Rating: 
Summary: Just try to move it.
Review: OK, how many of you out there find yourselves having to keep you machines up to date by buying new ones periodically. And when you buy your new PC, you want to move your software over to the new machine rather than having to buy the same or new software over again. Get ready for a surprise! With Microsoft's new Product Activation in Office XP, once you have installed it on a PC and Activated it, you will not be able to move the software over to a new machine. Microsoft knows when you try to activate your software on a different PC, that is has already been activated on the old one and will not allow you to activate the software.Now I am all for software anti-piracy measures and always remove the software from the older PCs before disposing of them (usually through charitable foundations); however, Microsoft should have included a way to DEACTIVATE Office XP (and any thing else) so that you could reactivate it on another PC. I beleive we ARE ENTITLED to do this. Shame on Microsoft. Office XP is a decent product, I just think Microsoft hasn't thought out the anti-piracy scheme very well!
Rating: 
Summary: This software can be moved to a different PC
Review: this software can be moved to a different PC, all you have to do is call Microsoft and tell them you want to move the software to a different PC and they will give you a code to enter which will allow you to do this
Rating: 
Summary: Tool of the Devil!
Review: I was talking with Satan the other day and he said he really liked the features in this one. He especially likes the way folks will lie about being students or teachers to get this at a cheap price and thereby damn their souls to all eternity.
Then Jesus dropped by and expressed pretty much the same concern that, yeah, heaven was getting a lot less action since most folks wind up lying through omission when they click "Yes" without reading the EULA they just agreed to.
We then went to go shoot some hoops with Nyarlathotep, but that was the gist of the discussion.
Rating: 
Summary: Nice set of software. Fair price. Read the license.
Review: MS Office XP is the best Office to date. It has minimal bugs, and number of nice usability features. The educational edition sells for what the suite should normally be priced at. The full, non-upgrade price is obscene. Read the license carefully. Not only must you be a student or teacher, but you must agree to stop using the software the day you graduate or stop teaching. If you wish to continue using MS Office, you're obligated to shell out four times as much for the retail version. You should look carefully at the other office suites available. MS has been king of the hill for awhile, but Corel's suite will easily handle everything 95% of MS Office users need, at a fraction of the retail price.
Rating: 
Summary: More Activation Woes
Review: OK, I've learned (somewhat) to live with Microsoft's activation scheme. I've dealt with it with Office 2000 and Frontpage XP, and generally experienced few problems. However, Office XP has confirmed all my fears about activation. I tried installing several video editing applications and a new antivirus software this past week (my previous av subscription had expired). Due to numerous incompatibilities and problems, I had to reformat my hosed system 3 times this week (no lie). Each time, although I made NO hardware changes nor any significant software changes (such as OS), I could not register Office XP. I was informed it was registered to "another computer"?!?!?! What kind of rubbish is this? If they have a limit on how many times you can register in a week (which must only be 1, based on my experience), then tell that to people. I had to manually call to register each time. I informed them that it was the same computer, Frontpage XP re-registered with no problems, and asked for assistance to solve the problem. Needless to say, the clearing house hired by Microsoft to process activations could offer no help other than give me a ridiculously long activation code to enter manually. This will be my last office suite from Microsoft. Frontpage XP registers just fine on the same machine, no matter how many times I reformat. Did Microsoft tamper with their own activation process to make it unbearably annoying? Well, if they did, it worked. BTW, the piece-of-junk (yet highly recommended) new antivirus that started all of this is going back as well. But that is the topic of another review :)
Rating:
Summary: Do the Job Right
Review: There is no other product which compares to the Microsoft Office suite. "Microsoft Office XP Standard for Students & Teachers" is the place to to get started. And it is the place you'll probably stay. Most teachers and fewer students need Access. You do need Word and Excel, and occassionally, PowerPoint. Learn basic word processing and spreadsheet usage. Shine in meetings with PowerPoint. For e-mailing documents and files to coworkers, you can be confident they'll easily open Office files... there is a good chance they use it themselves. Word is a huge program which can do far more than you'll need, but it will allow you versaility and simplicity WordPerfect has yet to pull off. Excel is a basic spreadsheet with incredible math functionality. I don't need most of the math, other than minor budgets and such. You might only need to keep track of your students' coursework, but you can do it in style. Sort your data by student, zip code, GPA, hair color... whatever you like. PowerPoint makes those cool slideshows with the text that can slip in on the screen. With the templates, you can look good without requiring a graphic design degree. I fully recommend "Microsoft Office XP Standard for Students & Teachers. You need it, it is easy, and the price is right. Anthony Trendl
Rating:
Summary: Great software.
