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In This Issue » Life & Love » The High Price of Technology

The High Price of Technology

The Musings of an Impoverished Student

Written by: Aliyah J., Reporter – Posted: Sat Sep 30th, 2006

Author

Galadriel

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I am writing this article in Wordpad.

This is a very strange occurrence. Usually, I'm a strictly Microsoft Word sort of girl. I like my e-luxuries, as it were. As it is, I'm on my very spiffy Toshiba laptop, and listening to music on my iPod nano. The iPod nano may be one of the old school, plain black ones, but it still gives off an aura of connectedness with the mainstream. But I'm straying off topic. I'm writing this on WordPad because my free trial of Microsoft Word ran out.

A couple months ago, I blithely believed that Microsoft Office came included with Windows. Honestly, as a student, there's not a great deal I can do without Office. I can't keep track of attendance for the Drama club or the modern dance company without my attendance spreadsheets, I can't spell-check a term paper without Word, and I can't make spiffy little presentations without Power Point.

I'm actually quite dependent on my technology, you see. Take away my laptop and I'm lost. As it is, I'm home for the weekend, and I couldn't fathom the idea of leaving my laptop back in my dorm room so my roommate could play around with my iTunes. So, understand, taking away my Office is quite a big deal for me, and I'm doing anything I can to get it back.

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taraelisab
eth

Friend Note

I thought this was a very good article. I completely agree with
your opinion on this. I didn't realize until I lost Microsoft
Office how much I relied on it. I had to write my papers in
WordPad for the first time and it just wasn't the same. Yes, I
was still able to do most things, but it definitely wasn't as
easy.

Anyway, thanks to the other comments on this page, I now know
about this open office thing :)

Posted 01/24/07

DrPepprChi
ca

Friend Note

Good job on getting your situation figured out. For those of us
who don't have computers, it's a bit harder, though. In that
situation we just have to work around public library hours or go
to the college library. Not impossible!!

Posted 01/22/07

ktv

Friend Note

My IPod was stolen at school too, during gym class :-/

Posted 01/19/07

angel_eyes
1214

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aw that sux.
i miss my iPod cuz some idiot in skool stole it >.<

Posted 01/08/07

AceArtemis
7

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try openoffice.org
their source code is open for all i do believe and its free :)

good luck.

Posted 01/01/07

Galadriel

Friend Note

And no, dolls, I'm not whining. I was writing an opinion piece.
That is not whining.

Posted 12/31/06

Galadriel

Friend Note

Wow! This is a lot of responses.

As it happens, no, I'm not spoiled. I grew up in the Third World,
as it were, cutting my eyeteeth off of pirated software because we
couldn't afford the real stuff. I have a perfectly good grasp of
the English language, grammar and spelling both, thus invalidating
the dictionary idea. I use spell-check at picking up errors on my
own work. Also, I use British spelling on my work, and I use
spell-check to auto-correct the "errors" I make, so my profs don't
get mad at me.

I discovered Open Office after a bit, and cancelled my JourneyEd
order.

Posted 12/31/06

Susan

Friend Note

I could get office professional for $15 when I was a student,
unfortunately I graduated before the newest office was released so
I wont get it for that cheap.

I do agree, OpenOffice is a wonderful alternative.

Posted 12/31/06

Cole0611

Friend Note

Cheese and crackers for you??

..We are clearly the most technologically advanced generation thus
far, but please don't whine about it. You can do without - be more
creatiive.

Assuming you can't find any of the sweet deals out there -- a
couple hundred for software isn't so bad. Sure it's monopolozied -
but we're ALL getting ripped off. Check out your tuition, room and
board fees and a couple hundred is nothing. We're all going to be
in debt for years as is. Software, like your education, is for
many a worthy investment.

Don't want to drop the extra dough? Well you're in college. Check
out the library or the numerous computer pods/labs on campus.
Commuter student? They're still available to you - as well as your
local library back home.

Open source code? I don't know about that. It's not easy to
master, obviously - but other programmers will quickly catch up,
don't worry. Just have a little more lax.

Posted 12/31/06

Princess38
87

Friend Note

Try openoffice.org.

It has all kinds of FREE fully functional programs that legally
emulate Microsoft Office.

I have this on my home PC, but have real Office on my laptop ($150
from Microsoft Online). My trial ended a few days before Election
Day! And I was working on many House campaigns in my
state...luckily it was instantly activated!

Posted 12/30/06

xSelinax

Friend Note

"what college student can afford to spend a couple hundred dollars
on software? I "

Its not aimed at you darl..its aimed at the home office/business
end of things.

And you might wanna try something called Open Office. Sorry if you
mentioned this already..i couldnbt get past that last sentence.

