26 July


Big Savings Ignite Feel Good Factor
    

by SoftwareGuru


In life, we make choices every day whether to focus on the positive or the negative.

Maintaining a positive outlook can be difficult with all of the challenges that life throws at us.

Even when we experience something life-affirming, we may not embrace it fully for fear of the unknown that lies around the corner.

So what's the first step we should take in an effort to reinvigorate our outlook?

One phrase that springs to mind is the idea that we should "enjoy the little things in life".

Admittedly it's a cliché but the reason why is because it happens to be true. Even hardened cynics will agree that it feels good to save money. We all love a bargain.

Knowing that we have saved money on a purchase is a good feeling, one that we shouldn't be afraid to indulge ourselves in a little bit more.

Over 4,000 people on our Facebook profile would agree with this.




Sunshine On A Rainy Day

Here's just a few of the things Software4Students does to keep the feel good factor going.

Low Prices: eligible students and their families can get more for less on official software from our partners Microsoft, Adobe, Kaspersky, Nuance, Notion Music and Sibelius.    

Official Software Downloads: we introduced official software downloads so customers can enjoy their purchase as soon as the download is complete.

Free Delivery: if you order your software CD / DVD from us there is no charge for postage.

Free Software info: we discuss free software to enhance your Windows 7 experience in our blog and article sections. This includes:

Integrating OfficeLive.com with Office 2010 for online access anywhere.

Windows Live Essentials: includes free programs from Microsoft for photos, movies, instant messaging, e‑mail, blogging, family safety, and more.

We've also written about Dropbox, Wordpress and many other fantastic free online downloads.  

Keep It Going  

Software4Students has done everything possible to provide that "what a bargain!" moment and feel good factor to our customers.

It's up to you now to keep it going!

Tell your friends how much money you saved and why Software4Students should be the first place they look for cheap software deals.

Adding a link from your own website, blog or social media profile to S4S is another great way to share your knowledge with others.

Show your support for this student software UK discount scheme by clicking the Facebook Like button over on our profile.

The more fans we have, the more visible you all are, the easier it is to convince more software companies to offer similar discounts - as well as maintaining the current ones.

Don't underestimate the power of your own online voice.

It's a great feeling to find a bargain online and see how much money you've saved.

You could even call it the feel good click of the Summer.

  
Visit our Windows 7 Upgrade section now and enhance your laptop or family PC.


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13 July


Can Kaspersky Maintain Lead?    

by SoftwareGuru


Regular readers will be aware of my "software is not a sports team" mantra.

If you're reading this Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 review with a bias towards your own preferred security brand, please leave it aside for a minute.

To evaluate the Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 download, it's vital that you identify what your needs are.

The average home user doesn't require, use or understand all of the many options that all security packages now offer. That's OK.

Your should have one simple objective: to take preventive steps against the most likely source of trouble you may encounter online.

This way no matter what security software you use, you will get what you need from it.

For students: many strapped for cash students will be familiar with torrent or peer-to-peer download sites. It's not uncommon for hackers to target these sites with the aim of installing malware on your computer through the browser, often using javascript and bypassing your current security. Browser and password security should be your top priority.

For parents and older users: you probably still use email a lot in a non-work capacity and are more likely to open email attachments and forward them to friends. Your priority should be to have at least an antivirus solution which scans all email as soon as it arrives in your inbox. Parental control options over web content may be useful too.

For both: if you use online banking, an anti-keylogging monitor is a must to protect anyone from finding out your login details.

Kaspersky 2011 can meet all of these requirements as well as offering much more.





















Financial & Personal info protection

So as we've discussed in this Kaspersky 2011 review the real time protection features provided are both practical and comprehensive.

Kaspersky internet security 2011 is constantly monitoring your PC for incoming threats, whether they arrive via email attachments, instant messaging, downloads or infected websites.

3 Quick Tips About Security:

1. If you use Facebook, turn off all (or the majority) of your email notifications, especially if you log in most days anyway. This will make it easier for you to identify Facebook phishing emails from spammers.

