Why Students Get Away With Paying Only $68 For Windows Vista

Students are lucky. They're students. Of course, their wallets aren't full with hard-earned money yet, so software companies offer substantial discounts to students thinking that they can hook them on their products now...which will lead to more sales in the future.


Thus students get academic discounts on Microsoft software like Windows Vista -- even with a MSRP of about $280 (depending on the flavor of Vista), if you apply the academic discounts for teachers and students, it pans out to as low as $69 for a REAL, fully LEGAL copy of Windows Vista. WOW. That's over $200 off!

Although the retailer is supposed to verify your student status (usually by getting you to fax a copy of your student id or registrar's statement showing the classes you're registered for), many retailers don't impose this requirement for student versions of software.

But you may qualify anyway -- do you have any kids in the house? Because here's a sample Academic Requirement from CampusTech, one of the academic software distributors on the web:

Any Student K-12, college, graduate school, full-time or part-time, in the U.S., attending a degree-giving, accredited institution.

Any Teacher K-12, college, graduate school, full-time or part-time, in the U.S.

Any staff member or employee of a K-12, college, or graduate school in the U.S.

Any school, college, university, school district, or other accredited educational institution

A big example of the leniency is the Microsoft Office 2003 Student & Teacher version. It was widely available at all the mainstream retailers like BestBuy or Staples, etc. However, there was no proof requirement needed at checkout (Walter Mossberg of the WSJ has noted several times that Microsoft was doing this because they're rather have people pay something for legal copies vs. pirating their software). And in fact, the new version of Office for Student/Teachers that has launched this year doesn't have that requirement at all - it's just a "Home & Student 2007" version.

So what's the catch? *Sometimes* these academic versions come with limitations for future upgrading. Some only allow you to upgrade to the next version and that's it, or some don't allow upgrades at all. But if you're saving over $200 each time a new version comes out, the math still will work in your favor probably!

If you've never browsed the academic discount lists, you're in for a pretty big shock to see how they price the products. Makes you want to go back to school...or have kids! :-)

Do you have limited memory issues? (In the SD kind of way?)

These days it seems like every digital device can take photos, videos, play mp3's etc. But where do you store all that data? In the puny SD card that came with the device that's only 32MB? What a pain in the neck.

Well, it's time to get another SD card that has tons more memory. There's plenty of new SD cards on the market that go up to 2GB - 4GB *AND* are affordable -- meaning FREE or nearly free (after rebate).

For example, Buy.com has a 2GB SD Card that's $0.00 after 1 easy rebate form with free shipping. Totally NOT a pain in the wallet if it's FREE!



Flash media is becoming so cheap that it's not worth it to be frustrated by limited memory cards. Go for it and pick one up today, you'll be glad you did!

And how about thinking 1 step ahead at the same time? You'll need to dump all that data onto your PC at some point, or else what's the point of taking all those photos and videos? Or how do you get the mp3's from your itunes folder to your SD card?

The solution is a USB card reader. It simply plugs into your USB port, and when you slide in your SD memory card, it shows up on your computer as a separate hard drive. So all you do is click and drag files / folders just like you would with your regulard C: drive or D: drive, etc. And usually these USB card readers come as "universal" formats, so that they can accept any of 10-12 different varieties of memory cards -- SD card, MicroSD cards, Memory Sticks, Compact Flash, XD, etc. Portable keychain ones are available too that are tiny and if you keep a memory card in it, it can act as a flash drive too.

What a Vista! (actually, what a deal).

Microsoft has FINALLY come out with their replacement for WindowsXP. The problem for many users is that they won't upgrade because they can't really figure out if it's worth it (both time and money + potential headaches) to upgrade. What do you really get for the couple of hundred dollars Bill Gates wants for Vista?

Personally, I like to invest in the full version of the OS so that if I ever have to re-install Windows on my computers, I don't have to go through the hassle of verifying the license keys for both the Vista upgrade and the older version of Windows - which basically would make me go throug the hassle of upgrading yet again when I need to re-install my OS.

Walter Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal's Personal Technology section says that most of us will need the Home Premium version. Well, here's one less obstacle for those considering upgrading to Vista -- you can get a complete FULL VERSION of Windows Vista Home Premium for about 100 bucks now (yes, with a real serial number, etc) on the web.

