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Microsoft has once again brought back their “Ultimate Steal” deal for Office Ultimate 2007, which allows students to purchase the full retail version for just $59.95. Keep in mind this is the regular version and not the normal student edition, this version includes Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access, Accounting Express, Groove, InfoPath, OneNote and Publisher.

In order to qualify students must use an email address ending in .edu when placing their order, be actively enrolled in at least 0.5 course credit and provide proof of enrollment should Microsoft decide to follow up.

While I could not find an exact ending date, according to the press release the Ultimate Steal is running “throughout the academic school year,“ so it seems you have some time to decide if you want to part with your 60 bucks.

Of course keep in mind that if you are not a student and decide to try and fool the system and fail, you will be held accountable for the full retail price, and considering this is an Office product its safe to say that will be expensive.

Product [The Ultimate Steal] Read [Microsoft]

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Recently, a company known as Das Keyboard, who made a name for themselves back in 2005 for introducing completely blank keyboards, introduced two new keyboard models. 

The first is the Professional model, which include some terrific gold-plated mechanical key switches.  They have also added some new blue LEDs that are “Darth Vader approved.”  I took that from the Das Keyboard website, honest. 

The Ultimate is, of course, the ultimate.  All the keys have that Das Keyboard blank look.  That is, all the keys are unlabeled.  The company says that it is “easy” for a typist to get used to these blank things.

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Microsoft has brought back their “Ultimate Steal” promotion, and once again are offering a great deal on Office Ultimate. Microsoft is currently running the promotion for students which will allow them to save $620, which is 91% off the retail price of Microsoft Office Ultimate. The office suite normally retails for $680, however up until May 16 anyone with access to a .edu address can take advantage of this deal.

Based on the website for the promotion, you must be an active student, meaning you are currently enrolled in a class, however the New York Times is reporting that all you need is an active .edu email address. Well, I have a spare $60 lying around, just a shame I don’t still have access to my old .edu address.

Read [The Ultimate Steal] Via [Lifehacker]

• Microsoft to offer free virus protection
• Apple and a gaming console?
• New Xbox Experience features Street Fighter II Turbo “branded destination”

In a move that can only be described as shocking, Microsoft has announced price cuts on Windows Vista. The price cuts affect the higher versions and will lower price for the full version of Vista Ultimate from $399 to $319, with the upgrade price dropping from $259 to $219. Vista Home Premium will drop from $159 down to $129. In addition to those lower prices, Microsoft will also remove the difference between the full and upgrade version on Home Basic and Home Premium, which will put the full version at the previous upgrade prices.

The real question here is whether or not this will convince more people to upgrade to Vista. While some of the versions were a little pricey to begin with, it seems a lot of the complaints about Vista were due to usability and not pricing.

Read [Reuters]

• Microsoft to offer free virus protection
• Apple and a gaming console?
• New Xbox Experience features Street Fighter II Turbo “branded destination”