RM - The Basement

[rush_tech]

Does anybody push this in there school?

[Diello]

Got the posters up - going to stick something on the website soon.

 

Shorten the answer when kids comes and ask if they can "borrow" MS Office!!

[dhicks]

I either give pupils a cd with OpenOffice on, point them to our local PC shop, or tell them to try John Lewis.

 

--

David Hicks

[tech_guy]

Reported 'em to Trading Standards - bumf makes it look like it's the full version of Vista Ultimate:

 

"Retail Price: £369.99

you pay: £66.51"

 

Mailshot and initial part of the webshite doesn't say it's the upgrade - only when you log in and go to purchase and select it and put it in your basket does it say it's the upgrade.....

 

The packshot is of the full version packaging, not the upgrade version.....

 

RM, you muppets.

[Ric_]

@tech_guy: From what I read, the only misleading bit is the use of the image of boxed software. IMHO it clearly states that it is disc and license only (in particular the Vista Upgrades state that they are upgrades on the price list).

 

In short, I think that you are being a little harsh and it's still a good way for the kids to get LEGAL software cheaply.

[john]

Im going to push this next term, perfect for when they get new PCs at home for crimbo with MS Works on them and say can we get the CD for Powerpoint from you, it can then become a NO! but here have a flyer, you can buy it from these guys for peanuts and its all legal and yours to keep.

[Sylv3r]

I'm adding it to the end of term newsletter that is going out this week. Christmas is probably the best time as a lot of parents will be buying computers with Microsoft Works and the like installed and then the students bring in these documents they don't open up without the compatibility pack.

[tech_guy]

@tech_guy: From what I read, the only misleading bit is the use of the image of boxed software. IMHO it clearly states that it is disc and license only (in particular the Vista Upgrades state that they are upgrades on the price list).

 

In short, I think that you are being a little harsh and it's still a good way for the kids to get LEGAL software cheaply.

 

In the flyer and the letter we were sent it doesn't state that it's the upgrade and on the website it's only when you put it in the basket that it comes up and says it is the upgrade version. Also misleading and pretty poor practice is the "Retail Price: £369.99 you pay: £66.51" bit - they are quoting the retail price for the full version, here, not the usual retail price of the upgrade version. RM sucks again.

[mrcrazy04]

If you have .ac.uk email addresses, they can buy the ultimate version of MS Office 2007 from MS for £40 at theultimatesteal.co.uk, which isn't too bad considering it retails for around £600.

[Gatt]

Ordered the posters here... looks like a good buy..

[russdev]

@ict _tech

 

Have flagged this up at rm for you as think it was more honest mistake than being misleading. Think you need to take things in perspective an email to rm would have solved problem..

 

Russell

[enjay]

Mailshot and initial part of the webshite doesn't say it's the upgrade - only when you log in and go to purchase and select it and put it in your basket does it say it's the upgrade.....

The site now says "Windows Vista Business Upgrade - Basement" on the "View Products" pages, so they've obviously changed it already.

[tech_guy]

Too bad I've sent the bumf they sent to local trading standards.

[CyberNerd]

I'm quite interested in those who are putting up posters and selling software to students. Whats your motivation? are you on commission from RM? Microsoft? or are you genuinely trying to rid the world of free and pirated software?

[enjay]

I'm quite interested in those who are putting up posters and selling software to students. Whats your motivation? are you on commission from RM? Microsoft? or are you genuinely trying to rid the world of free and pirated software?

Commission - the school gets 5% so long as their students spend £500 or more.

[Ric_]

@CyberNerd: For me it would be a combination of the financial incentive for the school and the removal of the temptation to use pirated software.

[CyberNerd]

5% doesn't sound like much, surely it would be better to set up as a distributer if the school were to go into competition with local retailers, or use a scheme such as getit4school (we made over £8000 from this)

http://www.getit4school.com/

[enjay]

5% doesn't sound like much

It's 5% more than we'll get if they buy it from PC World.

 

Plus the much lower price tag means more families are likely to buy the latest version, saving all the fun we have when kids bring stuff in in MS Works format, or the Easylink problems which can exist with pre-2000 versions of Office.

[CyberNerd]

5% doesn't sound like much

It's 5% more than we'll get if they buy it from PC World.

 

 

Actually no, with getit4schools the school gets a commission if the parents buy online in pcworlsd or game, hmw, amazon, Dell . (its only a 2.5% commison on PCworld - but 5% in amazon). So if the real motivation was to make money - you would make more by directing parents to Amazon, if the motivation was compatibility you'd just provide a link to OpenOffice.

[rush_tech]

5% doesn't sound like much, surely it would be better to set up as a distributer if the school were to go into competition with local retailers, or use a scheme such as getit4school (we made over £8000 from this)

http://www.getit4school.com/

 

We run a similar scheme here Buy.at

 

I have no idea how much it makes for the School though

[stu]

On the point of OpenOffice surly the costs saved from licensing and the general lack of back compatibility faults, save money for your students who most of the time cant afford to buy new software & licences, and if used to replace MS office/works... would save the school almost as much as they would make from commission for the sale

[intrigue]

5% doesn't sound like much

It's 5% more than we'll get if they buy it from PC World.

 

Plus the much lower price tag means more families are likely to buy the latest version, saving all the fun we have when kids bring stuff in in MS Works format, or the Easylink problems which can exist with pre-2000 versions of Office.

i assume you have office 2007 rolled out then as pre versions dont read .docx so you spend time telling them to same as .doc dfficult for some staff/students to remember

 

matt

[enjay]

i assume you have office 2007 rolled out then as pre versions dont read .docx so you spend time telling them to same as .doc dfficult for some staff/students to remember

Not yet, but I have installed the Compatibility Update and we haven't had any compatibility issues yet.

[daveleach]

Apologies to all for the confusion we have caused around the Vista Upgrade product. I hope we have updated the website appropriately now. Please do let me know if it still looks wrong.

 

Dave

Head of Marketing, RM

[tech_guy]

:-)