I need a new computer. Mine is dyng and I don't want to invest any more money into it. I need help.

[politicaljunkie41910]

My question is that I would like to have my Microsoft package on my new computer and don't want to buy the license to use it from Microsoft one year at a time. I've found a website, Downloadinstant.com where I can buy a complete set of Microsoft Office 7 for as little as $32 new and it's not just a one year license, as far as I can tell. I am retired and I can live with this version of Microsoft as it is what I'm currently using. Other later versions are also available for different prices which are a little bit more than the $32 but still a bargain over the cost of a one year license from MS.

The questions I need answers from DU on:

1. Have you ever heard of this website and is it legit? If not do you have another site you'd recommend for MS software?

2. If I were to upgrade to a new version, seeing that I am retired and might want to use it for some business purposes at a future date, what version would you recommend, Office Professional 2010, 2013, or 2016 are all available? They are all priced from $49 to $54 for the entire package. Is there any year which I should avoid?

3. Although the WINDOWS packages are sold separately, they only have WINDOWS 7 and WINDOWS 10. So if I buy WINDOWS 7 must I guy the Office Package 2007 to be compatible? Same for WINDOWS 10 and Office 2010.

I'd appreciate any help I can get.

[pnwmom]

1. K & R so people might see this. n/t

[Kleveland]

2. At that price, no way is it legitimate.

Be careful....

Do what you need to do.

I like Macs, but I also like Dells. I use Macs mostly, but also own and use Dell and HP workstations

Depends on what you need to do. I prefer Macs, and no one I have ever advised to buy one who did so has ever complained.

And some of them are retired women.

The Mac comes with their office suite, which can read an write Microsoft compatible files.

I use it a lot for translating Mac based files into MS Office file for a law firm.

People will tell you that Macs are too expensive, but it depends on what you buy.

If you compare features and power intelligently, Macs can be quite a good deal.

And, all operating system upgrades are now free, as have their office suite apps.

Consumer Microsoft stuff is overrated in my honest opinion.

Good luck!

[USALiberal]

9. Macs are way over priced for the average user. n/t

[PJMcK]

26. Something to think about

Without getting into the Windows vs. Mac debate, let me make this point.

It almost doesn't matter how much you spend on a computer, provided it's good equipment. If the machine last 4-6 years, you'll get more than your money's worth in that time.

Consider the MacBook Pro that I'm typing on. In 2012, I paid about $2,500 for a maxed-out package, (8 Gb RAM, 2.9 GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 520 MB electronic drive). I use the computer for my business and personal things and probably average 8 hours a day on it, sometimes more. That's slightly shy of 2,000 days so that averages at about $1.50 per day. I know people who spend more than that on Starbucks coffee.

The same math can be used for any other computer.

In my personal situation, the purchase of the hardware/software packages are tax-deductible as business expenses. In essence, I have this beautiful, efficient and powerful machine for free.

Just food for thought. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

[brush]

51. Go to gainsaver.com for reconditoned Macs and save half and even more.

They have near new to several years back and you can add memory, warranties and other things that you want.

I have a desktop and laptop from them and have been satisfied.

Also, unlike PCs, when something goes wrong with a Mac you just make an appointment with the nearest Apple store and they will fix it for free.

Can't beat that.

[emulatorloo]

53. Longevity. I'm running '09 Mac w latest Mac OS. I buy refurbished or used.

Agree w poster below, OP should check university surplus.

[VMA131Marine]

3. I would not get a Windows 7 machine at this point

MS is ending all support for Windows 7 by 2020 and you'll probably have a tough time finding a new machine with it as an option since it looks like OEM sales were stopped last year.

[lindysalsagal]

13. Just what I was thinking. Although I love my win7. 10's not too bad, I've heard.

Check out lenovos. My family buys them. Less crap you don't need.

[OnDoutside]

4. I presume you've checked out the cost of Office 365 Personal yearly subscription ?

This gives 1 Terabyte of Cloud space and all the Microsoft Office products like Word/Access/Powerpoint etc

A free option is to use http://www.openoffice.org/

and you can save docs as .doc and so on.

[politicaljunkie41910]

33. I did which is why I concluded that buying was more cost effective than renewing each year.

I didn't know about the Cloud coming with the annual subscription until I read about it here and that's something I need to look into more. Specifically, could I access my Cloud data if a virus infected my computer. That happened to me already this year and I had to pay someone $150 to get it fixed. Now perhaps if I had it in storage in the Cloud I might have been able to save myself that $150, and just bought myself a new computer then rather than now. But since I had lots of data on that computer that I needed, I had to pay to try and recover it, and thankfully they were able to. I did own external backup drives that I could have used, but didn't regularly, and that only made me more conscious of the fact that I need to do that on a regular basis, and the process has to be quick and easy or most likely, it won't get done.

