mind.
Microsoft
Office University 2010 comes complete with MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel,
OneNote, Publisher, and Access. These benchmark tools allow you create
pro looking documents and presentations, get organized, reach out, and
stay connected. While Office won’t write that research paper for you,
try writing it without it and you’ll end up completely...you know.
Utilizing
MS Office enables you to tap into to your school's network, store your
docs in the cloud, or work offline. Up to you. Use Office Web Apps to
share and edit your work from virtually anywhere. You can construct a
customized database suited to your needs, or easily employ effects, and
photo and video editing tools to make your presentations stand out. When
you can come up for air and want to stay in touch with friends and
family, email is a quick no-brainer to get up and running.
Office
for Mac University 2011 comes with the Mac compatible designed versions
of Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook. Not quite all
the features of the PC suite, but still, pretty darn good. So, cut them
some slack. After all, there is still a little healthy rivalry between
these two guys.
All
studying and no play makes Jack or Jill a dull boy or girl, so MS has
extended their student discounts to cover the gaming world as well. How
long can you hit the books before it actually becomes
counter-productive? Or even worse, your head explodes? Make something
explode onscreen and online instead.
Microsoft
is offering two packages for Xbox LIVE, one deluxe, one basic. Among
other things, depending on which you decide to spring for, you get a
year subscription that lets you play online, download HD movies or TV
shows, and gives you headset and chatpad capability.
For
all you budding, or already budded developers out there, MS has a
student deal on Kinect for Windows. Link computers to Kinect devices
running Windows 7 and Windows 8 Developer Preview. Use the Kinect for
Windows SDK to build applications with C++, C#, or Visual Studio Basic
by using Microsoft Visual Studio 2010. You know the drill.
All
of these come with one year of assistance that's but a phone call away,
courtesy of Microsoft support professionals. Be aware these
student-only discounts require verification of student status prior to
purchase. Check their site for all the details, but if you really are a
student, there shouldn’t be a problem.
In
conclusion, and to summarize succinctly...if you’re a student, there is
a 99% probability that you need MS software. There is also a 99%
probability that you’d like to save money getting it. Put that good ol’
Microsoft Store promo code to use and then get back to studying, secure
in the knowledge that you have achieved great wisdom at a relatively
young age.