The prices do vary widely in our quick search on the web - for example, while you can get it for $115 right now, other sites like Buy.com are selling it for double that price at the "mainstream" retail price it seems. That these don't have rebates that you have endure the headaches for.

Current pricing: FULL VERSION of Windows Vista Premium (Q1 2007)

MSRP: $280
PRICE ON THE WEB: $112.99!

eCost........$112.99 (full oem)
PCMall.......$159.00(SEARCH FOR ITEM #7097255)
Buy.com......$226.99
Amazon.......$226.99
Walmart......$238.78
J&R..........$239.00
OfficeDepot..$239.99
BestBuy......$239.99
Circuit City.$239.99
CompUSA......$239.99

If you can get a legitmate FULL copy of Windows Vista for just $100 or so, doesn't that make the move a little more palatable?

Have no clue what this all means, even though you know it's something important? You're in luck, they already have a For Dummies book out just for you!

There are of course different flavors of Windows Vista -- here's a chart to help you figure out which one you need (although it's probably Home Premium):


And if you're also in the mood to take care of your taxes right now, there are *some* rebates available for combination purchases of Vista + tax software and other items. For example, BestBuy has a promotion right now where if you purchase Vista Home Premium or better, you can also get these free:

Free H&R Block TaxCut Premium Federal + State software

Free Microsoft Live OneCare software

Free Kingston 512MB DDR desktop or notebook memory

--kkcoolj

Although I personally prefer to upload and order prints from Shutterfly, there are some times when immediate printouts of your photos are wanted.

That's when having a stack of premium 4x6 Photo Paper comes in handy -- and of course it's better if that package of 60 sheets of photo paper was totally free to begin with, right? :-) Well, if you search around, you can usually find various sites like eCost, that have promotions for free photo paper. Even Staples will have promotional bundles of photo paper samples free at the store (either in the aisle or near the register). And if all else fails, I usually head over to CompUSA since their in-house brand photo paper is pretty cheap while the quality is pretty high.

Are you serious? A Philips 50" HDTV Plasma for under $1,500? (YES we are).

I took a double-take when I first saw this deal -- a major brand HD Plasma....and it's full 50" Plasma TV to boot for only $1,499!



WOW. I'm speechless.



Philips 50 inch Widescreen HDTV Plasma TV with Pixel Plus (model 50PF7321D) for $1499. This one has the latest Plasma technology and Pixel Plus - with a WXGA panel, 1366 x 768p . (What is Pixel Plus? Pixel Plus is a digital picture processing technology that increases the number of lines and the number of pixels. The result is razor sharp pictures with incredible detail and depth, every time from any source. ) And yes, it is integrated HDTV Cable Ready. It's packed into a stunning design typical of Philips electronic products. Cool feature too -- you can share music and photos via the built-in USB.

Not convinced it's a great deal? Here's the tech spec sheet (PDF)

It retails for $2400 in the local stores and even Amazoncan't beat this price.

How to Make Really Cheap International Calls

People who call overseas a lot tend to rack up huge bills on the phone line. And many resort to using phone cards that have questionable call quality sometimes.

A solution that not many people use or know about is to get an internet phone line - VOIP, or voice-over-IP. Basically, you can now get a separate phone line by hooking up any regular telephone (cordless too!) to a little box that is plugged into your internet connection at home (all you do is plug it into the wall and then plug another cord into your router or cable modem -- THAT'S IT). They offer great rates, and many push their unlimited domestic calling plans, but you can get their regular plans and benefit from UNBELEIVABLE international rates.

For example, SunRocket has an unlimited plan for $16.50/month or $199/year for unlimited calling within the USA + Canada which is really cheap to begin with. However, you can also get a plan for $9.95/month that includes 200 min of domestic long distance (USA + Canada) **AND** you also get a little less than 2 hours (100 minutes) of INTERNATIONAL LONG DISTANCE FREE EVERY MONTH.

Send a Free Valentine's Photo Greeting Card

Shutterfly.com has really impressed me recently. They quality of their product and service is pretty much above par relative to the rest of the photo sites out there. Even from when you open the packaging, you'll really feel like this is not some cut-rate cheapo service. High-quality packaging sets the tone from the start. The prints DO come out a little more vibrant than some of the other photo finishing services -- try your own comparison and order the same photo print from different places and do a blind test at home. I think you'll find Shutterfly will top the list.

