Should I choose Academic over Retail Boxed version for my kid?

[Frankie V. Fernandez, MD]

Hello guys! I have the option of choosing one over the other. What are the
differences between the two aside from the obvious price difference?
Is the academic version less-featured? Does it have important limitations?
Will my son get the same microsoft support and automatic updates with the
academic version as I do with my retail version?
Thanks in advance!

Frank

 

[Opinicus]

Hello guys! I have the option of choosing one over the
other. What are the differences between the two aside
from the obvious price difference?
Is the academic version less-featured? Does it have
important limitations?

No. Well one. See below.

Will my son get the same microsoft support and automatic
updates with the academic version as I do with my retail
version?

Yes.

The limitation is that the Academic version can't be
upgraded to the next version of Office.

 

[Kerry Brown]

Hello guys! I have the option of choosing one over the other. What are
the differences between the two aside from the obvious price difference?
Is the academic version less-featured? Does it have important limitations?
Will my son get the same microsoft support and automatic updates with the
academic version as I do with my retail version?
Thanks in advance!

Frank

Academic version of which program? Microsoft and many other software
companies have academic versions of their programs. If you are asking about
Windows XP it is only available as an upgrade so you must have an eligible
product to upgrade from. If you are talking about Office then it is the full
version but it is not eligible for future upgrades.

http://www.microsoft.com/Education/AcademicDiscounts.aspx

Kerry

 

[Kerry Brown]

Hello guys! I have the option of choosing one over the other. What are
the differences between the two aside from the obvious price difference?
Is the academic version less-featured? Does it have important limitations?
Will my son get the same microsoft support and automatic updates with the
academic version as I do with my retail version?
Thanks in advance!

Frank

Wrong link in the last post. This is the correct one for students.

http://www.microsoft.com/office/editions/prodinfo/students/default.mspx

Kerry

 

[Frankie V. Fernandez, MD]

I was referring to Windows XP Professional with SP2, since this is a windows
xp newsgroup. Thanks again.

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi Frankie,

The academic version is full-featured, and will qualify for all Windows
Updates. What it will not do is qualify for an upgrade to the next version
of Windows (currently in a build state and nowhere near release, code-named
longhorn). I also believe that, like an OEM version, it will be permanently
tied to the first machine it is activated on. Basically, there is no real
reason not to go with the academic version if you are planning on using it
for the life of the destination machine.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org