# $150 for WORD? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 1, 2004, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-for-word/277448 "2004-12-01T04:08:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-for-word/277448/1 "2004-12-01T04:08:56Z")
So my “trial period” of microsoft “works and money” ended today. I considered not breaking the law and actually \*\*paying \*\*to get the real version. It turns out that it costs $149. What the FUCK? The only programs in it that I ever used were Word, Powerpoint and Exel a few times. The biggest problem is: They were all free with the computer! When I sent it in for service they got deleted, now I have to pay $149 for them? Jesus Christ do I hate microsoft. This is one of the reasons that there is so much software piracy! You fuckers! Fuck you all! I shall rape your mother, eat your children, and then watch you bleed to death while you hang from hooks in the cieling! (if you’re lucky) _Sething and brimming with rage and hatred_ ---
**Author:** ![Ninja\_Pizza\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f04885/32.png) [@Ninja\_Pizza\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ninja_Pizza_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-for-word/277448/2 "2004-12-01T04:20:50Z")
If they came w/the computer, one question: was it new? If so, they should be on the restore disks you should have got w/it. If not, check into Star Office or Open Office. Oh, yeah, fuck Micro$oft. ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-for-word/277448/3 "2004-12-01T04:23:06Z")
I won’t comment on your outrage at not being given valuable software for free, but I will point you towards [www.openoffice.org](http://www.openoffice.org), which is a free set of office tools–largely compatible with the MS stuff–that I find wholly adequate for my personal needs. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-for-word/277448/4 "2004-12-01T04:55:39Z")
> [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](#): > > microsoft “works and money” … it costs $149…The only programs in it that I ever used were Word, Powerpoint and Exel a few times… Works and Money includes Word – not Powerpoint & Excel. The latter 2 come as part of the Office package (I’ll spare you by not revealing the price of that software) I think you can get the Works Suite (including Word, Non-Excel Spreadsheet, Non-Access Database, Map, Money & Picture farking package) for $70.00 retail. ---
**Author:** ![Kel\_Varnsen\_Latex\_Division](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@Kel\_Varnsen\_Latex\_Division](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kel_Varnsen_Latex_Division)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-for-word/277448/5 "2004-12-01T04:59:08Z")
Stupid motherfucking Microsoft. You would think they were running a business or something. What the fuck do they think they are trying to do? Make a profit? Motherfuckers. Shit, if these motherfuckers keep making a profit thye might even develop another better version. Then where will the fucking world be? Fuck them. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-for-word/277448/6 "2004-12-01T05:02:12Z")
An older version of [Word Perfect](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005AUXD/qid=1101877073/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1_etk-software/103-4916406-0142225?v=glance&s=software&n=229534) is pretty cheap if you get it used. I like Word Perfect, and it comes with a whole suite of stuff. Same goes for [Word 2002](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005B0C5/qid=1101877168/sr=1-4/ref=sr_1_4/103-4916406-0142225?v=glance&s=software) (though it looks like it’s just a version of Works that includes Word). There are plenty of ways to legally get a cheap word processing application. I lucked out and found a fully registerable upgrade of MS Office 97 for $15 on eBay. (I was able to upgrade from an old version of Works.) From there, I could upgrade to a newer version of Office, or just keep using Office 97, which is sufficient for my needs, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-for-word/277448/7 "2004-12-01T05:21:09Z")
Another county chiming in to tell you to try OpenOffice. All the functionality of Works (at least it does everything I’ve needed it to in five years of higher education) and none of the cost- plus no annoying paperclip with eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-for-word/277448/8 "2004-12-01T05:23:57Z")
> [@yosemite](#): > > An older version of [Word Perfect](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005AUXD/qid=1101877073/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1_etk-software/103-4916406-0142225?v=glance&s=software&n=229534) is pretty cheap if you get it used. I like Word Perfect, and it comes with a whole suite of stuff. > > Same goes for [Word 2002](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005B0C5/qid=1101877168/sr=1-4/ref=sr_1_4/103-4916406-0142225?v=glance&s=software) (though it looks like it’s just a version of Works that includes Word). > > There are plenty of ways to legally get a cheap word processing application. I lucked out and found a fully registerable upgrade of MS Office 97 for $15 on eBay. (I was able to upgrade from an old version of Works.) From there, I could upgrade to a newer version of Office, or just keep using Office 97, which is sufficient for my needs, actually. Uh, you know that given the Byzantine nature of copyright law and EULAs, that might _not_ be legal. . . Open Office, IMHO, isn’t quite as user friendly as Word, and isn’t completely compatible, but at free, it damn sure beats M$'s prices. ---
**Author:** ![EvilGhandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@EvilGhandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilGhandi)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-for-word/277448/9 "2004-12-01T05:41:17Z")
If they came “free” with your computer as bundled software, you already paid for a license. Software included with your system isn’t free, you pay for it in the price of the system. Like Ninja Pizza Guy said, it should be on your restore disc. If you lost the disc, go to your computer companies web site and order a new one. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-for-word/277448/10 "2004-12-01T06:15:55Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > Uh, you know that given the Byzantine nature of copyright law and EULAs, that might _not_ be legal. . . I tried to be very careful about that sort of thing when I buy software, because there’s no point in paying for software you can’t register. But yes, it is good to point out that sometimes people will sell less than “legit” copies on places like eBay. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-for-word/277448/11 "2004-12-01T06:38:04Z")
