Should students be given free software for school?

[DSK-]

I remember (when I first started my Foundation degree in IT & Multimedia) the first time we went to Uni to do programming one day a week we found out that people doing a nursing course got netbooks :/

Student's won't get free software. I would love it, but unfortunately it won't happen to the degree many people would want.

 

[v3n0mat3]

Only if it's Uni or College students that are getting them. That is, they are the only ones that need it.

 

[Aphex Demon]

I. Fucking. Hate. Open Office.

*shudder*

Contrarily, I hate Microsoft Office 2007 and 2010. May I ask your criticisms of OpenOffice.org?

The way it fucks around when you move a picture.

The way it distorts the image when resizing.

The annoying lines it puts in the document when copying and pasting text.

It just feels old. It frustrates me beyond belief.

 

[RaikuFA]

i think it should be given as a rental at least

 

[WickedFire]

At my uni we get most of the required software on University machines, so we have the microsoft office set, Adobe CS5 and various others that I haven't used on my course yet. These are only available on the University machines, and some are only available in the specific labs for that kind of work. Its ok to have access to them, but when assignment deadlines get close it can be hard to find an available machine with the stuff you need.

I think software should be available to students, so long as they need it for the particular course. As has been mentioned it familiarises them with that particular brand and interface and makes it more likely for them to use it in a more commercial environment.

 

[Aphex Demon]

I. Fucking. Hate. Open Office.

*shudder*

Contrarily, I hate Microsoft Office 2007 and 2010. May I ask your criticisms of OpenOffice.org?

The way it fucks around when you move a picture.

The way it distorts the image when resizing.

The annoying lines it puts in the document when copying and pasting text.

It just feels old. It frustrates me beyond belief.

Frankly, I think if you're looking for professional-quality typesetting, you don't go for an office suite at all. I've seen odd and irritating behaviour in all of the office suite software I've used. Considering that few people are actually operating these applications to the standard required for professional quality - for example, how many people have you seen that use Comic Sans where it's completely inappropriate? - I don't expect the programmers who maintain these programs to fully implement high-quality typesetting techniques.

Yeah they all have their irritating little problems, I just think Office 2010 is so much better than other Office software out there. But of course it's gonna be, you pay for it and it's made by Microsoft.

 

[Ren3004]

If they need it for they course, yes. For example, my university has a license for a statistics program that we need.

 

[Furious Styles]

I think we should definitely get the basics free, for me that would be word, powerpoint and maybe excel.

I suppose that would vary from person to person, though

 

[Smooth Operator]

Schools should be using open source stuff, but I know how these things go down because one of my old professors had a huge rage attack as the school was enforcing what software he should teach.

Anyway some generous donators (MS) give schools free software and even computers for the low price of "teach them to work with our shit so when they get out of school that is the only thing they know".
Ofcourse the extra money is very sweet but those are devilish deals.

 

[Toriver]

At my school when I was there, everyone got free anti-virus software and a free copy of Microsoft Outlook, because it was essential for accessing the school e-mail system. The IT department sold MS Office for $10. Any other necessary software for classes was kept on campus servers we could access to use the programs from anywhere on campus. Computer Science students used at least mostly open-source stuff, if not exclusively open-source. Licensing fees were incorporated into the charges for each term. It was a pretty nice setup all-around, as far as I'm concerned.

 

[deathninja]

We already get most of it reduced massively anyway, so I think free is taking the piss a bit.

 

[cynicalsaint1]

This is already done - I know Microsoft at least has a program where they allow Universities and their enrolled students can get free copies of of their software to use on school projects and other non-commercial uses. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSDN_Academic_Alliance. I got a ton of free stuff off that when I was still a student at UTD.

I really don't understand the the question here. I mean why shouldn't students get free software, especially software that's a necessary part of their education?

 

[William MacKay]

i got Autodesk Inventor free for my Graph Comm. thats really all the software ive needed this year, but i agree with your point. nobody wants to be behind on coursework because they cant afford programs and software.

 

[Zakarath]

Well, I have gotten software packages that are generally a few thousand dollars (I.e. the Adobe design suite) for a few hundred instead... I dunno about free, though.

 

[Wharrgarble]

Usually it's included in the tuition. The tech office I worked at a few years ago had a special deal with Adobe to receive their products at a bulk price, and students were expected to pay that discounted price as part of what they already owed. It's simple, Adobe makes money, and the student has the software they need.

 

[Dunvi]

http://www.gimp.org/
http://www.openoffice.org/

There, 99% of you are set.

Lol. This post makes it obvious that you are involved in a field that does neither graphic design nor group writing. GIMP and Photoshop are no where near on the same level. And O only works if everyone uses it (or a pre-2003 version of Word) or you don't let anyone else touch the file after you start formatting.

ETA: It also is clear you aren't studying or involved in a field with industry standard software. There are certain programs that you are just flat out expected to know in the industry. There is no reason to cripple students by teaching them cheap or free, half-assed alternatives. I support free or at least heavily-discounted versions mainly for this reason.

School computers with the required software on it is a nice workaround if they're quality computers (and student access is at least partially restricted), but that's the school's answer. I think the companies should contribute. Here's another way to look at it - these are programs with lots of quirks and special functions. If the students get hooked on them in school, they'll continue using them throughout their career, when they'll have both the money and the need to buy the full programs.

 

[PhiMed]

Most universities offer massive discounts to students for software. Most schools also have computer labs that they make available to people who do not have computers of their own. I think schools make it possible to do your work even if you're not in a great financial position. It might not necessarily be as convenient for poorer people as it is for someone with money, but it's not the school's (or the government's) job to make your life easy.

 

[Arluza]

depends on their major. If they are an art major that NEEDS or WOULD LIKELY USE photoshop or the like. Yes. But if you are in computer programming and you won't even use a pen tool in photoshop, then no.

I think programming majors (such as myself) should be given a nice computer with 4 or more gigs of RAM since some of the 3D rendering stuff takes up quite a bit of it.