And just in time for Valentine's Day, here's a chance to test out their photo card product. You'll be pleasantly satisfied with the THICK paper used for their greeting cards with glossy finish. VERY professional. Very addicting in my opinion. The challenge is to get over the inertia and create more photo gift items throughout the year.

So this is a great incentive to start -- a free custom photo greeting card. Take ANY photo you have on your computer RIGHT NOW, and upload it and create a simple Valentine's Day card for your loved one. It will be a treat when it's received!

Use promo code by Feb 27th: 19AF-CDS1

Memory in a FLASH

Do you remember the days of the floppy disk? Well, it's the same thing -- the day of the CD-R are going to the way side too -- make way for USB flash drives. These drives are small, portable and can fit in your pocket or even on your keychain -- and many now can store huge amounts of memory -- I mean GIG's of data...

Well, here's are options that are FREE (after a simple rebate) if you haven't picked one up yet, or even if you need one as a spare...


Buy.com has the Kingston DataTraveler USB Flash drive is ideal for home office, small business, schools and promotions. You can store, carry and transfer files quickly in an affordable, convenient device. As easy as click and drag, the DataTraveler can hold just about any file you can think of - reports pictures, spreadsheets or other important documents. It works with virtually any device with a USB port - even cross-platform from Macintosh to PC and vice versa. Backed by a five-year warranty, the DataTraveler is a reliable, inexpensive solution for carrying files around.

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eCost has a 1GB USB flash drive for FREE after rebate rigtht now (rebate form).



1GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive - Black

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Get a 2GB USB Drive for Free - $0.00 after rebate, which expires 2/27 from Buy.com

Connect 3D 2GB 2.0 USB Drive

FREE Cingular Samsung Blackjack

WOW! That was fast. I just purchased my Samsung Blackjack for $299 with $100 rebate from Cingular less than a month ago and already it's out on the market for FREE after rebate from this Cingular authorized dealer.

If I just waited 2 weeks, I could have gotten $200 more discounted! :-(

And they even have an option for CURRENT Cingular customers that want to extend/renew their contracts.

I've ordered 1 phone from AdviceOnWireless.com before and had my rebates back as promised, so I know this is a legitimate offer -- plus it's from an authorized dealer, so there should be no worries.

I love the fact that I can surf the web from ANYWHERE that I have a signal with my Blackjack now -- I just use the "dialer" app shortcut that I put on my laptop's desktop screen and within 20 seconds - literally - I am surfing at near-DSL speeds. Can't beat that convenience!

So small, Cingular forgot to give you a MICRO SD card with your new Samsung Blackjack

YUP, It's REALLY SMALL. In fact so small, Cingular forgot to give you one with your new Samsung Blackjack. They give you an extra battery since the battery life ain't that grand, but they clearly forgot to include a MicroSD card.

Alas, what to do? Now you have to shell out some MORE moola for a Micro SD memory card!?!?!

Well, now you don't have to complain anymore. You can get a MicroSD card + the adaptor that will allow any regular SD card reader take the card for free. While it's $42 or more for a 1GB Micro Secure Digital (SD) Card on Cingular's own website or eCost, you can get the Kingston one for $0.00 after rebate (That's FREE!) for the next 24 hours (see rebate form for deadline).


INSTRUCTIONS ON FINDING THE NON-PUBLISHED FREE MICRO SD CARD OFFER:
1. Go to http://eCost.Official-Promo.com
2. Search for item #34092775
3. Pay $14.00 for the Kingston 1 GB MicroSD Card
4. Fill out the rebate form and get your $14 back!

CLICK.....and PRINT IT!

You got that shiny new digital camera for Christmas and already started to snap hundreds of photos...but they are either still stuck on your memory card or on your hard drive. No one is ever going to see the paparazzi in you if you never print them out!

I've been using both HP and Lexmark photo printers recently and still like the menuing of the HP's Photosmart series of portable photo printers
portable photo printers. They are easy to use and take almost any photo memory card you have - SD, Memorystick, CompactFlash, etc.




Here's your chance to pick one up (or even as a spare!) for only $22! How? The Photosmart 335 Compact GoGo Photo Printeris on sale for $32 right now, and if you use Google Checkout (which is basically using any major credit card) you'll get an extra $10 off free, making it a cool 22 bucks for a HP photo printer.

FYI, It's going for as high as $250 right now elsewhere. How can you go wrong with a 20-buck photo printer?