Microsoft Word no longer functional, key on bottom of case doesnt work?

My preinstalled copy of microsoft word on my UL30A has gone into reduced functionality mode, and the windows 7 product key on the back of my notebook doesnt work to unlock it. Did this computer ship with a trial only? Or is the key located somewhere else, like along with the documentation?

 

yes, your computer most likely shipped with the (60 day??) trial key only. You'll need to purchase MS office to continue using the software.

The windows 7 product key is only used for activating the windows 7 operating system and not for anything else.

 

Thats absurd. So not only did they stick me with no office suite, they didnt even bother to notify me, as a user, that it was a trial?

Can any other ASUS owners weigh in on this?

 

This is typical of most laptop manufacturers. Even Apple ships their systems with a trial version of Office for Mac.

This has been common practice for years. As long as you don't need Exchange server support just buy the student version for about $100 (less on ebay) or go with one of the free alternatives like OpenOffice.org - The Free and Open Productivity Suite

Cheers,

 

You probably missed the notification when you first opened Word. It mentions that it's a trial version and by the end of the trial, should have the option to purchase it online.

 

The first thing I did when I got the new laptop was to remove the idiotic trial. Office 2010 BETA is free!

 

Open Office is a fine substitute. And the price is right. I immediately removed MS Office and installed OpenOffice when I got my new laptop the other day.

 

better yet, purchase a discounted version of 2007 and get 2010 free when it comes out! Luckily I'm a student so I was able to purchase Office 2007 Ultimate for a measly $75