How
to get Software
Now that you have a computer,
you're going to need software. Contrary to what many people assume,
no computer purchased through Microcomputer Services comes with Microsoft Office or any other business application suite preinstalled.
Our IT
Annual Purchase program adds to this confusion because we go to great
lengths to make sure that those computers arrive in as "Ready To Go" a state
as possible including software. We have Microcomputer Services preinstall
Microsoft Office and the UVM Internet Software Suite on all our machines
to save us the trouble of having to do it ourselves.
Please follow these general guidelines in purchasing software:
- Get Educational Pricing
As in purchasing hardware and accessories, you should NEVER pay full price
for anything because we are a large public institution. The
Bookstore has many popular software titles in stock and can special order from thousands
more. All are at educational pricing. Many times it is cheaper to purchase a new copy of a given package at educational
pricing than it is to buy the upgrade to that product at regular retail prices.
- Research existing license agreements
UVM has existing license agreements for many popular applications.
Most are set up on a "pay as you go" basis. This means that although
the software is not free, it is available at a very reasonable cost.
- Have realistic support expectations
Computing Services and UVM cannot support every software application in
existance. If a particular package is necessary for your area of research
or teaching, and is not on the CIT list
of supported software, then the onus of learning and using the software
falls on your shoulders. We would be happy to assist you in deciding
if you have the minimum requirements for a given package, or in getting the
software installed and running. However, we simply cannot afford to
go beyond this level. Expect to establish your own contacts with the
developer's technical support staff.
Last modified April 14 2009 03:33 PM