> [@yosemite](#): > > I tried to be very careful about that sort of thing when I buy software, because there’s no point in paying for software you can’t register. But yes, it is good to point out that sometimes people will sell less than “legit” copies on places like eBay. Well, I wasn’t really meaning counterfeit software, though that certainly is a concern, but some of the EULAs are worded such that it looks like it’s well-neigh _impossible_ for someone to buy software, and then resell it, even if they no longer have it installed on their system. As to whether or not those parts of the EULAs would stand up in court, that’s another matter. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-for-word/277448/12 "2004-12-01T06:44:25Z")
Tuckerfan: yes, you’re right. I try to get factory-sealed software if I can. Though, nothing is guaranteed when you buy used or from a third party. But yes, I believe I’ve gotten some good deals on used software through eBay, for instance. I have fully legal copies of several Adobe applications (called up and registered with Adobe, made sure everything was on the up-and-up), and they cost a _fraction_ of the full-price new programs. (For instance, I got Photoshop 5.5 a few years ago for $90. About the same amount paid for Adobe Illustrator, a little more for InDesign, Macromedia Dreamweaver, and so forth.) ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-for-word/277448/13 "2004-12-01T07:15:06Z")
> [@Kel Varnsen - Latex Division](#): > > Stupid motherfucking Microsoft. You would think they were running a business or something. What the fuck do they think they are trying to do? Make a profit? Motherfuckers. Shit, if these motherfuckers keep making a profit thye might even develop another better version. Then where will the fucking world be? Fuck them. > :rolleyes: Well he said he had it on the computer. I have the same problem. My computer came with a bunch of stuff, including MS Publisher (which I asked for, and paid extra for I’m pretty sure), and all this stuff is on the restore disk. Problem is, I “upgraded” to XP and the installation hosed all my software . . . f’rinstance I have the disk for Excel (old version) and when I first tried to install it, I failed because it was not compatible with XP. (Darn, it was compatible with 3.0!) I only wanted to keep my computer from crashing every ten minutes. I didn’t want to have to spend $1000 to get all-new software _again_ but that seems to be what I have to do. Didn’t they make enough profit just selling me the XP to replace their shitty crash-prone ME, which I _also_ paid for? ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-for-word/277448/14 "2004-12-01T14:03:21Z")
> [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](#): > > The biggest problem is: They were all free with the computer! When I sent it in for service they got deleted, now I have to pay $149 for them? Jesus Christ do I hate microsoft. First off, no, they weren’t “free” with the computer. The cost was just included in the initial price so you didn’t notice. Second, $149 for three computer programs is about $50 per program. Which seems to be about what you’d pay for a console game these days. Sounds about the right price to me. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-for-word/277448/15 "2004-12-01T15:01:59Z")
Yeah! Goddamn those software developers… the gall of them, wanting to be PAID! YOU may think that something like Microsoft Word springs full formed from Bill Gate’s brow, but the rest of us know that it takes a small army of programmers working for YEARS to create something like MS Word. Stop being cheap. Pay for your damn software. $150 ain’t much considering what MS Word does for you. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-for-word/277448/16 "2004-12-01T15:02:49Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > First off, no, they weren’t “free” with the computer. The cost was just included in the initial price so you didn’t notice. > > Second, $149 for three computer programs is about $50 per program. Which seems to be about what you’d pay for a console game these days. Sounds about the right price to me. But, since they weren’t free with the computer, he’s already paid for them once. Right? And now Microsoft has figured out a way so he has to pay for them _again._ ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-for-word/277448/17 "2004-12-01T15:41:53Z")
> [@Cicada2003](#): > > But, since they weren’t free with the computer, he’s already paid for them once. Right? > > And now Microsoft has figured out a way so he has to pay for them _again._ And as mentioned before, if they were bundled OEM, he should be able to restore _the ones in the bundle_, from restore disks, or to demand that the service shop that borked the programs make things right (even when one or my notebooks died and the HDD had to be hosed, I did not leave the shop until I saw that it had everything OEM still there). Which should not have required him to do a new-install. **Cicada2003** has a slightly better gripe, but only slightly – you _can_ run many older-Windows programs on "compatible’ mode, but NOT many others, and it is not always obvious which… but at least to me _THAT_ was a known danger of going up to XP. (but please tell me that by “it ran with 3.0” you mean **NT** … ) ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-for-word/277448/18 "2004-12-01T15:59:10Z")
> [@Cicada2003](#): > > But, since they weren’t free with the computer, he’s already paid for them once. Right? > > And now Microsoft has figured out a way so he has to pay for them _again._ No, the discs should have come with the computer. If they didn’t, he needs to go back to the person who sold it to him and complain. If they did come with the computer and he lost the discs, then too bad, he’s got to pay again. Microsoft is not to blame for any of this. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-for-word/277448/19 "2004-12-01T17:04:37Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > (but please tell me that by “it ran with 3.0” you mean **NT** … ) I’m seeing good ol’ Windows 3.0. Granted is was more popular in its 3.11 version. EIther way, upgrading is probably not a bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-for-word/277448/20 "2004-12-01T19:08:08Z")
> [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](#): > > So my “trial period” of microsoft “works and money” ended today. What’s this “trial period” deal? Was it an _actual_ trial period, or are you being sarcastic? If it’s the latter, I can understand why you’re so pissed. If it’s the former, well, tough titty. Either way, save yourself some rage, and go download [OOo](http://download.openoffice.org/1.1.3/index.html), like the nice people told you. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/150-for-word/277448.md?page=2)