MS Office

[deltapapa]

I do volunteer work for my local charitable Aviation museum and need a legal copy of MS Office or at the very least Word [either 2007 or 2010 tho' I would be happy with 2003 as that's what I use myself] for their PC with a product key.

Can anyone recommend the best place to source software for charity?

I have tried Libre Office/Open Office but can't get on with it especially the mail merge part.

[mixture]

deltapapa,

Just a single license ? Otherwise, look at Microsoft Charity Open License Agreement (which generally means 3 or 5 copies minimum depending on product).

If you need more than one license, then volume licensing is worth a look because you can also license just the individual programs if need be, such as just Word.

Because they've already got a PC, you can't get an OEM licensed bundled copy.

You may potentially be eligible for an "Education" discount if you are a public museum, organised permanently for educational or aesthetic purposes, with a professional staff and regularly exhibiting tangible objects to the public, or your charity's formally stated aims are one of the following (a) the relief of poverty, (b) the advancement of education, (c) the advancement of social and community welfare, (d) the advancement of culture, or (e) the protection of the natural environment. See here for more info. (http://www.microsoft.com/uk/education/schools/software-licensing/who-can-buy-education-licences.aspx)

If you want to try your luck at an Educational license, just get in touch with one of the larger Microsoft resellers (e..g. Dabs, Insight, Misco, RM Education etc. ).... unfortunately I can't name names or make any other more specific recommendations without breaching PPRuNE terms as one of my roles involves close involvement in the IT industry. I have no involvement with any of the four names mentioned above.

Otherwise I think you'll have to bite the bullet and just buy a legit boxed copy.

[BOAC]

I too have the same issue - I have Office but cannot assume all the 'users' do, so I am struggling with Open/Libre Office. I would suggest that is the best way to go for you although getting to grips with it is very hard work. The documentation (for beginners) is poor and fragmented and the so-called 'Help' forums seem to have more that their fair share of those who just cannot bring themselves to help we lesser mortals pick up the threads. It is a shame, as the concept of an O Source alternative to the MS giant is good and deserves better support. I actually had to ask for one mod to be 'de-modded' for appalling behaviour (shades of PPrune..................) - I think he/she actually had a mental problem.

If it is any consolation I am getting through the conversion of a large VBA project into OO, slowly and painfully, and so far so good...................

[deltapapa]

Thanks both for your replies, I will do some groundwork for your recommendations and see what I can find Mixture.

BOAC the biggest problem I appear to have with Libre Office it doesn't seem to recognise Excel file format, at least without a lot of 'clatting' about, which of course is what has been used in the past. I do keep trying with LO but I'm sure I shall every soon be bald!! :)

They do have a copy of Word but I'm afraid it's the 1997 version...so not up to much in this day and age.

[Mike-Bracknell]

I have a few charity customers, and the discounts they get from MS are very good, although you will probably (as noted) have to buy a minimum of 5 licenses in a charity volume license to be able to get the pricing.

Can advise more on PM if necessary - I don't take a % for charity.

[mixture]

For the information of the world's only commission free sales rep from Bracknell and others, a little birdie tells me deltapapa is all sorted with a good legit deal. :ok:

[BOAC]

Good news for dp. If dp ever wishes to discuss hair loss in the future I am happy to share my 'lessons' with Excel and VBA to OO/LO:8

[Mike-Bracknell]

...sales rep from Bracknell...

Wash your mouth out!

[Feline]

As I have just posted on another thread - I wasn't happy with OO (could not get the tables to work), and could not source another copy of Office 2003 - so I went with Lotus Symphony from IBM (which is free). Symphony provides a word processor, presentation and spreadsheet and it works for me! FWIW

[Milo Minderbinder]

you do realise Symphony is simply a fork of Open Office?

[Iron Eagle]

No need for licensed copy on your system .... all you need is a live.com mail account and you may find there SkyDrive service from Microsoft where you can create, edit, and save documents and many other MS applications.