Should students be given free software for school?

[Soleron]

There is sufficient free software out there (Linux, OpenOffice, GIMP, free video editors, and animation methods) that universities could base their courses around and then not need to worry about this at all.

 

[Johanthemonster666]

Sure, while they're at it they should give us free books considering the ridiculous tuition money and fees I have pay just to go to a small college, let alone a University later.

 

[Lilani]

All I want is a student discount for 3D Studio Max. The current price is $3400, which to me is completely bonkers. That is $1400 more than my computer is worth.

 

[Hungry Donner]

It's disappointing when software like this doesn't have an educational edition but I don't see a need for free editions. If a student wants to use the software without paying for it they should contact computer services to see if the school owns a copy - either installed on school computers or available for students. When my wife was working on her BA thesis she was able to use Rhino 3d in the art computer lab and computer services provided her a copy of 3DSM for her personal computer.

As many others have already pointed out there are also many free applications you can use like GIMP if you can't afford the educational copies.

 

[JadeWah]

I know that here in Sweden, we do get the software from Uni for "free*". Depending on what program you take of course, but it ranges from Windows 7 Ultima to Photoshop to 3D Studio Max.

*School here is "free", as in that we pay higher taxes then the rest of the world

 

[Floppertje]

snip

A) Every application I've gotten for free due to education has been downloaded. The user experience for a downloaded program is exactly the same for a box version in any case. Can you say the same when comparing physical books and e-books?

B) My point is that software companies can provide free academic versions because it costs them nothing other than lost sales (which is offset by the fact that providing free software to academia provides the professional world with people trained to use their software). Textbook publishers have zero incentive to provide free books because they would be eliminating their sole market.

C) You must be either young, or are far more privileged for your own good. I have to work because if I don't, my family doesn't eat. Family time is not flexible because I have very limited time to spend with my family because they have to go to bed at a set time. I pursue education, often at the expense of sleep, in order to make a better life for my family where we don't just barely scrape by.

A) true.
B) well I won't be so naive as to suggest they'd do it out of the kindness of their heart and the satisfaction they get from spreading knowledge. that's why I said the colleges or government should pay for them, not the writers.
C) I am. I'm a fulltime student. I'm not sure what it's like in Japan, but we can get a loan from the government to pay for our college fees. you can loan so much that you can rent a room, pay your fees, live comfortably and get shitfaced every weekend, all without even getting a job. that does mean of course you'll be up to your neck in debt by the time you're done (and if you do get shitfaced every weekend, you'll need a few extra years), so most people don't do that. anyway, my point was that I assumed you were talking about full time education - part time job and no kids. in your case, it's different of course.