The Cheapskate

Finally, a reasonable price for Office 2007. And it's the retail, three-license edition.

(Credit: Newegg)

In case you didn't read Monday's post carefully, I'll say it again: I'm on vacation this week! But here's a little something to tide you over until I return.

A few weeks back I reminded you that Microsoft is still offering Office Ultimate 2007 for $59.95. Of course, that deal is for qualified students only, and it doesn't get you a boxed copy, only a download.

Well, good, old Newegg has the boxed, retail edition of Office Home and Student 2007 for $59.95 shipped. That's after applying coupon code EMCLWNL22 and signing up for Newegg's newsletter (if you haven't already).

Not only does this version come on a bona fide CD in a bona fide box, it also includes licenses for three PCs.

And in case you're wondering, the Home and Student edition of Office includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.

Note to Microsoft: This is a reasonable price for Office. Not $149.95 or even $99.95. Hope you'll keep that in mind while figuring out how to price Office 2010. (But I doubt it.)

College students get all the breaks, don't they? Like a 91 percent discount on Office 2007 Ultimate (download version).

(Credit: Microsoft)

Welcome to the Cheapskate's Greatest Hits, where I revisit past deals that are still available--and still awesome.

The list price for Microsoft Office 2007 Ultimate is a whopping $679.95. The upgrade price? It's an equally whopping $539.99. For that kind of money, it had better come with Megan Fox's Tina Fey's phone number.

Believe it or not, you can score a legal and totally legitimate copy of Office 2007 Ultimate for just $59.95. What's the catch? You need to "borrow" a college student (or, you know, be one).

Microsoft's Ultimate Steal deal is for currently enrolled students who have an e-mail address ending in ".edu" or who attend one of several dozen approved institutions. (Mouse over the "Am I Eligible" link for more details.)

Assuming you qualify, this is a pretty incredible deal. In addition to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, Office Ultimate comes with OneNote, Access, Publisher, Groove, and other goodies.

There's one other small catch: Your 60 bucks buys you the download version of the suite. If you want discs, it'll cost you another $13--still a steal.

Of course, some would argue that most students (and other users) can get everything they need from OpenOffice 3.0, a full-featured office suite that costs nada (Download the Windows or Mac version here). Let me know if you're in that camp, or if you think Microsoft's offer is too good to pass up.

Update: If you'd rather have a boxed copy, Newegg is offering Office Home and Student 2007 (3-license edition) for $79.95 shipped. (Apply coupon code EMCLVNW56 to get that price.)

Here's your chance to score Office Ultimate 2007 for the unheard-of price of $60.

(Credit: Microsoft)

The list price for Microsoft Office 2007 Ultimate is a whopping $679.95. The upgrade price? An equally whopping $539.99. For that kind of money, it better come with Megan Fox's phone number.

Believe it or not, you can score a legal and totally legitimate copy of Office 2007 Ultimate for just $59.95. What's the catch? You need to shanghai a college student (or, you know, be one).

Microsoft's "Ultimate Steal" deal is for currently enrolled students who have an e-mail address ending in ".edu" or who attend one of several dozen approved institutions. (Mouse over the "Am I Eligible" link for more details.)

Assuming that you qualify, this is a pretty incredible deal. In addition to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, Office Ultimate comes with OneNote, Access, Publisher, Groove, and other goodies.

There's one other small catch: Your 60 bucks buys you the download version of the suite. If you want discs (which I highly recommend), it'll cost you another $13. Still a steal.

Of course, some would argue that most students (and other users) can get everything they need from OpenOffice 3.0, a full-featured office suite that costs nada. Let me know if you're in that camp, or if you think Microsoft's offer is too good to pass up.

Interestingly, each student can purchase up to four licenses, so anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit can...well, I've said too much.

(Credit: IBM)

Microsoft Office is not just overpriced--for most users, it's overkill. That's why I've been increasingly recommending IBM Lotus Symphony, a well-rounded office suite that just so happens to be free. It's built on open-source favorite OpenOffice, but sports a sleeker, friendlier interface.

Symphony (available for Windows and Linux) offers word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations. It supports Office 2003 file formats as well as OpenDocument and others. And it relies on an ingenious tabbed interface that keeps all your documents under the same roof--no switching between apps like with most other suites. I particularly like the sidebars, which keep frequently used settings close at hand while reducing toolbar clutter.

What's the bad news? Symphony is still in beta, and it has the bugs to prove it. It's kind of slow, too. But you can't argue with the price. Why spend upwards of $400 on Office when you can get most of the same features (and a less intimidating interface) for nothing?