Dealing with Microsoft Office Registry Issues as a College Student

[eNtRopY]

I wanted to install Microsoft office on my new notebook computer. I bought the package for my desktop. However, the registry won't work for two machines. What the hell is wrong with Microsoft? I just want to have the option to work on my desktop at home or on my notebook elsewhere. Why can't they give a break to a fvckin' college student who could barely afford these computers to begin with?

Actually, I've recently begun using MikTeX and I'm planning on completely phasing out my use Microsoft Word, but let's face it Power Point is so convenient, I will probably always need to use this program.

eNtRopY

 

[kyle_soule]

Originally posted by eNtRopY
I wanted to install Microsoft office on my new notebook computer. I bought the package for my desktop. However, the registry won't work for two machines. What the hell is wrong with Microsoft? I just want to have the option to work on my desktop at home or on my notebook elsewhere. Why can't they give a break to a fvckin' college student who could barely afford these computers to begin with?

Actually, I've recently begun using MikTeX and I'm planning on completely phasing out my use Microsoft Word, but let's face it Power Point is so convenient, I will probably always need to use this program.

eNtRopY

Grrr...I hate microsoft too!

WordPerfect and 602Pro PC Suite are very nice alternatives to Office...602 even has a PowerPoint comparison I believe. WordPerfect is obviously the better choice for Word though. How do you expect your local monopoly M$ to STAY that way if you don't buy two copies of the same program, it's not like people would EVER consider having two computers! Boycott Microsoft

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

I like microsoft, except for Internet Explorer which they haven't updated for a long time and don't plan on updating soon. .NET is awesome, office is powerful and their game division is pretty good.

 

[enigma]

Originally posted by Greg Bernhardt
office is powerful

Office is infuriating...

Just this semester I realized how big a piece of junk Excel is for technical information, and also got fed up with transferring information from word/excel into PowerPoint.

Example: I was trying to produce one graph which was logarithmic in the independent variable. Another graph had non-even intervals for the data points. You'd think that $80 software would allow you to do continuous scale or logarithmic scale independent variables, wouldn't you? It doesn't (unless I managed to miss it in the 25 minutes I spent in the help files).

And don't get me started with trying to bring the information over to PowerPoint. I ended up saying 'forget it' and re-entered the information all over again.

 

[grady]

www.openoffice.org This doesn't cost anything and its not crapware at the same time. It can open the MS files and it has a program to replace powerpoint just as good as MS's. I don't know how the spread sheet program compares with excel, i don't use either. This is written in Java so when it starts up it takes a minute, but it runs on all the operating systems. Honestly i haven't used the windows version, only the linux, but it should be identical since its java.

 

[plus]

The battery on my mobile keeps breaking and I am starting to get annyoed with it. Damn these monster companies.

 

[eNtRopY]

Originally posted by plus
The battery on my mobile keeps breaking and I am starting to get annyoed with it. Damn these monster companies.

Dude, you should read my post entitled Cell Phone Repair in the How It Works section.

eNtRopY

 

[kyle_soule]

Originally posted by Greg Bernhardt
I like microsoft, except for Internet Explorer which they haven't updated for a long time and don't plan on updating soon. .NET is awesome, office is powerful and their game division is pretty good.

XBOX games aren't bad, I have to admit, but their PC games are mostly bought-out-company-games, good nonetheless, I haven't used .NET, what is it for?

 

[Considering]

I feel bad for Msoft. Now let me duck, before I get hit with rotten fruit...

For YEARS, people have stolen Msoft's products. I can't imagine the $ figure for the copies of everything from DOS to Windows 2000 stolen. Even XP has some pirates, but it is much harder than before unless you get your hands on a Volume License copy.

Anyway, now Msoft is striking back, forcing people to play by the rules, and they don't like it. The problem is, people like Entropy get screwed along with would-be pirates. The EULA has always specified the use of software on ONE COMPUTER ONLY, but no one ever got in trouble for using it on multiple systems that they own.

So even though it may be inconvenient, Msoft is just getting what they deserve...payment for their software.

 

[anil]

I know what you mean

I am an user of Windows 2000. I brought MSOFFICE. But after 2 months OfficeXP came out. Yes microsoft actually manufactured some of XP to not being installed in multiple computers. But soon they were receiving problem stating that they are unable to install office on customer's reformatted computers. Well now microsoft doesn't have that kind of stuff. My home PC uses Mandrake Linux 9.1. It's uses open office. Guess what it's free. I thing it's better than XP but some people may not agree with me. Instead of spending $350.00 buying XP office i just break the liscence and download it from Kazaa. I did try to adibe by their liscence it's just too constly. ONce you buy an XP it's only liscensed for one Single computer. But how many people in reality adibe by their agreement. If you have 3 PC's @ home you must buy 3 versions of operating system to adibe by agreement. Microsoft just tries to make money

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Instead of spending $350.00 buying XP office i just break the liscence and download it from Kazaa. I did try to adibe by their liscence it's just too constly.