[OnDoutside]

83. It was my constant fear of losing all my photos/videos/documents that got me to sign up. I use

it as a backup, I know others have set it up so they modify those cloud docs, but until I get must faster broadband, I'm happy with this. Plus as I just got a new laptop, I didn't have to buy Office all over again.

[shraby]

5. I use open office. It's free and works great.

It will open microsoft documents with no problem.

[dchill]

30. Me, too. My wife has been using it for years.

https://www.openoffice.org/

Check it out.

[Jim Beard]

63. Same here.

[RKP5637]

77. K&R Same here. It works exceptionally well and is very reliable. n/t

[htuttle]

6. If you're looking for a computer, look for a nearby University, if there is one

Many of them have resale shops where they get rid of the old equipment after they upgrade things like computer labs, etc. Here in Madison, I can get a 2-year old Dell tower for about $60, sometimes less.

On an MS Office note, I've been using Office 365 in a browser through work, and it's not bad at all. You can get an account for $7-$10 per month. Coupled with a $150-$200 Chromebook, you can get online and productive for not a lot of money. If you want to archive copies of your work offline, you can always export and download the documents and put them on flash drives, copy them to your google drive, etc.

It wouldn't be running Windows, but a lot of people spend most of their time in a web browser nowadays, anyway.

[UnTied]

15. Valid point

I bought several laptops for $75 at a university surplus store (CSU Surplus) They usually have to wipe windows off so you want to watch for that. That would be a big heavy sigh.

[Initech]

55. Or build it yourself.

You can build a system with an Intel Pentium G and a H170 motherboard for around $400.

[RKP5637]

78. Yep, that's what I do too! n/t

[Initech]

88. Absolutely, I'll never buy big box PCs anymore!

When you can get this:

[url=https://pcpartpicker.com/list/gN99f8]PCPartPicker part list[/url] / [url=https://pcpartpicker.com/list/gN99f8/by_merchant/]Price breakdown by merchant[/url]

CPU: [url=https://pcpartpicker.com/product/YV7CmG/intel-cpu-bx80662g4400]Intel - Pentium G4400 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor[/url] ($47.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: [url=https://pcpartpicker.com/product/7zGj4D/asrock-h270-pro4-atx-lga1151-motherboard-h270-pro4]ASRock - H270 Pro4 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard[/url] ($88.88 @ OutletPC)
Memory: [url=https://pcpartpicker.com/product/D6RFf7/gskill-memory-f43200c16d8gvkb]G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-3200 Memory[/url] ($105.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: [url=https://pcpartpicker.com/product/MwW9TW/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd10ezex]Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive[/url] ($41.77 @ OutletPC)
Case: [url=https://pcpartpicker.com/product/cTQypg/corsair-case-200r]Corsair - 200R ATX Mid Tower Case[/url] ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: [url=https://pcpartpicker.com/product/fZyFf7/seasonic-power-supply-s12ii520bronze]SeaSonic - S12II 520W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply[/url] ($37.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: [url=https://pcpartpicker.com/product/wtgPxr/microsoft-os-kw900140]Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit[/url] ($88.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $451.50
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-11-22 12:37 EST-0500

And it will be infinitely better than any Dells or HPs you can buy!

[RKP5637]

89. pcpartpicker, interesting site, thanks! n/t

[Kolesar]

91. I bought an HP with 8 cores and a video processor for $700

...a few years ago. I used HP support a lot and I like them.

I cannot keep apprised on PC technology well enough to know what I need when my PC needs replaced. If I bought components, they probably would be incompatible.

This PC had a quality problem! They could not debug it adequately remotely so I had to ship it back and they overhauled the disk and motherboard. What a waste.

[UnTied]

7. Alternative

Get a free, fully functional alternative. Here is something I have used for over two years. You can use their alternatives for other programs as well. Good tutorials are avail at Youtube. You will need to familiarize yourself with the difference wit the microsoft versions. Free version have short ads when the program opens, but, for me on disability, it is fine. I have not seen any ads after the programs open, but I don't usually use a program for longer than 20 mins at a time. It is worth checking out.
WRITER supports DOC, DOCX, TXT, HTM, DOT, DOTX and is fully compatible with Microsoft Word®. ... WRITER is a world-class text editing application that comes with all the formatting tools required to create amazing documents. ... Here is a link to just the writer program

https://www.wps.com/writer

Of course, you can purchase ad-free versions as well.......

You can see links to spreadsheet and presentation programs on the homepage

https://www.wps.com/

Good luck and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

[NCTraveler]

8. Kick for visibility.

I do not believe the premise in 3 to be accurate. I’m not sure as to the other questions.

