I have microsoft office 2003 installed on my desktop. On my laptop i don’t have any word or excel program and want a copy.
I would like to get a copy of microsoft office 2003. I checked amazon.com and apparently its 100 dollars for it?? I then checked on ebay and i see ppl selling a copy for $20.
Are those copies on ebay legit? Are they new/used?
Ebay - make sure the seller states in the ad that the registration code is unused.
I bought Office 2003 last year from Ebay. Last version before Microsoft ruined it. Thankfully Office 2003 is certified compatible with Win 7.
Unused keys legal for sale to the general public will never go for $20, as they paid for more than that for them. There are thousands of cracked versions floating around that people happily sell for $20 each that the average joe who has never been through the installer would never know the difference.
What about personal copies though? There are plenty of people that have upgraded past Office 2003 and would be thrilled to get anything for an old copy that they no longer use. I don’t think it is a violation to sell the software as long as you uninstall it from your own computer first (correct me if I am wrong, I only deal with corporate bulk licenses).
That would be correct. However I have received about a dozen calls over the years where someone handed me a office 2003 holo CD and a photocopied key that would not authenticate. There are also tons of very good counterfeits out there. Certain sites I will not mention deal in tons of this where you can order very well done counterfeit Windows disks with imbedded cracks so they install without a hitch. Small shops looking to cut corners get busted for this kind of stuff all the time.
Like it or not, if you are paying pennies on the dollar for the software, its pirated, or GOG.com 
If you’re a basic user of office, than Libre Office or Open Office should suffice. They’re good enough for most basic users and they’re interoperable with MS office (99% sure of this). I’ve only used Open office (for linux).
It get’s you by, but if you’re an advanced user of Excel, I 100% recommend getting the real deal. MS office is far and away better than any of the free alternatives if you’re a power user.
Also, if you work for a large company or belong to a university you should try to see if you have the Microsoft Home Use Program. You can get Office for 5-10$ through it.
The $20 version is likely an OEM version, not a retail version. That means no support from MS if you have a problem.
My university sold it’s extra licenses for Microsoft Office to students for $20(or $25) back in the late 90’s. Maybe these sellers got a bunch of extra copies?
Actually, it came with actual discs back then as well. No booklet or cover, just cases that contained the CD’s and a sticker with the activation code on it, like a serial number.
This was the University of Michigan, if you are curious. Perhaps that is what you see online?
Edit: I think, but am not sure, that we were not supposed to turn around and sell these for profit.
Even the OEM ones are far more expensive.
Correct there are heavily discounted options for educational institutions but they are only to be sold to students and staff of the university. They are not legal for sale on the open market.
Remember, support for Office 2003 ceases in 2014.
If you are working, see if your employer has a Microsoft product discount program. I got Office 2011 for cheap at one gig I worked on. Bought a copy for my Mac and one for my wife’s PC.
I’d exercise caution with the ebay copies, even money their codes were invalidated by repeated use.
That’s the Microsoft Home User program. A license for Office is $9.95, if your employer participates, But the ten-dollar cost is for a download only. I think it costs another ten bucks if you want them to send you the installation DVD. Otherwise, there’s the Home and Student license, for about a hundred dollars. (Although that’s not licensed for commercial use.)