We can't condone piracy here at PF. If you can't pay for it, don't use it. Anyway, you could have stayed with Office 2000, there are just a few minor things new in XP.

Microsoft just tries to make money

Isn't that the point of being in business?

 

[BoulderHead]

Originally posted by Greg Bernhardt
Anyway, you could have stayed with Office 2000, there are just a few minor things new in XP.

I heard that there were only minor alterations made to Office2K (which might make it slower) in order to repackage it as OfficeXP and rake in some more 'jack'...

I never explored all the optional things you could do even with something as old as Office 4.0, however, so I wouldn't really know.

With regard to One License, one computer, I think it goes against the grain of being able to feel you actually own what you have paid for. I can understand how [mu]$ feels, but I still like having my freedom too, and think ultimately the techniques being used will result in as much of loss to them (from people looking elsewhere for their software) as the pirating.

 

[kyle_soule]

Originally posted by Considering
I feel bad for Msoft. Now let me duck, before I get hit with rotten fruit...

For YEARS, people have stolen Msoft's products. I can't imagine the $ figure for the copies of everything from DOS to Windows 2000 stolen. Even XP has some pirates, but it is much harder than before unless you get your hands on a Volume License copy.

Anyway, now Msoft is striking back, forcing people to play by the rules, and they don't like it. The problem is, people like Entropy get screwed along with would-be pirates. The EULA has always specified the use of software on ONE COMPUTER ONLY, but no one ever got in trouble for using it on multiple systems that they own.

So even though it may be inconvenient, Msoft is just getting what they deserve...payment for their software.

*Throws tomato*

I think the EULA is wrong on EVERYBODY'S software. We have two computers in our house, we buy software, why can't we install the software on both computers in OUR house?

If the Microsoft software was inexpensive, say reasonably priced at 30 dollars, then it wouldn't be SUCH a big deal to buy two copies. I don't feel bad for them, Microsoft and Bill Gates aren't hurting for money, I doubt they feel it when people download programs from KaZaa (not condoning the illegal downloading of copyrighten software).

Wasn't Microsoft founded on stolen ideas?

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Wasn't Microsoft founded on stolen ideas?

No, Microsoft bought the rights to implement similar windowing GUI's like macs from apple.

 

[Considering]

Originally posted by kyle_soule
*Throws tomato*

Heh, and I hate tomatoes

Personally, I disagree with not being able to use it on multiple computers as well. I think a more reasonable EULA would provide software usage PER INDIVIDUAL as opposed to per computer. That way, one copy for every individual user. Make sense?

However, that way is extremely insecure. More of a trust type of thing. I think I would be correct in saying that it is very hard to trust the average user in this day and age. Piracy is rampant, to the point where asking an everyday person would result in them telling you that they didn't know it was illegal to use copied software.

So I think that Msoft, to protect it's own work, had to do this. Piracy is not in a downward spiral, it's headed up. Microsoft does have tons of cash...but if people constantly steal from them, they won't for long.

So although I am not suggesting anyone should be happy about it (and I'm not, believe me), their decision to go in that direction is logical and very easily understood.

 

[eNtRopY]

Originally posted by anil
My home PC uses Mandrake Linux 9.1. It's uses open office. Guess what it's free. I thing it's better than XP but some people may not agree with me.

Yeah, I have an old Linux box somewhere in the back of my closet at home. For a time, I was totally off Microsoft... But guess what? Everyone uses Microsoft so it doesn't matter.

Earlier this Fall I was in Germany at a conference. I wanted to FTP a document from my office that I had written uses Star Office, but the place I was at was only geared for Microsoft applications.

How am I supposed to communicate with other researchers and businesses when the universal standard seems to be Microsoft applications?

eNtRopY

 

[kyle_soule]

Originally posted by Greg Bernhardt
No, Microsoft bought the rights to implement similar windowing GUI's like macs from apple.

I'm not sure about this, a little weird how every Windows OS is strikingly similar to Mac's OS, look at OS X and XP...many times I found myself thinking, wow, just like OS X.

Also weird how you go from DOS to a GUI, I think. It's obvious that is the next step, but odd how they 'realized' this next step after Apple came out with a GUI OS.

You can bet Microsoft's code wouldn't look like Apples though...last time I used a Mac it was stable .

I'm not saying Microsoft outright stole, walked into Apple's offices and took blueprints, from Apple, but I am saying I believe their idea of Windows was completely based on Apple's. It's comparable to stealing software, is it okay to steal software if it is named something else ie. the OS Windows XP named as physics_for_dummies.txt?

 

[grady]

Originally posted by eNtRopY
How am I supposed to communicate with other researchers and businesses when the universal standard seems to be Microsoft applications?

eNtRopY

Export to .pdf if they don't have to modify it. I think you can do this with openoffice. openoffice might even be able to save in the MS file format, i know it can open their files.

 

[kyle_soule]

Originally posted by grady
Export to .pdf if they don't have to modify it. I think you can do this with openoffice.

If he is using OpenOffice he may as well just save it as Word format.