2. Windows Defender: if you have a real-time security monitor program such as Kaspersky then turn this inadequate Windows freebie off.

Open Windows Defender, click on Tools > Options, select Administrator Options, and uncheck the Use Windows Defender box. Confirm that you do indeed want to do this, click Close, and you're all set.

Sometimes I reckon you would prevent more spyware simply by disabling 3rd party cookies in your browser than using defender.

3. Windows Firewall: if you have a security firewall program such as Kaspersky then turn this off to avoid conflicts.

Lifehacker.com on Kaspersky:

"Consistently strong ratings in malware protection, worth the license. Kaspersky also boasts an extremely quick response time to new viruses, earning it a special place in the hearts and system trays of its users."

High praise indeed from one of the web's most respected websites.
Kaspersky 2011 Download  

If our previous Kaspersky review was anything to go by, security rivals Norton, McAfee, and AVG all had ground to make up.

Norton has definitely improved in recent versions but arguaby Kaspersky still has the edge in terms of real-time protection against the latest browser hacking techniques.

In terms of price, look at this example:

Amazon's most popular yet more expensive deal is currently Kaspersky Internet Security 2011, 3 PC, 1 Year Subscription (PC) at £40 on CD.

At Software4Students you can buy Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 download with the same user licence and use it today for around £25.

That's a saving of £15, no waiting around, and you're not left with another CD or DVD thrown into a drawer never to be looked at again. 

You can also choose to buy any of the Kaspersky 2011 downloads with a variety of user licence options.

Still not convinced? Take a look at this list of improvements:

Improved: Risk-based Application Control restricts programs’ rights to access potentially vulnerable system resources or share sensitive data on the Internet.

New: System Watcher - Heuristics-based analysis monitors, restricts and blocks suspicious program behavior.

Improved: Safe Run mode launches questionable applications and websites without risk.

Improved: Rescue CD disinfects the system after malware attacks.

New: Safe Run for websites mode provides added security for online banking and other similar activities where a high risk of identity theft exists.

Improved: Advanced antimalware technologies even allows installation on infected PCs.

New: New System Watcher technology tracks, records and analyzes suspicious activity and lets you roll back any dangerous actions.

New: Safe Surf technology blocks malware and phishing websites for great online security.

  
Visit our Kaspersky 2011 antivirus section now and protect your laptop or family PC.











 





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08 July


Summer Bargains    

by SoftwareGuru


This week the Software4Students newsletter was sent out to subscribers and just when you thought the prices could not get any lower...

Microsoft Office 2010 Pro Plus £40 (PC)

Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac £38.06 (Mac)

Apple Mac users looking for Mac student discount software enjoy the benefits of both worlds with the ability to transfer Word docs from PC to Mac via MS Office 2008.

In terms of value both packages are amazing.

If you don't already have the latest version of Office for your computer, consider it the motivation you need to take control over your work and life balance.

From a personal point of view, since I started using Office 2010 I've noticed that it's rare for me to spend any time searching for a particular feature or function.

Everything just seems to be in the right place, and even something as simple as clicking the 'File' tab to see the backstage view and pin recent files to a virtual list is a productivity goalmine.

Combine that with Windows 7's taskbar right-click-for-most-recent-files function and we're talking serious speed here people.  

You'll spend a lot less time looking for stuff and get a lot more done if you have both Windows 7 and Office 2010.






















More Student Discounts

OneNote 2010 in particular is my favourite part of the whole package.

It's worth £40 all by itself.

By creating notebooks for various projects I'm working on, I've eliminated the need to constantly use Microsoft Word or Notepad files which even when saved within one folder, still lack synergy.

I even prefer the OneNote 2010 screengrab tool to all the alternatives out there. It is the easiest to use by a country mile and it always adds a link underneath, handy for remembering where the image was originally.

Every UK student should make having OneNote 2010 software a priority.

Our range of Mac student discount software also includes the latest Adobe CS5 student deals.

