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02 February
Dear Customers,
We have an important annoucement to make in relation to Microsoft products availability.
As many of you know, Software4Students has been offering the best discounts in Microsoft software for students and their parents since 2007.
Over the years, we have been offering discounts of up to 90%, in Microsoft's fully functional software. However, Microsoft has recently announced that the programme that was making this possible will come to an end on March 31st, 2012.
The good news is that this is not the end of the great discounts that you love!
Software4Students hope to introduce a new range of Microsoft Office and Windows 7 products in the future. Although the prices will not be as highly discounted as in the former range, students and parents will still be able to make big savings when buying their favourite Microsoft software.
We would like to take this opportunity to encourage all those who still do not have Windows 7 or Microsoft Office 2010 installed in their laptops or PCs to take advantage of this last chance to enjoy amazing discounts.
Deadline
We will be selling Microsoft's Office 2010 Professional Plus and Windows 7 upgrade at up to 90% off while stocks last. So hurry up to secure your copy before we run out of them! Likewise, let your friends and family know that this offer is ending soon.
Which Products are Affected?
The end of this programme affects only Microsoft products. Software from other manufacturers like Adobe, Kaspersky, etc... are not affected by this change. Please continue reading to know which products will no longer be available after March 31st.
1. Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010
2. Windows 7 Upgrade editions
3. Other Microsoft products:
• Microsoft Expression Web 4
• Microsoft Expression Studio 4 Ultimate
What Can I Do?
Following our announcement, we are experiencing increased demand for the affected products. We would like to advise those customers interested in taking advantage of discounts on Microsoft products to buy their software as quickly as possible.
Please also sign up to receive our newsletter and/or follow us on Facebook and Twitter in order to receive updated information on the new range or products.
Have you recently purchased Microsoft products through Software4Students?
This announcement does not affect customers who have purchased Microsoft products before this date. You will still be able to use your software after March 31st.
Thank you for your continued support and please feel free to comment below on what this programme has meant to you over the years.
The Software4Students Team
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02 February
Windows 8 Preview
We are delighted to be able to offer you our loyal customers a very exclusive peak into the belly of Windows 8. The full version is not expected to be officially released until September 2012, however Microsoft has given us a good indication of what to expect and we are here to pass it on to you.
One of Microsoft’s strengths has been the ability to continually reinvent itself and its products to match the changing world. The upcoming release of Windows 8 demonstrates that ability perhaps more than ever.
The way in which we interact with our PC’s and laptops could be fundamentally changed by Windows 8. The first thing that any new user is going to notice is that the familiar desktop screen is a thing of the past. Instead Microsoft has replaced it with what they call a “Metro design”. Microsoft states that “the new Start screen puts all of your apps in front of you for immediate access. You don’t have to remember where things are.”
Metro Screen Design
“The way in which we interact with our PC’s and laptops could be fundamentally changed by Windows 8.”
That’s right folks, they are basically making your computer have the user friendly interface of a smart phone or tablet without the limitations that come with a smaller device. They have even developed their own Metro Apps that are going to be fully integrated within the computer. It appears the Metro apps are going to operate in much the same way to the Android store. There will be cost to some Metro Apps but Microsoft has not indicated the price range yet.
We hope you are as excited about Windows 8 as we are. This could set the operating system agenda for decades to come. It is important to remember that this is not just the launch of a new version of Windows with little tweaks and upgrades added into the old familiar set-up. This is a root and branch change of the way Microsoft see you, the customer interacting with technology. As Microsoft have said on this issue “More than two out of three PCs today are mobile devices—laptops, netbooks, notebooks, or tablets... Screens range from under ten inches to wall-mounted monitors to multiple HD screens. Storage has grown from megabytes to terabytes and is moving to the cloud.”
Windows 8 Files
“Windows 8 is a massive step up from Windows 7 in almost every way.”
By making Windows 8 available on tablets and smart phones, Microsoft is hoping to challenge Apple’s current dominance of the market. This could be an interesting battle by these two giants of the technology world, and there could well be some metaphorical blood on the floor of Silicon Valley before this contest is decided.