 

[RSM1000]

Originally posted by eNtRopY
How am I supposed to communicate with other researchers and businesses when the universal standard seems to be Microsoft applications?

"When in Rome..."

The world communicates using Microsoft products, so if you want to communicate with them..."

 

[grady]

Originally posted by kyle_soule
If he is using OpenOffice he may as well just save it as Word format.

I guess you grabbed this just before I edited my post. :) Just in case you don't want to go to the open office website because you think it must be cheesy if its free of cost. Openoffice is the open source version of star office and it has more improvements over the latest release of star office. I wouldn't use any other product even if I was in some 3rd world country and for some mysterious reason MS was dumping millions of free copies of all their software on the market as if that has ever happened hmmmm.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

I wouldn't use any other product

bah! OO seems bulky and very unfinished. Office XP is the business standard and has all the features.

 

[Saint]

I use Openoffice too, as good as other offices.

 

[russ_watters]

Originally posted by kyle_soule
Also weird how you go from DOS to a GUI, I think. It's obvious that is the next step, but odd how they 'realized' this next step after Apple came out with a GUI OS.

The GUI (and the mouse) was invented by Xerox PARC and copied by Apple, who was in turn copied by MS. But if Steve Jobs had though he could prove Gates "stole" it, he surely would have tried. Jobs hates Gates.

 

[anil]

Isn't that the point of being in business?

I am a major in economics. An important point of business is to make money. Of course...it's true. In Economics, Money is only one aspect. But don't you think the price is way too high. FOr example a similar product to Office XP on windows is to Openoffice.org on Linux. But the price of Openoffice: FREE and open source. Of couse office XP is little better than openoffice.org but comparitively competitive.

I don't encourage piracy eiether. I tell people to buy it but if financially not able to effort i then tell em' to break. But in reality i try not to break the rule but some times i have to. And by the way "how you going to survive in a college without Office on your computer?"

 

[anil]

Openoffice -> MS Office

I think open office does have option to save as ms office

 

[Sting]

<rant>I just dislike Bill Gates period.

My home computer has the MELISSA virus on WORD and it's due to the fact that it travels through Microsoft Outlook (which is absolutely a waste of space). Can I get rid of Microsoft Outlook? Nope and so this curse of a virus hangs over the head of my PC.</rant>

 

[BoulderHead]

Sting,

I thought that programs like Excel, Word, Outlook, etc. could be individually selected for installation or removal.
Is your software bundled together in a way that prevents this?

 

[kyle_soule]

Originally posted by russ_watters
The GUI (and the mouse) was invented by Xerox PARC and copied by Apple, who was in turn copied by MS. But if Steve Jobs had though he could prove Gates "stole" it, he surely would have tried. Jobs hates Gates.

Not quiet like that...Jobs visited the Palo Alto Research Center and saw their interface and used it to develop the first OS GUI ever. Xerox didn't have a OS GUI, simply a GUI, word processor? I'm not sure about the exacts of Xerox's GUI, but it wasn't an OS.

Of course buisnesses steal ideas, I don't mind that, I just hate how Gates is taking over the computer industry and destroying it. IMO.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

destroying it

We wouldn't be where we are today if it weren't for bill gates dumping billions into technology.

taking over the computer industry

That share is shinking with the rise of open source and apple's new campaigns.

 

[kyle_soule]

Originally posted by Greg Bernhardt
We wouldn't be where we are today if it weren't for bill gates dumping billions into technology.

Correct, I believe we would be better off.

You say dumping billions in like its a charity, he is dumping billions in and getting more billions out, like an investment.

 

[Considering]

Still, I would tend to think that even though his money brought him more, his OS put forth many ideas that other companies OSes work to copy.

There is no doubt that:
A. Microsoft has used some less than friendly business techniques to get where it is today.
B. Microsft is not error free. As a side note, no one else is either, and I still give Msoft the benefit of the doubt. With everything it's critics envision the Windows OS doing, it goes a long way towards realizing those goals.

But it would be hard to deny that anyone working without money (ie, linux) would do a better job and get the technology we have today here just as fast.

IMHO

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Correct, I believe we would be better off.

How? Tell me about this better universe.

I'm not just talking about how Bill donates computers (anyway, what's he supposed to donate? Macs? lol), but how he has pushed and progressed technology where it is today. What other icon would have done the same?

Gates is successful because he is smart. There are hundreds of other options to choose other than Windows. Pick whatever you want to use and stop hating MS, they're a business just like any other.

 

[Sting]

I thought that programs like Excel, Word, Outlook, etc. could be individually selected for installation or removal.

TO be honest with you, I'm not sure but aren't there some programs that simply cannot be removed no matter what?

And in any case, there has been some programs that magically download on to my computer (including a adult-orientated ROM which I went through h*ll trying to get off the computer) and it's very difficult if not impossible to get off the computer.

Then again, computers aren't really my strong point.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Sting you can deinstall whatevrer part of office you don't want. Just pop the cd in the tray and "X" everything you want off and away you go.