I begrudgingly went with the year subscription to Office. Might I recommend going with reoccurring payments if you end up going in that direction.
I found it to be annoying having to log in to pay for something I’ve enjoyed owning for over a decade. I do use Office a lot and am finding the updates and interface easy to work with.

I like Windows 7 but as of last week all of my computers are running 10. I seem to do ok with it but the look seems to be in the direction of pleasing the “gamers” eye.

Good luck on getting answers.

[Bayard]

10. I just had to go thru this

My old desktop XP machine started dying, and then got badly hacked. I have to have it for my work from home business. My self-employed occasional tech guy was able to get me a very nice new used system for $185. eMachines. It included Windows 7, and about any other software I needed, along with a new Cannon color printer/copier/scanner, and speakers. One of his other clients, retired, just decided they didn't need 3 of them. He completely cleaned it up.

Never heard of that website, but I'm no techie. I would google the name, and complaints. See what comes up.

We are able to transfer all of my old files over to the new machine. All of my Word '97 docs are opening with the new Word 6.0 Its some abbreviated version of Word, I forget what he called it, but it does everything I need it too. It has all the spreadsheets and such too, that I never use.

This was a local guy that does support part time. I found him in the local little phone book, and have used for several years now. Check around and see who you can find.

[JDC]

11. Avoid Chromebooks. You will be sorely disappointed

Last edited Tue Nov 21, 2017, 10:11 PM - Edit history (1)

Good for nothing but browsing. I got some for the kids and they are worthless imo.

*on edit: I’m not sure who just replied angrily to me about not knowing technology since it got flagged, but I assure you that I do. I’m in the technology business. I run a MacBook Pro with VMWare Fusion which has instances/images of Linux, Win 7, Win 8, and Win 10 all on the same machine. All of which I use almost daily for software compatibility testing and demonstration to SMB and Enterprise customers. None of whom use Chromebooks - except Education, for the kids, to teach typing. The teachers usually use Macs in my experience with countless SDs and Universities. Often their own in lieu of only being issued a chromebook.

My kids use this little thing called iTunes which is not chromebook compatible. So a Chromebook was a non-starter for them. They seem to have printing problems also due to Google Cloud Print issues.

Those are just two top of mind, real world use cases that makes me say they are not worthy of a purchase. If you just need word and a grammar/spell checker, access to Google Drive and are ok with only being able to use the Chrome browser, maybe this is the computer for you. However, I again suggest you’ll be disappointed.

[hunter]

64. I love my Chromebook. I hate babysitting expensive laptops.

If someone gave me an expensive Apple laptop, I'd give it away as fast as I could to someone who cared.

My personal desktop computers (and once expensive but not anymore laptops) run Debian. Usually it's with the Mate desktop. I have every computer I've ever owned, and most I've used, emulated on my desktop machine, complete with files and software.

The first electronic computer I built used an 1802 microprocessor. Nothing like "building" a computer today; in those days you soldered and wire-wrapped stuff together, and tried to debug errors caused by the off-spec surplus integrated circuits you'd bought, which were the only sort you could afford. The first personal computer I used for serious writing was an Atari 800. I wrote a lot of software for that and other 6502 machines.

I won't touch Windows unless someone is paying me. I quit using Windows on my own dime at 98SE.

I always do my heavy writing in markdown (pretty much the github flavor), and I write code in the pluma editor. The syntax highlighting is adequate for my needs. It's a lot more fun than vi was.

My first introduction to a real operating system was BSD, back in the later 'seventies. Switching from Windows to Linux was like going home again.

LibreOffice is installed on my Debian machines, but it cramps my writing style with useless distractions. Gotta keep things simple because sometimes I'm stupid. My first draft I'll write as fast as I can think. I edit it later. Only then do I export it to LibreOffice to be digested and made pretty for Microsoft Word or as a pdf.

A useful little markdown editor for Chromebooks is Mado.

All the kids in our high schools get Chromebooks. Teachers love Chromebooks too. My wife's sister teaches high school and requires all assignments be turned in electronically. That means no papers to carry home! If that had been the case when my own kids were in high school, I would have told them to buy their own damned computers if they wanted iTunes. I'd be the mean dad. I had to BUILD my own computers when I was a teen, and I can prove it because I've still got some of them...

Chrome is the only browser that matters anymore. It won the browser wars. The End. These days it seems most web developers are ignoring other browsers. If it works on an Android phone or tablet, and other Chrome browsers, done.