Another very interesting edition to Windows 8 is that there will be two touch keyboards, which will make typing up documents and interacting on social media sites quicker and easier. But one of the biggest developments is the touch browsing interface that Microsoft has designed to be used on Windows 8.Microsft claim that this will “make interacting with your PC fluid and intuitive. The new interface is built for touch. With touch, you can do what you want to do quickly and naturally.”
Apps Alive
And while there may be already computers on the market that have this functionality the cost has been prohibitive and the size of the screens impractical. Windows 8 will make this feature available to a much larger proportion of the population. This new touch browsing system is basically going to give you the ability to zoom, pan, crop, and move between web pages with ease.
Windows 8 is a massive step up from Windows 7 in almost every way. Microsoft has taken a gamble with Windows 8 by changing the desktop interface they risk losing some of their existing customers to other operating systems or to older versions of Windows.
This risk though is counteracted with the possibility of attracting a new generation of Windows user who until now may not have seen the point of using a computer on a daily basis when they have other alternatives.
We at Students4Software think that interactive touch screen computing is only going become more ingrained in our everyday lives. We are looking forward to Windows 2025, as by that stage we hope most of you will have managed to graduate!
So why don’t you drop us a line and tell us what you think! If you are a current Windows user will you be the first in line to buy this upgrade, or even more interestingly if you are a MAC head would Windows 8 tempt you to switch your OS back to Windows.
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20 January
Here we are 
Data is everywhere in our modern lives, we collect it and it follows us around until the day we die. It is used by governments to tax us, employers to judge us, and by our peers to measure their net wealth to ours. However we can make data work for us. Julian Assange used the data he collected through Wikileaks to shine a light on the dark arts employed in the “war on terror”.
Data journalism is at coal face of modern journalism, and the ability to extract relevant information form data is going to be a key component of that profession for the foreseeable future. It is not just journalists and whistle blowers that can make a living from data.
Still not a believer? Don’t take our word for it. Check out this You-Tube interview with the inventor of the World Wide Web Tim Berners-Lee on the how the way we use Data now will change the world tomorrow.
A recent example from the US shows that “there be gold in that there data”. Clive Thompson writing in January’s edition of Wired magazine points out that:
“San Diego-based brothers Mike and Ryan Alfred launched BrightScope in 2008 after realising that, whereas Americans have more than $4 trillion (£2.5 trillion) invested in pension plans, there is no independent agency that compares their employers' plans with those at other firms. By law, US pension plans have to report their annual results to the Labor Department, so the Alfreds coaxed it to release that data, and then got crunching. Soon they had created analyses so valuable that financial managers pay tens of thousands of dollars for a peek. BrightScope did more than $2 million in business in 2010 and now employs 30 people.”
Being comfortable with manipulating and processing data is going to be one of the key skills that many employers are going to be looking for in graduates over the coming years. Remus Lim from IBM has stated that “large companies are recognizing the challenges and opportunities that come with big data so demand for skilled workers is sure to grow.”
This is something that very clearly effects graduates as multinational companies are going to be actively looking to recruit candidates that they feel have the skills they require. Graduates are going to need to be ready to explain their understanding off the importance data plays in modern business models if they are to successfully develop carries in today’s tough market place.
In fact a recent report published in America, comments found that by 2018 there will be a demand for 1.5 million Data managers and analysts. The report which was commissioned by the Business Intelligence Congress also concluded that hiring managers were actively seeking to employee graduates who have hands on BI (business intelligence) experience, experience with emerging topics and have worked with large data sets.
So give yourself the edge at that job interview, brush up on your data skills and make 2012 the year you make the most out of yourself. And if you are still on the way to graduating make use of this time to add some of these in demand skills onto your CV.
Software4Students.ie
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28 November
Everyone is an Audioslave
Music makes the people come together.
Oh, Madonna and her infinite wisdom.
