Forums | MacLife

AAPL Shareholder wrote:

I'm a graduate design student, and although I'm completely comfortable using my outdated software, although it is frowned upon by the university and I can not afford to update my software suites every year.

Sure, there are educational discounts,  labs (which do not remain open) and I have small loans and grants... but it's still not financially possible for me, and a number of professional design students, to attain new licenses every year. So, some of us stick with the old crap for a few years, or some of us are forced to use a friend's license in bind.

A good design school is expensive. Really smurfing expensive. You usually can't freelance because you're doing 70+ hours of school work a week. You need a new $2000 Mac every few years. Printing, paper, typefaces, stock art, and traditional supplies are very costly. And on top of that there is tuition, books, and some how you need to pay for food, transportation, and a roof over your head.

Fortunately, things are -slowly- starting to change and universities are recognizing these insane costs. It's now becoming possible to get grants for mandatory tools such as a Powerbook.

You whipper-snappers have it easy.  I have two words for you "Service Bureau". 

When I went to design school, color printers weren't really available.  You had to take files to a service bureau for output.  About $10 per page 8.5x11 color.  A large brochure could cost about $60 for a mock up.  And preflighting wasn't really around then.  If your file was pooched, you still had to pay and maybe print it again.  It got expensive fast.

But you are right, it is expensive.  Most sw packages don't require yearly updates, but still it ain't cheap.  (though my loans/grants covered hardware/software) But like any educational investment, it eventually pays off.   You bank of the fact that you will get a good paying job after school, and being skilled with things like Photoshop does pay off. Quite well.  I don't regret a dime I spent for school.  (except the $10 per page for color prints)  It is well worth it.

Sure, using school labs are cheaper, but not efficient and often not well equipped.  Being able to work on stuff at home was much better.

Gary Patterson wrote:

Pirating shareware (serial numbers, for example) results in developers leaving the platform. Pirating Mac software makes the platform less attractive to write for.

Yes because NO ONE pirates windows software.

I know that when I have a good, steady income, I like to support all Mac software companies. All except Microsoft. Virtual PC causes crashes on my system anyway.

MattElmore wrote:

Gary Patterson wrote:

Pirating shareware (serial numbers, for example) results in developers leaving the platform. Pirating Mac software makes the platform less attractive to write for.

Yes because NO ONE pirates windows software.

That's the funny thing though, is that it is easier to copy Windows, than it is to copy Age of Empires. Kinda weird

fingerjello wrote:

I buy my software, but I also know that software prices were insanely high long before we were able t download it, burn it, copy it, etc.

I buy my OS's, Games, word processing software. which is about all I use, hmmmm. However, if there is no demo, sometimes I'll pirate it to check it out, and then buy it.  Like my XP pro, I had a pirate copy froma computer theif down in flordia, who sent it with an ibook (ebay). Anyway, I used it for a while, and then bought an authentic OEM copy, off ebay.

fingerjello wrote:

Buying an OEM copy without a new computer is against the EULA and is illegal.  I would bet $5 that any "OEM" disc sold on eBay is not authentic.

I'm sorry, that's incorrect.

There is usually just a "hardware" stipulation (not an entire new computer); many vendors (such as newegg) will sell OEM software and bundle in a FREE item to meet the hardware requirement clause (like an audio cable or old RAM or something).

Not to mention the transfer of OEM license with the secondhand sale of a used computer. If what you say was the case, people couldn't sell their computers with an operating system installed on it; they'd be stuck with superfluous licenses. (That's not to say people can't choose whether or not to include the OS in the sale of their hardware).

Last edited by CaptKevMan (2005-08-18 6:25 am)

I sometimes get mad at myself for wasting money on software when others download it for free, bt then I look at the stack of software boxes I have and realize that the pirates don't get the packaging.

CaptKevMan wrote:

maxintosh wrote:

I sometimes get mad at myself for wasting money on software when others download it for free, bt then I look at the stack of software boxes I have and realize that the pirates don't get the packaging.

...or the printed documentation (if any). Or the support from the publisher if something goes wrong.

Conversely, as I always throw the packaging away, put any documentation in a box up the loft and have never needed software tech support, then I should only get pirate software

There are no perks in buying legit software for me

(But I still continue to do so, just so that I can cling-on to my soul when the reaper comes )

tF

:bowing max:

tF