[JDC]

68. You left out your early work on assembly language.

My son and I built his machine last year when he was 12 and I got my daughter a used Air. She is 11 now. I did yell at the neighborhood kids to get off my lawn, so I followed your advice there. 😀

[crazycatlady]

66. I've used Chromebooks at work

If you buy it realizing that everything you do is going to be online and the thing is a paper weight if your connection goes out, then it is okay.

For casual use, they're great (at work, we use them for volunteer tasks, all of which are done online).

For nothing more than web browsing, they're great.

[hunter]

72. What makes it a "paperweight" when it's offline, any more than other computers?

All the apps I use work offline. I write, I save to the SD card, I sort photos, I use the calculator.... all without an internet connection.

[crazycatlady]

73. It is not a traditional computer

As in (at least when my office had them) you can't do ANYTHING offline. The only software it has is Chrome and anything else you do with it requires a Chrome connection. So no word processing, games, photo editing, etc without that connection.

As far as storage goes, as far as I know, everything on a Chromebook is based in the cloud.

[hunter]

74. That's not true. I don't use the "cloud" for anything.

But it is true that the offline chromebook word processing and photo editing apps are very simple and lack features compared to Microsoft Word or Adobe Photoshop. I like simple.

No, it's not a traditional computer. That's a good thing. It's hard to mess up. I've wasted more time fixing other people's screwed up Windows machines than I have posting on DU, and I've suffered too many affluent people who just buy a new macbook, iPad, or iPhone whenever Apple decides it's time.

No, I don't work for google...

[Egnever]

76. Used to be true but not anymore

they now allow you to do a lot offline.

[crazycatlady]

97. I last used one in 2014

[sl8]

85. They're getting better.

Many can now run Google Play/Android apps: Chromebooks that can run Android apps from Google Play

Also: Chromebooks beyond the cloud:

[Egnever]

75. If you live in the mac world nothing is compatible

Chrome books are awesome but not for everyone. It depends on what you need a machine for.

If all you do is browsing and email you can't beat a chrome book.

Being stuck to itunes is ridiculous. I am not sure if there is a worse designed piece of software on the face of the planet.

Google offers its own music service and it works on every platform including macs and chromebooks. The idea you would limit your music to one platform is insanity.

And the newest Chromebooks can use any app on google play so you can do way more than what you describe.

There is a reason Chromebooks are kicking everyone's ass in the school market and it is not because you can't do anything with them.

No a chromebook is not a full fledged computer but most people don't need a full fledged computer and what Chrome books do they do exceptionally well.

[JDC]

98. They do well in education because they are dirt cheap

And are more flexible than iPads ie keyboard. It’s not because of how well they perform. They are the choice for the 1 to 1 initiatives no doubt, but again, because of budgets.

I myself do like and use many Chrome Extensions and think that many are super useful(my company developed several) AND their speed to market is great.

However, I have yet to see an argument here that isn’t front loaded with a “they are good enough” for browsing theme. If that is what you want, have at it.

[Egnever]

100. It's much more than dirt cheap

It's the integration with the cloud and the functionality a Chromebook brings to the table especially when you start to take into account the whole Google suite of services.

LA famously tried to run an iPad program and realized quickly they were next to useless.

Google provides a whole suite of tools for schools and Chromebooks hook into that suite seamlessly from top to bottom from individual device policy control to pushing homework and notifications to students and parents.

The only thing I can think of you can't do on a Chromebook. Would be video editing and heavy gaming.

[blogslut]

12. Is there some reason you need MS Office over a free version like Open Office?

Is having Microsoft Office mandatory?

[politicaljunkie41910]

22. No. I just had no knowledge of it and am not familliar with it since in the past,I've always bought

my computers and they came pretty much loaded so I didn't have to worry about this. I also worked for the government so since I sometimes worked from home, I just made sure that my systems were compatible. This is the first time I'm purchasing and the software has not come free and I've had to made a decision on software and what year's version to puchase and I need to educate myself on what's different in the various versions, if anything, since I've been using 2007 for what seems like forever, and what my needs are.

[blogslut]

27. Here's their page

https://www.openoffice.org/

There's also this free suite:

https://www.libreoffice.org/

[neeksgeek]

37. Libre Office is excellent

I use it at home and MS Office at work, on both Mac and Windows, with no issues.

[FarCenter]

56. I use LibreOffice. No need for MS Office.

LibreOffice is compatible with more old MS file types than are the latest MS Office versions.

I think LibreOffice has a more active development and maintenance community than OpenOffice, which was taken over for a time by Oracle. A group forked the OpenOffice code and continued development as LibreOffice.

[neeksgeek]

57. Unfortunately IT at my work is 100% Windows

They allow us to have Macs in the creative departments, but they’re not happy about it. I’m certain that we’re never getting LibreOffice.

But I use it at home. No need for Micro$oft Office.

