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27 August
Student's Guide To Free Software Doesn't Add Up
The Cost vs Value Argument
by
SoftwareGuru
Parents: I'm starting to think that buying software
is a bit like buying budget furniture.
If you've ever gone shopping for a new bed or sofa you'll
appreciate that how it feels can play a big part in your
purchasing decision.
One of my more astute bargains was a big sofa from IKEA and even today it's
wonderfully comfortable and worth every penny.
With the Back To School season underway,
all things student related are on
the agenda and shopping for bargains is a must.
Parents and students, who may be unaware of discount
student software online shops, are now searching
online forums for free student software ideas and
resources.
You'll get more friendly advice trying to tell a French waiter
in Paris that you don't understand the menu while wearing a football shirt.
I love certain free software programs as much as I think
Microsoft Office 2010 is brilliant but here's the
thing...
...don't you just hate people trying to tell you what to
do?
Whenever free software fanatics are not ordering us to abandon
our soft comfy sofas because free hard wooden chairs are
supposedly much better, they're arguing among themselves as to
which free open source CMS is the best (I'm a
Joomla!
kind of guy myself).
By the way, open source enthusiasts themselves are not above
charging money for their "free programs" and
invoking a much wider definition of the word 'free' when it
suits them.
Yes, I tried not to raise both eyebrows with that one.
When the business plan for many successful open source software
based startups is to sell out to Google as soon as possible, I
just avert my eyes at the hypocrisy written online about big bad
corporations who charge for software.
Last time I checked Steve Jobs wasn't giving iPads away for free
either.
So let's pretend that shopping at
Software4Students Ireland is a fun trip to IKEA and see what would happen.
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Gone Shopping
Having left a note on the kitchen table
reminding the children not to wreck the place until we get back,
we set out to find some bargains.
Upon arrival we see the special offer sign:
Get an entire living room suite of furniture for the price of a
bedside lamp.
Of course any bargain hunter would jump at that sort
of bargain.
That's the type of value on offer at Software4Students.
You can buy
Microsoft Office 2010 which is a suite of normally
expensive software at super cheap academic prices.
Opting for free student software only, would be to ignore the immense
value on offer to parents and school children from superior
programs.
Let's be clear about this. Soft comfy seats are always better
than free hard wooden chairs.
The more you use them, the more comfort becomes a bigger factor.
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Say No To Compromise
The Back To School season can be an
expensive time for UK parents.
But Eric Cantona might be onto something with his 'Say No To
Compromise' slogan.
The best educational tools and resources will always be a mix of
free student software and value for money paid software.
The trick is to make sure you know what is worth your time,
effort and most importantly, your cash.
For example, there's a great little free audio program called
Audacity which can introduce you to the basic ideas of audio
recording software.
Truth is, even beginners would arguably be better off with paid
software such as
Notion Music Software or
Sibelius Student 6 which have much better help files, more
features and large online communities.
When the value for money factor is so great
at Software4Students, investing in your children's future
will always be a smart move.
Older schoolchildren and students are not afraid of the latest
version of software programs and that enthusiasm can be
infectious.
Mind you, I still wouldn't take them furniture shopping!
Sibelius Student 6 and Notion Music
both feature in our
Audio Software section.
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Posted by
admin
at
11:11
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Student's Guide To Free Software Doesn't Add Up