If you are a graphic artist, you probably have several different
graphic programs gathering dust and taking up disk space on your
computer because you probably have one or two basic programs
that you use all the time. These will either be the ones you
learned first or have come to appreciate over time for either
their features or their ease of use.
But, what any serious graphic artist really needs is a complete
set of integrated programs to satisfy your creative urge such as
Macromedia Studio or Adobe Creative Suite. However, these
packages are very expensive and usually beyond the means of
someone who is just starting out, like a college student.
Luckily, if you shop smart, you can save a great deal of money
when purchasing these products. One of the easiest ways to
satisfy your need for high-performance programs is to purchase
the academic software version. Academic software packages are
also commonly referred to as student software. If you attend any
accredited educational institution you can probably qualify for
student software purchases which can save you a lot of money.
Academic software packages are the same programs sold to
businesses but priced so students, teachers and schools can
afford to buy them. The only requirement is that you agree to
use the software only for education and not for commercial
business purposes.
Most academic software packages are designed for student use in
classroom environments where thy have access to their
instructors as well as other students. As a result, student
software packages do not usually include user manuals or any
other materials normally included in the \”full\” boxed retail
version of the software.
The availability of free online tutorials (try Googling \”free
tutorial\”) can compensate for the student software package\’s
lack of a printed user\’s manual. However, many of these programs
come complete with excellent online help files and built in
tutorials so there are more than enough resources available for
you to learn everything you need to master even the most
advanced software features.
These academic software packages allow you to save anywhere for
60-80% off the retail price. Major software companies
specifically designed the student software packages to allow
students to learn their craft on the latest versions of
professional software. They do this for two reasons: to be good
corporate citizens and contribute to educating students and for
sound business reasons. The software companies know that most
people will use the first software package they learned
completely throughout their entire career as long as it still
meets their professional needs. This simple marketing strategy
crates lifelong customers for these software companies.
You will have to prove that you are a student or teacher to
purchase academic software packages. All you will need to do is
send a copy of your staff ID, student ID or class schedule along
with your order. If you believe that you are eligible for the
student software discount, contact your school\’s bookstore or,
to save even more, order it online from an academic software
reseller.
About the author:
If you are a student, teacher or educational institution that
qualifies for the academic software discount price, please visit
http://www.sprysoft.com to
see what is available.