[FarCenter]

65. I have LibreOffice on a Windows 10 laptop and a Linux Mint desktop - works equally well

But I can see why you would want MS Office at work for compatibility. There are slight differences and things like complex spreadsheets
will have some problems being translated back and forth.

[neeksgeek]

70. Theres a reason they wont give me an admin password.

[RKP5637]

82. K&R!!!! n/t

[LeftInTX]

49. Open Office is great if you need don't need a professional product.

Stick with MS Office if you are sharing professional looking documents between work and home.

If you need a product for personal use, Open Office is great.

I use Open Office. However, about 7 years ago, I was involved with some publishing for a local volunteer group. The work involved heavy use of formatting, mastheads, footnotes, graphics, tables, columns etc. I couldn't share those types of documents between the two platforms, so I had to install MS Office.

I prefer Open Office. It is easier to use than MS Word.

[RKP5637]

81. You could also use Mint (Linux) for an OS and get out of the whole Microsoft thing.

https://linuxmint.com/

[Binkie The Clown]

14. Go LINUX. Or if you must have Windows, use LibreOffice, the free MS Office clone. nt

[TheBlackAdder]

29. +1,673,285

[Cal Carpenter]

16. Another vote for Open Office here....

It is free and safe software with word processing, spreadsheet, basic design, database and presentation programs. I have never had compatibility issues with opening Microsoft documents with Open Office or anything.

I use it for everything from keeping notes to running reports to designing promotional materials for my small business.

I highly, highly recommend it. May take a little getting used to, but the money you save is well worth it.

[eppur_se_muova]

17. It's definitely worth trying OpenOffice and LibreOffice before making a decision.

Both can open many Microsoft formatted-documents, and you can't beat the price.

disclaimer: I seldom do complicated word processing, so I mostly use AbiWord or the simple text editor in Linux, Windows, or MacOS.

[lagomorph777]

80. +1 I've used both and I prefer Libre now.

Libre seems safer for downloading, and it's more stable.

[mopinko]

18. is there an org lie this near you?

http://freegeekchicago.org

[DavidDvorkin]

19. Windows 10 is good

Also, as others have suggested, download either Libre Office or Open Office instead of paying for Microsoft Office.

[OnDoutside]

84. Having come from Win7, I absolutely detest Win10. If I could have gone back to win7, I would.

[DavidDvorkin]

92. I liked Windows 7 a lot

And at first, 10 was uncomfortable. But now that I'm used to it, I'm about as happy with it as I was with 7.

[OnDoutside]

94. Well that's a hopeful story, thanks. I am also having problems with Microsoft Edge

When I click on anything, it takes about 3 or more seconds to respond, yet when I do speedtest.net, the response is 11ms on the ping, which is great. So I've just downloaded Chrome to see if it is just Edge or another issue.

[DavidDvorkin]

95. Edge sucks

It does some things satisfactorily, but it lacks functionality.

[OnDoutside]

99. Completely agree. I used to love being able to right click on

A picture and get into its properties, which edge doesn't seem to allow. Their solution is to open the same page in IE !

[TheBlackAdder]

20. Look at possibly switching to Linux Mint and running LibreOffice, detach from Micro$oft.

.

Windows 10 is being pushed because it has enhanced data-mining and sends directory information to Amazon, Microsoft and to the NSA. The Cortana is also another possible security risk and is disabled in shops that have sensitive business needs. Ubuntu runs Microsoft Azure, which also is a collector.

The US Intel couse I took last year named Windows 10 as the most unsecure OS one could install.

I am looking at either a fully-compliant Qubes OS or Purism OS system within the next 6 months. Both of those are based on Linux distros and are severely tightened to prevent malware and intrusion. Qubes and Mint are free.



Granted, I know the switch from Windows to Linux will be difficult at first, but Mint has a easy dual-boot install and you can load up one or the other in a snap--on reboot you will be prompted for the OS to start. Plus, if you are running an older single-core machine, Mint performs very well.

.

[crazycatlady]

21. Be careful with deals on MS Office

I bought a new laptop in May after my 7 year old one would not survive another campaign.

Microsoft (and many others) are discouraging buying things outright and instead want the subscription model (pay per month/year). I bought Office 2016 home and student for $149 and it was a one-time purchase that I will have for the life of my computer instead of another monthly (or annual) bill. If you buy for a year it is $99 so two years and I'm ahead.


ETA there are Office alternatives (including Google Docs) if you are not required to have the software for work as I am.

[TheBlackAdder]

28. I once got scammed on an eBay Windows 7 Pro, a Trial packaged as a Full Version.

.

And, when you load it, it doesn't mention it's a trial until after 30 days.

