WTF is academic version software?

[glenn1]

What on earth is "academic" software? Would, say an "academic" copy of W2K differ at all from the normal version in functionality, or any important regards? Or does it have some sort of built-in use period, where after a set period of time, it kinda self-destructs, and can't be used anymore?

As long as it works, i don't care whether it's retail or 'academic,' i just want to make sure it's the real deal....

 

[RedRooster]

Acedemic is cheaper. Wayyyy cheaper.
Schools and I believe students(when the software is sold by the school) can purchase these Academic versions for much cheaper, for reasons I'm not exactly sure of.
It's the real deal though, full versions and everything. They just can't be re-sold "legally".

 

[Moonbender]

Academic software rules. I got Visual Studio Professional for about $150. The only drawback - and it isn't one for me - is that I may not sell any software, ie everything has to be Freeware. Also, you're supposed to delete VS once you finished school and university.

The reason is obvious - of course, for one MS wants to make education cheaper for students. But the main reason is, of course, not as heroic.
MS (and most other big developers out there) want students to get used to THEIR applications. Someone who learned programming in Visual C++ and Visual basic is likely to stick to those programs in future, same with Windows and the Office suite - of course then the full, expensive version has to be bought.
For a similar reason, MS and many developers aren't that mad about private piracy (they might be officialy, but they aren't really). Once people get used to a product, they will stick to it, no matter if they used a legal or a pirated copy of the product. Of course, corporate piracy is a whole different issue.

 

[DefRef]

"Academic" versions are sold at super-reduced rates to get student hooked on a certain SW package early on in the hopes that they'll buy or recommend the full retail packages later in life. Also, M$ may be able to scorch corporate America for $700 per desk for Office, but a student with loans and not enough beer money ain't gonna buy it.

Some versions aren't upgradable, many don't come with printed manuals (PDF on the CD) and AutoCAD has a totally seperate package that requires a copy of your schedule to buy and is dented in a manner that makes it inappropriate for professional use. (Watermark on prints?)

Otherwise, they are the smae programs with license restrictions. (Like anyone reads those!)

 

[Rotorvator]

If you're not a student, you can still find AcEd's at those big "computer warehouse" sales that come around. Don't know how vendors get ahold of them. Technically, probably not legal, but I've seen stuff like MSVC++ for $40 at these things.

 

[DefRef]

Yep. I got "grey-market" copies of WordPerfect Suite for $37 and CorelDraw 8 for $100. I had a student relative pick up FrontPage 98 for me for $50 when the MSRP was $140.

 

[Shalmanese]

students ( and universities) do not have the $5000 to pay for high end graphics/scientific software so the companies either have students come out of uni with no experience in their software or they provide it to the unis.

"Acedemic" should have all the functionality of retail versions but "student" versions are often somewhat castrated.

technically it is illegal to but acedemic software without a student card/university order form but it is often bootleged to the black market.

the academic version of windows is not altered, its just so that they can get student software engineers used to working with win 2k rather than linux which is, god forbid, free.

 

[bigbootydaddy]

that still sounds expensive..

ms office/2k, and win98 and 2k were like 5 bucks at the UT store.

i go to HCC. i have good buddies.