Pirate's Dilemma

[JJChicken]

I'm facing some moral and ethical questions right now about piracy. I received Office 2007 from my friend last year for free and have been using it without any issues all this time. I truly believe Office 2007 is a fantastic software and if I had to pay for it, I gladly would. This is something many of us believe: we view piracy as a "try before buy" and say we will go out and buy the game/software/cd if it is good but won't waste money on crap spewed out by companies out there to make a quick buck (*cough* EA *cough*).

However, Microsoft is now offering students, including me, to purchase an authentic version of Office 2007 Ultimate for $75. Had this been offered to me before I got Office from my friend, I would have quickly snapped it up. However, right now I'm facing a dilemma - do I shell out $75 to stop being a pirate, or just continue to use my current version of Office 2007 which works without any issues? Kinda wrong, but I'm leaning towards not coughing up the dough and purchasing an authentic version of Office.

What would you do?

moderator's dilemna: confused about our current policy on openly admitting to piracy. However, I don't believe the "try before buy" crap - I don't know a single person over the age of 16 who isn't familiar with Office products.

If one of the senior mods sees this thread & thinks it's okay to unlock, by all means, do so.
-DrPizza
Anandtech Moderator

 

[JujuFish]

Too bad you missed out on http://www.theultimatesteal.com/

 

[Bateluer]

Are they offering you a student license or it is the full, retail license? If its the student license, I'd probably pass on it and just use OpenOffice, but if its the retail license, I'd probably go for it.

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

If I like something and it's cheap I buy it. Unless I dislike the company (software) or actor (movies). I have hundreds of downloaded movies, as downloading movies for own use is not illegal in the Netherlands, and I have hundreds of movies I bought. I wouldn't buy half as many movies if I hadn't downloaded it first, because a lot of the lesser known movies are too much of a gamble to waste money on to my opinion. Same with software: I download demo versions first and read reviews before even considering purchasing it.

So basically, if you really like Office 2007 and can get it cheaply, why not? I use Office products so 'regularly' at home that I can't even be bothered to install OpenOffice, let alone that I'll install Microsoft Office. So I wouldn't bother unless it was offered for $10 or so.


Edit: Etc.

 

[keird]

I got the Office 2007 DVD for $20 through Microsoft's site. Having the disc is pretty nice for future rigs.

 

[jaqie]

Forget about 2k7. go get openoffice, free, free to distribute, and it works just as well. Better, IMO, much less bloated.

 

[2Xtreme21]

Are you in high school? I'm assuming so, but if you're in college, many universities offer Office and other products free or at greatly reduced prices. That is where I acquired my licenses of Office 2k3, 2k7, WinXP, and Vista ultimate.

 

[PokerGuy]

If you don't have any issues with just using it for free (the way you have been), then continue. If you don't like the idea of using the software without buying it, there is a free alternative that is very good, openoffice. I've been pleasantly surprised by how good it really is.

 

[BoomerD]

You should spend more time perusing the "Hot Deals" forum. There have been several offers from Microsoft to get free software, either by attending a seminar near you, or their "feedback Panel" project, where Vista Ultimate, Office Professional, and others were the "gift."

 

[jaqie]

I did that feedback thing, but never got any news on it after the 3 month term though I cooperated fully. I removed it after the terms (I read carefully to make sure it was after the term was up). Do you have any idea how to get in on that if they never sent me the 'you did what we asked, here's what we promised' email or whatever it is they do?

 

[BoomerD]

Did you get the emails from them either telling you that it wasn't functioning properly or that the progam was over and they were shipping to you?

I got both over the course of the 3 months...and received 2 copies of Ultimate (2 of each, 32 bit and 64 bit) for my participation.

 

[jaqie]

I never got either email. I did everything they asked. I made absolutely positive that they had my correct email address when I filled out the original forms and such.

the only email I ever got from them:

Windows Feedback Program registration confirmation

"winsurv@microsoft.com" to me
show details 12/29/07

Thank you for your interest in the Windows Feedback Program. Please click the link below to confirm your e-mail address and continue with the enrollment process.

**URL removed**

Microsoft respects your privacy. To learn more, please visit the Microsoft.com Privacy Statement. You may also review the Privacy Statement for this program.