So whether you're a fan of Dreamweaver CS5 for Mac, Photoshop CS5 or one of the Apple Mac Adobe packages, there are fantastic bargains available for eligible UK students.
Mac Student Discount Software  

If you're in a hurry, here's a quick list of the Apple Mac student discount software currently available from Software4Students:

Adobe Photoshop Extended CS5
Student and Teacher Edition (Mac)


Adobe Design Premium CS5
Student and Teacher Edition (Mac)


Adobe Dreamweaver CS5
Student and Teacher Edition (Mac)


Adobe CS5 Web Premium
Student and Teacher Edition (Mac)


Adobe CS5 Production Premium
Student and Teacher (Mac)


Adobe Flash Professional CS5
Student and Teacher Edition (Mac)


Adobe CS5 Master Collection
Student and Teacher Edition (Mac)


Sibelius Student Edition 6 (PC/Mac)

Sibelius in 60 Minutes (PC/Mac)

Notion Music Protégé 2.0 Composition (PC/Mac)

Notion Music Progression Guitar (PC/Mac)

Auralia Student Edition (Mac)

O-Generator Learn to Compose Student Edition (PC/Mac)

Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac (Mac)

If there is any other popular software that students would like to buy, feel free to let us know via Facebook and Twitter.

  
Tip: You can help spread the word about Software4Students by linking to us from your social media space or blog!











 





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23 June


Revamp Your Laptop & Save Money    
by SoftwareGuru


Secondary school exams are underway and when September and October comes, it will be a time of new beginnings for freshers' week students.

Many students will be looking to buy new laptops and iPads.

If like me you raise one eyebrow firmly at the iPad's basic entry model at £429 RRP, perhaps it's time to upgrade that XP / Vista laptop to a Microsoft Student Windows 7 monster!

Previously I've written articles containing information such as how to revamp your PC on a tiny budget and you can transform most laptops simply by replacing:

- Harddrive
- RAM
- Operating System

If you're not technically minded, ask a friend or neighbour who knows about computers to help.

I recently purchased laptop memory from online retailer Mr. Memory, enabling my Vista laptop with 2GB of RAM to become a more powerful upgraded Windows 7 laptop with 4GB of RAM.

Your decision to change your harddrive depends on how much wear and tear you estimate it has been subjected to from downloads.

General use won't do much damage but constant file-sharing and torrent downloads will wear out a computer harddrive in less time than you'd think.  

Most importantly, investing in a new operating system like Windows 7 Professional upgrade will have your old laptop running like a new machine - providing it meets the minimum specifications!






















Vista's Wireless Internet Bug

One of the most common problems with older Vista Laptops is wireless connectivity issues.

You turn your laptop on, it can see your wireless network but for some reason it won't connect to it. Frustrating, isn't it?

This can occur for a variety of reasons including:

- your household router is not officially supported by Vista

- you regularly access more than one wireless network

Over at http://windows.microsoft.com you'll find a section dedicated to troubleshooting network connection problems with Vista.

You may also want to visit the following site as it features Vista Wireless Solutions from a Microsoft Certified Professional, Systems Engineer.

The official Microsoft Windows site offers in-depth solutions which should address the majority of user issues.

You will also find videos on YouTube if you search there for 'troubleshooting network connection problems'.

Many others have had these problems so you are not alone.
Vista vs Win7 Wireless Internet

Non-techies might be thinking, "Why would accessing more than one wireless network cause a problem? Isn't that the whole point of having a laptop?"

The best non-tech explanation I can give is that Vista is trying to be too clever.

Imagine your TV automatically trying to launch a previously viewed channel that is no longer being broadcast as soon as you turn it on, and then it can't switch itself over to another channel.  

In that particular sceanrio, this quick fix guide from Indiana University in the U.S. will show you how to configure your Windows computer to obtain an IP address automatically.

I've noticed that when this same issue happens in Windows 7, the latest Microsoft OS can spot the problem and fix it either by itself or after you ask it to diagnose the problem using the following: 

Control Panel > Network Centre > Troubleshoot Problems.