Meanwhile, the eBay seller is long gone with your cash. What kind of OS installs and doesn't mention it's a trial?


Then, you might get stuck with an Education version, which might not be too bad, until you try to register it or if you want to do some professional work using it.

.

[crazycatlady]

32. I found a good deal on Amazon

Then when further researching it, it was a too good to be true deal.

I also found one on Walmart's website (not my favorite store but it was $50 off). I later went into a Walmart store asking about price matching and the staff there told me it was a scam.

The software you buy is a download. Stores sell cards with a scratch off product code. You're best buying it from a legit brick and mortar retailer (I think I got mine from Target as I had a gift card).

[TheBlackAdder]

59. I don't use Amazon because they are now suffering the same fate eBay did a couple of years ago.

I bought a 'new' dual monitor desk stand, only to find that a packet of screws was missing and you could see the circles on the mounting holds indicating that something was screwed to it. It was cheaper to just do a Home Depot thing and buy them.

Amazon, besides enjoying tax and funding benefits from the government that no private business enjoys, which helps them to drive other businesses out... they are becomming a Wild West of used and fugazi merchandise hawked by questionable sellers.

[Kirk Lover]

38. No, every transaction is protected at ebay. They just don't get to run away with your cash.

Especially if you pay via paypal which nowadays is pretty much the payment method.....sellers don't mess with you when you threaten to open a complaint.

[TheBlackAdder]

58. Not several years ago. When I contacted Customer Support, I was told to eat the loss.

[Kirk Lover]

60. Did you pay with paypal? I'm shocked. Are you sure the listing didn't have that info in there?

I had an issue several years ago too and Ebay and paypal had my back 100%. Other than that one time I've never had a problem with hundreds of purchases.

Well I hope at the least you left negative feedback. And yeah there are scammers on ebay...if the price looks really too good to be true it is. I bid on a rabbit hutch, big one 20 bucks - ebay contacted me and told me it was a fraud - deleted the whole thing....so they do try to be 'on it'.

[TheBlackAdder]

61. I think it was PayPal. I was told since it was over 30 days, there was nothing that could be done.

[teach1st]

23. Just an FYI about downloadinstant.com

The web site says they've been in business for over five years, but the site (at least as currently registered) was created this past July. The Washington DC street address for the company is to a PO Box business. The site administrator has a Hong Kong address.

[politicaljunkie41910]

41. Thank you for that information. I was just reading some other responses about things bought on

legitimate sites that turned out not to be what they claimed. I'll avoid them at all costs. Thanks again for going through the trouble to research it for my benefit. I hope others read this. There's been some good information posted here.

[Demsrule86]

24. It could be...I got a professional for very little money...let me see if I can remember where I

bought it.

[csziggy]

25. While I don't like Amazon, they have some software for download

For very good prices. I would trust that a seller on Amazon would be legitimate.

They have a download version of Microsoft Office 2016 Home and Student |PC Download for $129.99:

For 1 PC (Windows 7 or later, home use)
Fully installed Office 2016 versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote
NOTE: This version does not include Outlook, Publisher or Access
NOTE: Currently, this item is available only to customers located in the United States
https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Office-2016-Student-Download/dp/B0153V62P2/ref=sr_du_3_map?ie=UTF8&qid=1511310736&sr=8-3

They have Microsoft Office Home and Business 2016 | 1 user, PC Download for $204.95.

I prefer WordPerfect to Microsoft and the WordPerfect Office X8 Home & Student is $59.00:
https://www.amazon.com/WordPerfect-Office-Home-Student-Download/dp/B01ETNVTSK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511310820&sr=8-1&keywords=wordperfect+office&refinements=p_n_feature_browse-bin%3A388154011

There are older versions of WordPerfect Office available for even less.

Amazon also lists downloads of Apache OpenOffice 4.0.1 for $0.00
https://www.amazon.com/Apache-OpenOffice-4-0-1-Source-Download/dp/B008XAXAC4/ref=pd_cp_366_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=NHRQRSBAK6PANTZ948B5

And LibreOffice v4.3 for PC for $0.01
https://www.amazon.com/LibreOffice-v4-3-Open-Source-Download/dp/B00PT6GQY4/ref=pd_cp_366_4?_encoding=UTF8&refRID=NHRQRSBAK6PANTZ948B5&th=1

[customerserviceguy]

31. Every time I need a new machine

I go to BensBargains. One of my friends was looking for a deal on a laptop, and their Financial Services department had a refurb one with Win7 on it for about $325. And it had a 15-16 inch screen and a DVD drive.

[fleabiscuit]

35. I dig referbs. Only way to go IMHO.

[customerserviceguy]

50. Yep, that means somebody checked it out twice

and the second check was way more comprehensive.

