Back-to-School: Choosing an Office Suite and Graphic Design Software for Classroom Use

The start of the new school year is just around the corner. For students that didn't receive any indication of required supplies at the end of the last school year, the upcoming first week will be filled with an abundance of information, including the lists of must haves for classes. Over recent years, software applications, such as, office suites and graphics packages have also made these lists.

Undoubtedly, an office suite could likely be the most important software package on any school software list. These are suites that include a word processor, a spreadsheet, a presentation application, and more. Although many schools, businesses, and organizations have made a shift to open source software such as Open Office, or Google Docs, Microsoft Office still leads the pack as the premiere office and business application suite. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are industry standard apps, and studnets will grow addicted to using OneNote in place of a traditional notebook. Office 2010 was released earlier this year and is probably the wisest choice for purchase. Many schools will ask for files in a particular Microsoft Office format, and the trouble that can arise by using other applications and trying to convert them properly isn't worth the hassle, particularly when Microsoft is offering Office 2010 professional to students for a low price of $79.

When it comes to graphic arts or design, Adobe is without question the industry leader. Like an office suite, Adobe not only offers applications on an individual basis, but also in a variety of collections depending on the software needs. Many programs will require the use of applications such as Photoshop for particular reasons. Therefore an Adobe CS5 collection makes sense. For students who simply need to create grtaphics with a particular application, freeware, and low cost alternatives exist. The good news is that with graphics applications, file formats are typically standard across the board regardless of the application. For graphic design, a mix of reputable free or low cost software applications include GIMP, Corel's PaintShop Photo Pro, and Alchemy. GIMP is an open source project, meaning it is complete free to use, and is a power Photshop alternative. Paintshop Pro is low cost solution as well that has been around for a number of years and has a large dedicated user base. Alchemy is an up and coming free vector based design package that contains basic features that can be found in the much more expansive Adobe Illustrator.

The bottom line and recommendations: It makes the most sense to try to go with professional and industry standard applications such as Microsoft Office, or Adobe Creative Suite. This is not only due to particular file formats requested by teachers, but also through use, they provide real world hands-on experience with applications used by big business, and leading industry professionals. Always pursue Academic pricing when buying software for a student. This pricing is often a fraction of the original retail price, and requirements for purchase are typically proof of student status, such as, an ID or schedule. If professional applications aren't required and are out of the budget, try some of the free or low cost alternatives in the meantime.