Photograph by Kevin Clifford
It Costs How Much?
by Matt Fiske - Posted on 29 Aug 2007
"It costs how much?"
I overheard a student speaking to an Adobe representative over the phone. The product in question was Adobe Premiere Pro CS3, a video editing application that retails for $799.00. "That's a lot of money," she continued.
Software is expensive, and it's often the hidden cost that students can sometimes forget about. When compared to backpacks, laptops, refrigerators, microwaves and other physical items, software can seem almost malicious in nature. You don't really get to touch it, see it or kick it across the room, but you know it's there. Those extra zeros on the receipt make that clear.
But do you really need to pay that much for it? The answer is a fortunate "no" for many, as there are ways to get software at a reduced price, sometimes even free.
Microsoft Offfice 2007, for instance, retails at $499.95.
Here are some alternatives:
- Office 2007 Student Edition - $129.99
The only catch is you’re supposed to stop using it once you either graduate or cease being a student.
- Open Office - FREE
One of the leading products in the movement known as open source. It's completely free and shares most of the compatibility of regular Office. There’s also various add-ons you can use for it.
- Google Documents & Spreadsheets - FREE
One of Google’s newer projects. It’s a word processor you can use in a web browser without having to download or install anything.
These are just a few ways to save money on software. For a compete list of other open source alternatives, you can visit these sites:
As for the surprised library patron, she could have used something called Virtualdub, another open source application that shares a number of the basic features that Adobe Premiere is used for.Have any software suggestions of your own? Feel free to leave them below.
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cross platform and open-source :] http://audacity.sourceforge.net/