Review: This is great software but the price is too high when you consider there is software available for free that will acomplish the same or simaler things. www.openoffice.org
Rating:
Summary: A Good Bargain, But Not Without Faults
Review: I own a new Sony Vaio, which, unfortunately did not come with MS Office. I had PowerPoint as a standalone product, and Word (which came preloaded), but what I really needed was Excel. I am aware that this can only be loaded on one machine, and that the activation is a hassle, but this package is cheaper than any of the MS standalone products. The bottom line for me was that, in exchange for a little loss in flexibility, I have a complete office suite for a very reasonable price. I had no problem registering or activating it, but understand that others have. I likewise understand that I can't move it to a new machine. My other qualm is that there is essentially no operating information, so if you have a problem in a program, you have no documentation to refer to, which meant for me, that I needed to buy the program information books at additional expense. It's a tradeoff, but for most personal or student users, it is still a bargain.
Rating:
Summary: Mostly the Same Software, Mostly a Better Value
Review: If you're looking to buy any of the programs in Microsoft Office and also happen to be a student or teacher, this package is a great way to get them. Before you buy this package, make sure your school doesn't have a special deal on it (or its sibling packages)! Large universities are especially likely to have an arrangment where students and teachers may purchase all sorts of Microsoft software through them, at a fraction of even the "... for Students and Teachers" price. Even though you can't upgrade this package, it's still great for people with slim pocketbooks. Students may wind up having to buy a full version of Office someday, but in all probability there will be a new version of it out by then. Teachers face a rosier future - instead of upgrading, just buy the new academic package. It'll cost the same, or less, and you won't have to deal with the potential instability of upgrading if you don't want to. As far as the software itself goes, it's the standard by which other productivity packages are judged. It's the latest version of Word, Excel, Outlook, and Powerpoint... there's not much else to say. I certainly don't need Access, and I've found that the majority of my peers don't use it either. Microsoft's activation schemes are irritating, but you probably already knew that. Don't forget to consider all the options, though! There are several free Windows-compatible productivity suites out there - notably OpenOffice.org - that can do some things as well or better than Microsoft Office. Consider giving them a try before you purchase Office; most people don't stand to lose anything except an investment in software they don't end up needing. Ultimately, this package is a good choice for academics who need the funcionality, support, or generally "safe" feeling of the latest Microsoft Office package. I've had a good (if uneventful) experience with this software, and I don't feel any qualms about recommending it to those who are eligible to use it.
Rating:
Summary: Best Office Suite---still your average microsoft
Review: Well, undisputably, Microsoft Office is the industry standard in office suites. Its easy to see. This has incredible features, and is awesome in price compared to the full commercial version. However, it is not awesome in price compared to others. If you are looking for good price and don't need maximum features, DON'T GET THIS. go to www.OpenOffice.org and download for FREE an awesome office suite with tons of programs, not just your average wordprocessor/spreadsheet/presentation package. OpenOffice opens Word, Excel, and powerpoint files, so there is not a concern with compatibility. Ok, Back to Microsoft. My second grip was that it only allows it to be installed once. Let me tell you my story. I got it before I had an internet connection, so it wouldn't let me activate it till I called. Then I had an awful computer crash, and my computer comany had to replace the hard drive. When I tried to reinstall, the program obviously thinks you're a criminal trying to use 2 machines. I was back on the phone, and I must admit the tech support was nice. Well, in short, have a reliable computer, some money, and want the industry standard, and you'll be happy.
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