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Here's the worst kept secret in the software world: if you want to get Microsoft Office 2003 for your personal/home use, the way to go is Office Standard Student and Teacher Edition, which has a street price of $125.
This version contains Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint -- which is to say the programs you actually use. You have to live without Access, which hardly anyone ever uses. If you simply cannot live without Access, it's in the $270 Office Professional Edition 2003 Upgrade package. You probably would be better off buying Student and Teacher, however, and buying a database program separately. Or, for that matter, just live with your existing version of Access, which hasn't changed very much. In addition to the pricing advantage, Student and Teacher has "Expanded Software Licensing" allowing you to install the package on up to three home PCs. In contrast, the normal license is for one desktop and one portable, and you are not supposed to be using both at any one time. (Hey, I don't make this stuff up, go read the licensing agreement.) What really is happening here is that Microsoft is quietly backing off some of the most rigid aspects of its irritating product activation scheme, first unveiled in Office and Windows XP. In trying to bring a halt to what the company calls "casual piracy" -- that's when you share your copy of a program with your family, friends, and your entire neighborhood -- Microsoft made the cost of home use prohibitively expensive. It's unlikely that there has been some sudden outbreak of magnanimity or altruism in Redmond. The truth is that without a price incentive such as this, there is preciously little reason for individual users to upgrade. There is an important upgrade to Outlook (to be discussed at greater length in a future article), and the interface is now more colorful. But from the technical side, the guts of Office 2003 is support for collaborative projects in big corporations. Even Microsoft concedes the point. I quote in its entirety the official statement on the subject from Microsoft spokespeople: "We are always improving our software in many ways. We fully expect Office XP users to see great benefits in the broader support for XML in Office 2003 Professional Editions (XML was only supported in a limited way in Microsoft Office Excel and Access 2002), the new collaboration functionality, a revamped Microsoft Office Outlook and new rights management technologies. However, users of even earlier editions of Microsoft Office will see more significant benefits, including the increase in reliability and security already built into Office XP and improved on further in with the new Office 2003 Editions. Also, consumers looking to upgrade their PCs can realize even greater value by taking advantage of the purchasing options available to them through our OEM partners." Let me put it in practical terms. When a friend called to ask if he should upgrade Office 2003 Professional, I told him "save your money." On the other hand, when he called from Costco to tell me the price of the Student and Teacher Edition, I said "buy it." (c) 2004 Al Gordon. In addition to his computer interests, Al Gordon is a principal in the Boston-area strategic consulting firm, Mary Fifield Associates, www.maryfifieldassociates.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You can reach Al Gordon at:  Return to Top
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This is supplemental information to the article:
Theoretically,
this version is for those in the academic world. But without officially
announcing it, Microsoft and retailers are taking a "don't ask, don't tell"
approach in selling it. The box itself screams "home computers" in a green
balloon.