Michele’s Freeminding

If there’s one thing I’m sure about, it’s that software companies should give students free software. Or at least put a student-friendly price on their student versions.

Most software houses make their big bucks from professionals, which all have been students.
So what better way to increase your sales than to give students free versions of your software so that they will love you for being so generous and as soon as they get a job and need software for their computers they’ll buy yours?
Personally, I’d rather spend money that way than with ads: very good karma!
I know most packages are available with a cheaper student license, but most of the times they’re still too expensive.

Of course, products like Microsoft Office, which are specifically targeted to students, will continue to be paid-for, but at least I was able to get Microsoft Office for Mac OS X — which is very nice, BTW – for about 100 Euro, which is quite affordable.

Plus, like it or not, most students are going to get your software for free, so…

All of this to say I need Illustrator — or at least Freehand. ;)

This post was written 2 years, 7 months ago on January 15th, 2006 late at night.