[fleabiscuit]

34. I cant offer much about Windows software and the various box venders. Sorry.

I have only purchased and used Apple machines for the last 26 years. I have found that purchasing used and refurbished machines has been the best way for me.

Two vendors I use...

https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/Apple_Systems/Used/Macs_and_Tablets?_ga=2.32809470.1700649072.1511312001-1952124066.1507006099

https://www.apple.com/shop/browse/home/specialdeals

I would add that purchasing machines from mid 2011 and newer would be wise.

[RandomAccess]

36. I'd vote for the option of Microsoft Office the way I got it

I was delighted a couple of months ago to discover that while my original Word and Excel disks wouldn't work on my new computer (wouldn't accept the license #) which annoyed me no end -- there's an option to get the whole Office suite from MS for $6.99 a month, I think it is. They get upgraded frequently, which is a bonus. Yeah, the total over a year or two adds up, but I'm happy with it at this point.

[The Wielding Truth]

101. Open Office is free and seems to work with everything I try.

[RandomAccess]

102. I've never been happy with Open Office myself

tho I think the latest versions are at least some better than the clunky versions I tried in the past.

[The Wielding Truth]

103. I don't use mine that much, but when I do it does the job.

[Kirk Lover]

39. I downloaded MS office years ago via a bit torrent site and it's come in

quite handy for me and everybody I know through the years. Every time we get a new computer we just get to installing !! So I would either do that or go with the free stuff everybody is recommending.

[jberryhill]

40. OpenOffice

I’ve been running a law practice for 12 years with OpenOffice.

[Progressive dog]

44. Libreoffice

https://www.libreoffice.org/

Roughly the same as open office but it is really "open".

[dalton99a]

67. +1

[brooklynite]

45. You can buy a permanent Office 2016 from Microsoft

Look for OFFICE HOME & STUDENT 2016: $149.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/d/office-home-student-2016-for-pc/cfq7ttc0k5fc?ocid=AID620866_SEM_WhTWewAAAVlf7D40%3a20171122014427%3as&activetab=pivot%3aoverviewtab

[Blue_true]

104. That was my thought when I read the OP.

I have a Win8 box that I bought 4 years ago with a permanent license. I get Microsoft upgrades and after getting used to Win8, have had no issues.

[Kolesar]

108. Wow. Everytime I shopped, I could only find Office as a "subscription"

$119 on sale.
You rule!

[GreenPartyVoter]

46. Hubby is a computer tech. He says the Windows deal is

not legit. Try Open or Libre Office.

[RKP5637]

86. Yep! Exactly!!! n/t

[ornotna]

48. newegg

a refurbed dell with win7 pro

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883160816&ignorebbr=1

[KTM]

62. Thats always my route

I have bought multiple refurbished Dell's from NewEgg over the years. Set yourself a price limit, then just do some comparisons... you can usually get a legit load of Win7/10 on a refurbed Dell with decent RAM and moderate storage for a couple hundred bucks. They are mostly office machines, that came out of companies after their lease/depreciation schedule was up. Refurbishers get special licensing from MS, and include an OEM installed version, from which you can create a backup in case you need to restore later. The most expensive part of a low-end build is a properly licensed OS, so these can be great deals.

For Office, either Open Office or a monthly MS subscription are the way to go if you haven't acquired a legit copy somehow that still works.

[brush]

52. You should get the most recent versions that you can afford as Microsoft stops supporting...

their older versions after a while.

And many times the new/newer PCs don't support the older versions of software either.

[Initech]

54. That is in no way, shape, or form legitimate.

There's a shit ton of scammers out there selling bogus software licenses. The easiest way to tell if it's a scam is that they sell product insurance - a scam within a scam.

But these licenses can be deactivated at any time for any reason.

[dembotoz]

69. Bought full office download for kids computer for under 50 bucks very happy

Plow around on the best buy website. Software section. There are links to discount software companies.
Gives u some credibility
Last year or 2 version. It works, it updates. You get a real live Microsoft license.

Get my personal on work computer from an off lease seller.
They go over them, the bring em up to spec.
They install full office

Just under 300 bucks.
These are business class machines...not bargain basement
Reason I used the office download and not offlease machine...kids computer was a gift

[ucrdem]

71. You can use your old Office 7 license on a new machine

You can download the program from Microsoft if you don't have the CD and use Magical Jelly Bean to recover the key from your old PC if you need to:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/office?culture=en-US&ref=o12

https://www.magicaljellybean.com/

You might have to activate by phone, and answer an automated question asking how many machines you've installed it on, but if you're taking your old PC out of service, you can honestly say one, or however many you're allowed to have (could be more depending on the license). But both should still update once they're activated. Hope it works for you!