Posted 12/30/06

bayuhXD

Friend Note

I love wordpad. I used wordpad to type all of my English/World
lit papers and I got at least an A- on all of them (and English
isn't even my best subject).

Maybe you just need to be more creative?

Technology IS expensive, but you don't REALLY need it.

Posted 12/30/06

bludolphin
143

Friend Note

use a dictionary! As much as I love features on MS office such as
spell check and etc, it has come to my attention that kids today
are far worse spellers then they were in the past generations.
Everyone (including myself..more then I'd like to admit) is so
depended on the computer doing the work, it simply isn't such a
big deal anymore if you can't spell words. The computer will pick
it up. Too many shortcuts isn't always a good thing.

p.s. the European Union baned Microsoft operating systems from the
market until the new version of MS Vista released source codes and
had a more accessable platform for competitators to have a fair
market share with their software. In the U.S. the bundeling laws
are a lot more relaxed, and Microsoft does not have any viable
competion. which is why they are able to hike up the price for
software such MS office to be what it is.

Posted 12/30/06

Tyheamma

Friend Note

I'm a technology dependent geek myself. However, my university's
bookstore offers MS Office (with full functionality) for $80 to
students.

Posted 12/29/06

carissakay
b

Friend Note

It's simply an opinionated paper about technology and all of the
other people out there aren't getting the point. They are just
trying to find the faults in your peice. I know where you're
coming from although I am not in college and do not pay for my own
things as often as you most likely do. But that's only because I'm
15 and couldn't get a job if I wanted one. I tried to write a
whole paper for my English class on WordPad and I got a C+. That's
where lack of technology got me. I cannot keep up with the rest of
the class without it. It's simply not up to par. Very well at your
circumstances.

Posted 12/29/06

heart_of_g
old

Friend Note

You come off sounding like you've always been spoiled and can't
get used to having to live off technological basics in this
article.

Microsoft Works Word Processor is a version of Microsoft Word that
doesn't have as many features. And it does have a spell check. The
entire suite, which comes with spreadsheets and all - just without
as many features as microsoft word's suite - is available at
microsoft.com for $100. Cheaper at other sites.

What does an IPod have to do with french homework? If you're that
broke, buy a $20 discman and burn your files to cd to listen to.
Or buy a cheaper mp3 player. IPod is not god. My husband just got
a 6GB video mp3 player with great reviews on every site we found
it on for $160.

Posted 12/29/06

MTVGirl

Friend Note

i thought this article was bout something else..readin its title..
i say use skools free computers, get a thumb drive..

Posted 12/29/06

polisher33

Friend Note

Microsoft is attempting to monopolize the computer industry.
That's why a lot of people are starting to drift towards
open-source programs.

As math500 pointed out, http://www.openoffice.org/ is a program
similar to Microsoft office and it is completely free. I've used
it myself and I found it just as simple and easy to use as
Microsoft office, but you don't have to shell out the big bucks to
use it.

Here is a list of some other open-source programs etc., just
Google them if you're interested

Frostwire (exactly like Limewire for downloading music and stuff,
but free)

Linux (open-source operating system. A lot of people find it
difficult to use and not all programs that run on Windows will run
on it. However, if you hate Microsoft or simply want to support
open-source programming, Linux is the way to go.)

Posted 12/28/06

cnidocil

Friend Note

There's this really cool thing called a dictionary that tells you
how to spell!

Posted 12/28/06

math500

Friend Note

http://www.openoffice.org/

Free version of something similar to office.

Posted 12/28/06

AWA_IN_NJ

Friend Note

I bought an MP3 player that holds 1GB for a lot cheaper. You can
buy MP3 players a lot cheaper, they do the exact same thing as an
iPod. And I bought mine primarily for when I'm working out and to
put cadences on since I have to learn them.

Also, your computer didn't come with some type of program to write
papers in and stuff? Mine did, granted, it wasn't microsoft word,
but it did the same things, I just had to learn to use that
program. But, then again, I got microsoft because my dad is a
computer guy, so I lucked out.

And even then, my school offers computers (even laptops students
can check out from 3hrs-48hrs at a time) and they have updated
everything on there. Even the program the mechanical engineers use
that costs a few hundred dollars. And the one lab is open 24
hours, while most are open till 10-midnight (except the week
before and of finals, they're open later). You don't have a
computer lab to use on campus? If not I suggest making a petition
to get one.

That's why my school supplies them. They realize not every student
can afford to purchase a computer or the programs. And we have a
technology fee in our tuition for that reason, but it's not much,
only like $20 a semester.

Posted 12/28/06

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Life & Love Articles

The High Price of Technology

The Musings of an Impoverished Student

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