two questions for a novice

hello,
i purchased a new dell laptop this week. i don't believe i paid for microsoft office thinking that somehow the laptop with come with this software installed. am i totally missing something or would i need to buy office separately?
also, i was wondering if anyone had downloaded beta office 2007. i saw the offer and wasn't sure if this would be more effective than office org software for writing lots of grad school papers. or, would it likely have so many glitches that i shouldn't waste time with it.
thanks in advance for your help.

 

Office doesnt come installed with a notebook, it does with some but that is only for 30 days after which you have to buy it.

Office 2007 beta would be a good way to go. Office Org is something I never heard about so I wouldnt suggest it.

 

I think he means Open Office.org, Sun Microsysems freeware version of office.

 

Either way, nothing beats office

 

just don't forget Office 2007 is still a BETA and maybe and unstable at certain times, although it is unlikely. If your at college, you might be able to get Office from there, a corporate edition or something. I'm not too sure, but try your college, before jumping into desicions.

 

I think most colleges have Campus Agreements with Microsoft so you can buy Office, Windows, etc. for only the cost of the media. Check with your IT department.

You can also check out CNet's alternatives.

 

yes, you should talk to your schools campus bookstore; they will almost definitely have some discounts for Office.

you should also get office, not an alternative. if this was just for personal use at home, i would say get a free alternative, but since this is for grad school where you will no doubt be doing lots of writing, lots of communicating (both verbal and written), and you will be submittng a thesis that has to meet certain standards, it's worth it to spend the $ on a real copy

 

office 07 is sweet. im running it on this laptop, and its very fluid. only thing is, i have to basically re-learn everything because i was so use to the old version. one thing i do like about the new version, is you can make a .pdf of any file that you make in Word

also, most schools sell software like that for cheaper. dont ask me how they do it, but they do. so you might want to check with your school to check the price