(update: better MS link)

[ucrdem]

106. p.s. for $88 you can buy a new Intel-Atom 9" tablet + keyboard with Win10 installed

at WalMart:



https://www.walmart.com/ip/iView-i896QW-8-95-2-in-1-32GB-Tablet-Intel-Atom-Bay-Trail-Z3735F-processor-Windows-10/54188880?action=product_interest&action_type=title&beacon_version=1.0.2&bucket_id=irsbucketdefault&client_guid=62259870-088d-4fb7-3810-1e73277b5316&config_id=106&customer_id_enc&findingMethod=p13n&guid=62259870-088d-4fb7-3810-1e73277b5316&item_id=54188880&parent_anchor_item_id=199851976&parent_item_id=199851976&placement_id=irs-106-m2&reporter=recommendations&source=new_site&strategy=TIC&visitor_id=RCYi7ItyW8OIJUYc6Cn5y8

Download Office 7 from MS using your old key and activate it and you should be good to go!

(Later you might want to add a 64- or 128-gb micro-SD as it comes with 32 gb on the drive. A bluetooth mouse might also be nice.)

p.s. order online if you want to avoid the insanity and Happy TG!

[SummerSnow]

79. Open Office is a great site for those programs

[sofa king]

87. I ditched Office years ago.

There are two excellent free alternatives now:

LibreOffice, forked from OpenOffice when it looked like Apache was trying to buy-and-kill OO: https://www.libreoffice.org/

OpenOffice, the original free office suite: https://www.openoffice.org/download/

And if you're in the legal field there is also a free trial version of WordPerfect, as well as outdated free versions.

I have only one major gripe about LO, which is that it defaults to open-source fonts like Libre Serif instead of Times New Roman. Then MS has a little freak-out over it and switches it to something else if I have forgotten to change it before I submit. Would you trust Microsoft to correctly change your font and formatting? I don't. I'm sure that can be changed with minimal effort.

I don't even tell my work relations that I don't have Office, and submit all of my LibreOffice-created spreadsheets, powerpoints, and texts in MS formats (e.g., .docx). They've never once noticed.

[matt819]

90. Some thoughts

Windows. Windows 10 is fine. Techies might dispute this or that feature or the change from Windows 7 (via Windows 8), but it's fine. I changed from the tile screen to the classic home screen, and I'm happy. I can get to the tiles if I want to, though I don't do that often. Searching via Cortana is speedy. Unless you're buying an unbranded computer, the OS usually comes loaded with the computer, so you don't have any additional costs - the OS cost is built into the computer cost.

Cheap options. When it comes to the OS, or any software, for that matter, go with the legitimate options. They may cost more, but you'll have no problems with updates or, if you need it, customer service. And you never know what's loaded with the cheap, counterfeit versions.

Free alternatives. By all means, explore any of the free options. I pay the $9.95 a month for Windows Office because I've been using it forever and am comfortable with it. It bugs me a bit that I'm paying for it forever, but at least I know it's always updated, and that's somewhat reassuring. Libre Office is fine, and there are other options. Certainly worth a try. Again, don't opt for counterfeit or otherwise fraudulent (read, cheap) alternatives.

Computer to buy. I appear to be a dying breed - I like my desktop. And I somewhat regret that I bought a Dell three years ago, for purely political reasons (Dell/republican, etc.) But the computer is fine. Had a problem or two along the way, but tech support was fine. Not cheap, but there were a handful of features, and speed, that I wanted, and I was willing to pay the price. You don't have to splurge. There are less expensive model ranges, and then there's the Dell outlet. You can probably find a computer from a blue company, but I'm just saying that I'm happy with my Dell. I bought an Asus ZenBook earlier this year, and I would recommend that, though I really do prefer my desktop.

[LuvLoogie]

93. I would get a refurbished PC from New Egg.

Windows 10 Pro W 8GB RAM, 500 GB to 1 TB hard drive. DVD - R/W; $300ish and spend the money on a legit copy of Microsoft Office Pro 2016. Whatever you do, don't set up a Microsoft Account to Activate office or to use as your PC log In.

You can use Google Apps for a lot of document creation. I prefer Libre Office to Open Office. Stay away from Office 365

[bullwinkle428]

107. I did the same about a year ago through Tiger Direct.

[Downtown Hound]

96. Ditch MS Office and get Open Office

It works just as well and you can save the documents as MS Word documents so there's no comaptibility issues. I haven't used MS Office for nearly ten years outside of work. Just Open Office. And I have never missed it even once.

[kimbutgar]

105. Overstock.com has some refurburished computers you can get for under $200 and they have windows

On it. I brought my son a Lenovo desktop for $175. It is still working fine after 3 years.