Even when you can connect wirelessly to the internet, Sky TV boxes connected to your phoneline along with wireless landline phones can create interference and slow down your speed.

Therefore, it's important to have ADSL filters on every phoneline in your home.

Make sure that your router broadcast channel for home Wi-Fi is not too close to your wireless landline phone channel (read your phone manual for details of this or even Google the model of the phone).

For the non-techies wondering what I'm writing about, check out this Microsoft guide entitled 10 tips for improving your wireless network.

The diagrams may make more sense as they show you exactly what to do.

If you have any further questions about anything I've mentioned here you can tweet to your heart's content with us via twitter.com/studentsoftware.

  
Take advantage of Official Microsoft Windows 7 upgrade at cheap student software prices.











 





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09 June


It's Easy To Improve Your Skills    

by SoftwareGuru


Last week I explained how the jump from Office 2010 beta to the full pro plus package is a positive and rewarding experience.

I firmly believe that you can't truly review a product or service unless you've paid for it out of your own pocket.

It's the best way of measuring value, especially with what your gut reaction tells you. We all know how good it feels to enjoy a bargain!

Having spent the last few days using Outlook 2010 and Microsoft Word 2010 I can confirm that they are worth every penny.

I haven't spent as much time yet on the other programs but certainly ease of use appears to have been at the forefront of the designers' minds.

Even today I discovered another really useful feature. I learned that under the 'File' tab of Word 2010 you can pin recent documents to a list. It's like having a virtual pinboard in Word.

There's also a recent folders menu beside it further to the right. These are the type of discoveries that won't be apparent on day one but you'll soon realise how amazingly productive they can be.

After my first week of clicking on everything to see what would happen, it's time to take those skills to the next level - MS Office Ninja Level!





















Level Up

Microsoft have always provided free Office training materials and videos.

The problem in the past is that these help videos were usually tedious maximus and became boring fairly quickly.

Thankfully this is no longer the case and Office blogger Doug Thomas in particular, provides quirky and fun clips which explain really cool ways to make using Microsoft software easier.

There are two main types of videos:
- "how-to" Office instruction clips
- video blogs from MS team members who helped create the software.

It's interesting to hear OneNote 2010 Senior Program Manager Alex Simmons talk about how the software is shaped around user feedback.

Both his parents are elementary school teachers and he explains why the education community will love this new version of OneNote (included in Software4Students Pro Plus Offer).

It is refreshing to hear Microsoft employees talk openly and enthusiastically about their work.

They let you get a glimpse of the effort and dedication that goes into listening to beta feedback during the design process.

   
Ribbon Hero

Ribbon Hero is a game for Word, PowerPoint, OneNote and Excel 2007 and 2010, designed to help you boost your Office skills and knowledge.

Play games (aka "challenges"), score points, and compete with your friends while improving your productivity with Office.

You can also connect Ribbon Hero with Facebook to see how your scores match up with your friends.

- Learn the fun way with Ribbon Hero
- Free Ribbon Hero Download

More Doug Thomas video clips:

- Customise Office quick access toolbar
- What is OneNote?
- How to work from home
- Why F1 key helps
- Add visual spark to Excel 2010
- Why video rocks in PowerPoint 2010
- Preview important stuff in Outlook 2010
- Use Smart Art in PowerPoint
- How to Twitter in Outlook 2010
- The basics of Visio 2010
- Microsoft Translator Widget

It's impossible to resist Doug's enthusiasm as he chats about the most common issues that users are faced with.

I'm surprised these clips are not more widely promoted by Microsoft.

Perhaps we are growing more impatient in our always-on, instant gratification shaped society and we don't want to take the time to learn new skills.

The internet has given everyone a voice and unfortunately it is always easier to criticise than to create.

As long as Microsoft keep creating and listening to customers, we can rely on the likes of Doug Thomas to keep us on the right track.

  
Take advantage of Official Microsoft Office 2010 Download and DVDs at cheap student software prices.









 





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