difference between pro and student edition

[JasonSergeant]

Graduate Student here, trying to figure out which copy of office to
buy. What is the difference between Student and Professional editions
of office for mac? Besides the obvious inclusion/exclusion of Virtual
PC 7. I read that student can be installed on three computers, thats
an advantage because my wife and i both need a copy for our powerbooks.
But Pro, can be installed on one laptop, one desktop. Can this
program be installed on two notebooks and no desktops? What would
happen if I tried this? Are there any features not found in student
edition, but present in pro edition?
thanks for the help

 

[Michel Bintener]

The differences between the Student and the Professional editions:

- Pro comes with VPC 7, Student doesn't
- Pro can only be installed on one computer (and a laptop), Student can be
installed on three different computers (in the same household)
- Pro costs $499, Student $149

That's it for the differences, the actual programs in Office 2004, Word,
Excel, PowerPoint and Entourage, are the same across the entire palette; no
difference here. So, what you should be asking yourself: do you need VPC7?
If not, don't even bother with the Pro edition. In that case, you should be
looking at either the Standard or the Student edition. Another question you
should ask yourself is: are you still eligible for the Student edition? Have
a look at Microsoft's website to find out more:
<http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/office2004/howtobuy/howtobuy.aspx?pid
=howtobuy>

I'm not entirely sure if you can *legally* install Office on two laptops
which belong to two different individuals, even though they're members of
the same household. The right to install it on a desktop and a laptop, if I
remember correctly, applies only to individuals. But then again, I have to
admit that I've never read the licence agreement; not really an exciting
read, is it? Anyway, what will happen is this: if you and your wife both use
Office 2004 over a network, then one of you will not be able to run any of
the Office programs while the other one is using them. When you launch any
Office program, it starts checking if there is another machine on the
network using the same product key and blocks all the Office programs on
that machine/gets blocked by that machine.

Michel

 

[JasonSergeant]

thanks for the info. I technically own both machines. But, I was
curious if the software recognizes the machines as being mobil or
desktop. What is somebody doesn't even own a desktop? Not sure if the
CPU holds a signature of such. I noticed there is a rebate for student
edition, so its only 100 bucks, so i will go that route. but, we are
PC to mac "converts" so we still have a lot of pc programs we use, VPC
would be nice, does it have the same one desktop, one laptop
limitations? I have been trying to find a copy of the license
agreement online so i can see what it says, do you know wher eit is?

 

[Michel Bintener]

Here's another link you might find interesting, it's the licensing
information for Office v.X, which is the predecessor of Office 2004. I
couldn't find the recent licensing agreement, but I don't think it has
changed.

http://www.microsoft.com/mac/resources/resources.aspx?pid=resourcekits&rk=of
ficex&article=/mac/officex/ork/Office_Licensing.xml

As this article states, both machines should not be connected to the same
network. Under these circumstances, I doubt that the desktop/laptop
difference actually matters, especially since technically speaking, *you*
own both machines. However, as I've said, I'm no expert in legal matters.
Anyway, since you're getting the Student edition, you're bypassing the
problem, since you can simply use different product keys for each Mac. I'm
not sure about the Virtual PC licensing, either. You're right, the
information is really hard, if not impossible, to find. Maybe someone else
will be able to tell you more about this.

 

[CyberTaz]

we are PC to mac "converts" so we still have a lot of pc programs we use, VPC
would be nice, does it have the same one desktop, one laptop
limitations? I have been trying to find a copy of the license
agreement online so i can see what it says, do you know wher eit is?

If you already have a licensed copy of Win 2000 or XP you can get the
standalone ver. of VPC 7 for $129 (suggested retail) & still take advantage
of S/T Office price. Office Pro not only includes VPC 7, but Win XP Pro as
well.

Another point to consider (as I understand it) is that the S/T version _does
not_ assure an upgrade path, so for future upgrades you may have to
'repurchase'. With Std or Pro, upgrades are available at reduced cost as
opposed to having to repurchase.

There is also a possibility that if you qualify for the S/T that your
college/univ. has a Volume Licensing Agreement that differs from the
standard Personal Use Rights. You may want to check that out through the
bookstore.

HTH |:>)

 

[Barry Wainwright [MVP]]

The differences between the Student and the Professional editions:

- Pro comes with VPC 7, Student doesn't
- Pro can only be installed on one computer (and a laptop), Student can be
installed on three different computers (in the same household)
- Pro costs $499, Student $149

One other difference is that S&T edition does not qualify for future updates
- when Office 12 comes out, you would have to buy the whole suite again.

 

[JE McGimpsey]

One other difference is that S&T edition does not qualify for future updates
- when Office 12 comes out, you would have to buy the whole suite again.

Note though:

1) For Office 98-Office v.X, at least, S&T editions *have* qualified for
upgrades, even though their licenses said otherwise, though that's no
guarantee for the next version, and

2) If one anticipates being eligible for a S&T edition when Office 12
comes out (whenever that is), with previous versions two S&T copies have
been cheaper than one full copy and one upgrade.

 

[Michel Bintener]

One other difference is that S&T edition does not qualify for future updates
- when Office 12 comes out, you would have to buy the whole suite again.

Oh yes, right! I forgot about that because up to now, I've always been able
to buy the S&T edition; thanks for pointing it out.

 

[Mickey Stevens]

I believe that versions of Office:mac that check the network for installed
copies of Office to enforce the EULA do recognize the difference between a
laptop & a desktop. I don't know if that applies to Virtual PC, however.

 

[Mary Berr]

I have just begun using Entourage and have a few questions.

I¹ve used Eudora in the past and would like to import my address book to
Entourage. Is there a way to do this?

I miss the Emotions in the email. Is there a source to get them into
Entourage email?

I have used iCal and have that isync on my palm (Zire 31). Do I need to do
anything before activating the Handheld Sync Installer?


One last general question. When my computer check for updates, it says there
is an update for Office 2004. I have the Student edition and have not been
successful in updating. Suggestions?

Thanks

 

[Mary Berr]

I have just begun using Entourage and have a few questions.

I¹ve used Eudora in the past and would like to import my address book to
Entourage. Is there a way to do this?

I miss the Emotions in the email. Is there a source to get them into
Entourage email?

I have used iCal and have that isync on my palm (Zire 31). Do I need to do
anything before activating the Handheld Sync Installer?


One last general question. When my computer check for updates, it says there
is an update for Office 2004. I have the Student edition and have not been
successful in updating. Suggestions?

Thanks

 

[Mickey Stevens]

I have just begun using Entourage and have a few questions.

I¹ve used Eudora in the past and would like to import my address book to
Entourage. Is there a way to do this?

You could try File > Import / "Import Information from a Program" /
"Qualcomm Eudora".

Failing that, see if Eudora can export contacts as vCards (I seem to
remember that the latest versions can). You can then just drag those into
the Entourage Address Book as contacts.

Otherwise, try Paul Berkowitz's "Export-Import Entourage" script package,
which provides a lot of tools for moving your data to and from Entourage.

I miss the Emotions in the email. Is there a source to get them into
Entourage email?

No, they can't easily be inserted. You could drag a GIF image in, but
that's probably more trouble than it's worth.

I have used iCal and have that isync on my palm (Zire 31). Do I need to do
anything before activating the Handheld Sync Installer?

No. The installer should disable the conduits for Palm Desktop without your
intervention.

One last general question. When my computer check for updates, it says there
is an update for Office 2004. I have the Student edition and have not been
successful in updating. Suggestions?

You can download the updates here as well:
<http://www.microsoft.com/mac/downloads.aspx#Office2004>