While the pop queen may not be everyone's cup of tea, she actually does have a point with those sentiments. Almost everyone has an interest in music. Now, whether everybody's tastes are agreeable or not is debatable but there's a genre out there for all.
While some people are naturally drawn towards playing an instrument or singing, a lot of others are afraid to break free and go musically wild. And there is absolutely no reason why not to – sure, think about it, there's already a bunch of crap at mainstream level so it is no biggie if you crash and burn in the comfort of your own home.
The Musition Student Version is perfect for those who already study music itself but for those who don't it is just as useful in learning about theory. But the real fun starts when you start using software like Sibelius Student Edition or Notion3. Here, you get to play around in actually writing music with either pre-recorded tracks or something of your own composition.
It doesn't matter whether you are into rock or jazz, techno or country, there will be a way to make it happen and there are not many better feelings than creating or song of your own craft.
Student's Got Talent
As you can see, we've been taking baby steps. First, you listen, then you create. So what comes next?
Sharing! 
I know, I know. Most people have that underlying fear of rejection but there is always hidden talent waiting to burst out from absolutely nowhere. SoundCloud is a great medium to showcase that very gift you may have and it's tag-line of “Share Your Sounds” says it all really.
The cool thing is you have the ability to open your uploads up publicly or to simply choose the close friends and family that you want to be able to hear that fresh new audio that is going to make you famous. There are two kinds of music; Good music, and the other kind.
Composer Duke Ellington knew what he was talking about when he said that and with the help of the web and our trusty troll friends you'll soon know what category you fall under. All joking aside, music is an excellent way to express yourself and there's nothing healthier than sitting inside all day staring at a computer and tinkering with levels and edits....right? A good place to search for some inspiration is the blog Nialler9, which has won umpteen Best Music Blog awards in the last few years and his diverse opinions are enjoyable to read.
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28 November
Cramming Session
If there is one thing that students love to do it is studying...right?
They can't get enough of the stuff!
It is as if they are so disinterested with the rest of the world, the pubs, the nightlife, the after-parties that it would simply be more ideal if the entire planet was one giant library of learning.
Okay, perhaps I am being a little over-enthusiastic there and, when I say over-enthusiastic, I most certainly mean wrong. Most students, of course, loathe studying. Not so much because they don't have ambitions to acquire knowledge and be educated people – more so because it is made to feel like a chore.
The funny thing is, people will spend hours at a time on encyclopedic websites like Wikipedia reading about the most unusual and pointless data but when it comes to knuckling down on their own course it becomes a hardship. We've all been there – just looking for any excuse to do something else on the internet instead of opening up your book or Microsoft Office and actually getting the work done.
What solves this problem right away is a study plan. Yes, I am sure that you all have heard this before from parents, lecturers and that nagging voice at the back of your head that knows I'm right.
Free your busy schedule
Study plans are scary because it sets out exactly what needs to be done, in what time frame and in what order – efficiency that doesn't quite suit the random bustle of student life.
But they are invaluable in getting assignments in before the deadline and exams prepared for while, ironically, it will actually open up more free time in your schedule to go out and be cool...or at least pr etend to be.
Mindjet Mindmanager is handy for brainstorming, project strategy and preparing for presentations – particularly in group assignments where there are probably dozens of crazy suggestions being thrown out but all can be utilised. It is easy to add links, notes, graphs and other cool accessories which ensure that you won't forget anything.
Seriously, how annoying is that when you have a great idea, forget to write it down and it's lost from your memory... However, if you want to go ultra 21st Century then Dragon NaturallySpeaking is an absolute must. This allows you to dictate your essay rather than type it while it is also possible to surf the web, email and update that oh so important “never drinking again” status on your Facebook or Twitter page.
In an age when time is of the essence, this program ensures that a crucial train of thought that could make or break an essay is not lost. Plans can be easily made but loosely followed. Yet, they are actually a revelation when closely adhered to and often it is only a gentle reminder that is needed to maintain the perfect flow.
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