Have you ever needed to finish an assignment, but you couldn’t make it to the computer lab and you didn’t have office software to finish the assignment? And Microsoft Works just won’t because your instructor doesn’t have it. There are several options you can use to get an office package and not break the bank.
Just to define terms. An office package consists, at a minimum, of a word processor or editor, a spreadsheet, and a presentation package. Sometimes it will have a database manager, a web editor, and other programs.
As a student you are eligible for a reduced cost student package. Check out Staples or another office store. Sometimes it is even offered on sale. Anyway, the student package is a substantial discount from full costs. You can also check the Penn State computer store to see what deals they have to offer.
One more thing, a new version of Office (2010) will soon replace Office 2007. It is rumored to have greater online capabilities.
What about a free office package? Open Office is what you may need. It has everything you need to complete your assignments. Although the Open Office programs have their own native formats, they can save documents in the Microsoft Office components’ formats. If you want to try it before downloading you can use Open Office in the computer labs. I think I will include a few Open Office assignments in next year’s FORT 120 class.
Google has a blog aimed at students that does show examples of real college students using Google Docs for their assignments. To be fair, Microsoft has been running many ads recently about its cloud computing options. Although everything I have seen so far is aimed at businesses, they may create something aimed at college students. Another good online package is Zoho. Its free version has a great interface and more tools than Google Docs. It’s well worth a look.
Whatever solution you choose, plan ahead, and don’t panic!