One Microsoft Way
Redmond, Washington 98052-6399
U.S.A

I did click the confirmation URL, did install the software, and did fill out the webform survey they had me do. I never heard from them again...

 

[PlasmaBomb]

Originally posted by: JujuFish
Too bad you missed out on http://www.theultimatesteal.com/

I got that ++

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: jaqie
I never got either email. I did everything they asked. I made absolutely positive that they had my correct email address when I filled out the original forms and such.

You should contact them and see why. You can't be the only one who got missed, and the software has been shipped for a couple of weeks.

If you don't have the thread saved, here it is. You should find more info there:
http://forums.anandtech.com/me...y=y&keyword1=microsoft

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
Are you in high school? I'm assuming so, but if you're in college, many universities offer Office and other products free or at greatly reduced prices. That is where I acquired my licenses of Office 2k3, 2k7, WinXP, and Vista ultimate.

its not as "many" as people on here think

Office and Windows cost more from my college store then they did at Staples

 

[jaqie]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
You should contact them and see why. You can't be the only one who got missed, and the software has been shipped for a couple of weeks.

I just did, thanks!

If you don't have the thread saved, here it is. You should find more info there:
http://forums.anandtech.com/me...y=y&keyword1=microsoft

How could I have had that thread 'saved'? I found the program on my own before I regged here

 

[Alyx]

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
Are you in high school? I'm assuming so, but if you're in college, many universities offer Office and other products free or at greatly reduced prices. That is where I acquired my licenses of Office 2k3, 2k7, WinXP, and Vista ultimate.

Its like this at my school. If a class requires software we can ask the teacher and they'll get us a key and give a link to download it. I've got most of my software this way.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: jaqie

Originally posted by: BoomerD
You should contact them and see why. You can't be the only one who got missed, and the software has been shipped for a couple of weeks.

I just did, thanks!

If you don't have the thread saved, here it is. You should find more info there:
http://forums.anandtech.com/me...y=y&keyword1=microsoft

How could I have had that thread 'saved'? I found the program on my own before I regged here

OK, that had nothing to do with my point however. I was just pointing it out as a resource.

 

[jaqie]

Yeah, that's why I thanked you. That made it much easier to find the email to send the question to!

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: Alyx

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
Are you in high school? I'm assuming so, but if you're in college, many universities offer Office and other products free or at greatly reduced prices. That is where I acquired my licenses of Office 2k3, 2k7, WinXP, and Vista ultimate.

Its like this at my school. If a class requires software we can ask the teacher and they'll get us a key and give a link to download it. I've got most of my software this way.

one of my classes required office 2007 formats and the book came with a 6 month trial

i bought it for 75 bucks myself. OP should pay up. its cheap for the suite. i may never even use it that much (i prefer linux, etc) but for that price it wont hurt to have it around.

 

[sciwizam]

My college offers Office 2007 free if you download it via network and for $5 if you want the disc. Vista is $10.

 

[Raduque]

Buy it. Man, if I could get Office 2k7 for $75, I'd snap that up before i could think about it.

But alas, for normal people like me, Office is $9000 (or might as well be), so I'm using openoffice.

 

[Eeezee]

I thought openly admitting to piracy was allowed on the forums (but telling others HOW to pirate was not)

 

[JJChicken]

I think I'll end up buying it cause I do use it so much. For all those who say openoffice is better, OO is good for many purposes but Office 2007 is much better. I got into an argument with my boss over this today, but I made him somewhat agree in the end

Now if only they could design a better operating system!

Originally posted by: Bateluer
Are they offering you a student license or it is the full, retail license? If its the student license, I'd probably pass on it and just use OpenOffice, but if its the retail license, I'd probably go for it.

Its a full retail license for Office Ultimate!

Originally posted by: BoomerD
You should spend more time perusing the "Hot Deals" forum. There have been several offers from Microsoft to get free software, either by attending a seminar near you, or their "feedback Panel" project, where Vista Ultimate, Office Professional, and others were the "gift."

Thanks for the heads up

 

[2Xtreme21]

How is Office 2007 much better than OO? You have to just learn and get used to software in the same way you do with other software. It honestly provides the same functionality that Office does.