Should students be given free software for school?

[Scars Unseen]

I got a copy of arcGIS for free, but that's about it. Why should we get software for free and not books though?
software is usually on university/college machines anyway, you can use it there. it makes more sense to me to make books free.

A) Books cost money per unit to make and distribute (unless we're talking about e-books)

B) Text books generally have no market outside academia

C) Not all colleges have computer labs open 24/7, and not all students are able to do their school work at a reasonable hour (work, family, etc)

 

[Ulvai]

Microsoft does give out some of its software free to students. At least in some universities. When I was studying anyway they did.

 

[Jodah]

Many schools already offer discounts. For example, I was about to purchase any Microsoft product for 10 dollars each. Thats how I upgraded both of my PCs to Windows 7.

That being said I don't think students should be given free software as long as it is available for public use on school computers. It would become too much of a financial burden to have to purchase new copies of Office for example. If you think its expensive for one copy, imagine a thousand copies every year. Even at a discount, if Microsoft provides one for schools, that would end up being extremely expensive.

 

[Floppertje]

I got a copy of arcGIS for free, but that's about it. Why should we get software for free and not books though?
software is usually on university/college machines anyway, you can use it there. it makes more sense to me to make books free.

A) Books cost money per unit to make and distribute (unless we're talking about e-books)

B) Text books generally have no market outside academia

C) Not all colleges have computer labs open 24/7, and not all students are able to do their school work at a reasonable hour (work, family, etc)

A) So does software (if you buy it in the store). I don't quite see what your point is though... that books are expensive? they're usually cheaper than software.

B) no, but i'm not saying the writers should write them for free. (that's what I think your point was, otherwise you make no sense)

C)no, they don't. but that doesn't mean they don't get the opportunity to use the computers. family time is flexible and work shouldn't be put before education anyway. assuming you have a job to pay for you education, it makes little sense to fail your classes because you have to work to PAY for your classes.

 

[mrdude2010]

yea sure some programs are required for some classes

i know for a fact we get microsoft office, photoshop elements, and windows 7 for free, plus a few other editing programs i think

 

[Scars Unseen]

I got a copy of arcGIS for free, but that's about it. Why should we get software for free and not books though?
software is usually on university/college machines anyway, you can use it there. it makes more sense to me to make books free.

A) Books cost money per unit to make and distribute (unless we're talking about e-books)

B) Text books generally have no market outside academia

C) Not all colleges have computer labs open 24/7, and not all students are able to do their school work at a reasonable hour (work, family, etc)

A) So does software (if you buy it in the store). I don't quite see what your point is though... that books are expensive? they're usually cheaper than software.

B) no, but i'm not saying the writers should write them for free. (that's what I think your point was, otherwise you make no sense)

C)no, they don't. but that doesn't mean they don't get the opportunity to use the computers. family time is flexible and work shouldn't be put before education anyway. assuming you have a job to pay for you education, it makes little sense to fail your classes because you have to work to PAY for your classes.

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.

 

[Hop-along Nussbaum]

Absolutely not. For any number of reasons, not the least of which is the cost to the taxpayers. Not to mention that these adolescent morons ceaselessly photograph themselves in all manner of undress, and send them to each other. Can you imagine the kind of mischeif these little oxygen-wasters would get into if not only handed software like Photoshop or other, but left to their own devices?

Yeah, that's not a good use of government or taxpayer funds. If the kids wanna take a course that involves getting additional software, let their parental units pay for it.

 

[similar.squirrel]

I know that some colleges have Windows sponsorship, which means that students get a free/heavily discounted version of the latest OS. A friend of mine got Vista or Win7 that way. Personally, I'd probably stick to Linux just to spite the bastards. Creating a technological dependency *grumblegrumble*..

 

[Phishfood]

]No, they're going to be pissed at the company for taking it away, and pirate photoshop. *snipsnipsnip*

Well, sadly, that is a possibility. Given that the alternative is to pirate it in the first place, I can live with that risk. I'd also like to think that professionals who trained on software and are making money off the back of that software would have a much lower (0 please) percentage chance of pirating.

I believe it was one of the MS execs, possibly balmer himself, who said that he would rather people pirate MS office than switch to open office. The reasoning being that a pirate of office might one day become legit and buy, whereas an open office convert is a convert for life.


This is all an aside really, so back OT: I've been a student. Its hard enough to afford to live without buying specialist software like photoshop. All resources for a course should be provided as part of the course. All places of education have a library where you can borrow the required textbooks and take them home, I don't see how providing software on a similar bases is any less reasonable.

 

[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.