So you finally got that new laptop home, only to discover that you've got the bare bones of programs installed. Sure, it comes with a photo booth that makes funny faces, but the important stuff you actually need is unfortunately absent (and costs an arm and a leg extra).
Before you bite the bullet and add a few hundred dollars in software to your credit card bill, try one of these three methods to find available free or discounted software.
Can I get this for free somewhere else?
If the program you need is something you or others are using at work or school, you might be able to obtain the program from them. Your school or office might have a license to install that program on students' or employees' personal computers. Check with your IT administrator to see if the software you need is available to check out or to be installed on your machine.
Is there freeware out there that will do the same thing?
Chances are, you can often find a free program that will do the same thing as the more expensive version. For example, Open Office is freeware that replaces the Microsoft Office suite and can save documents in the same formats for sharing and sending.
Can I get a discount?
Check with any of your personal affiliations — your alumni association, human resources department, etc. — to discover if there's a way to purchase the software you need at a discounted rate. It never hurts to ask, right?
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because paying for Office gets you quality support and good updates? Unlikely. Their suite has become so bloated and horrible I don't even want to use it anymore.
I would expand point to 2 to other "software" not just freeware.
An example would be Photoshop. It's amazing, and expensive ( $600). Most people, even professionals probably only use 10% of what that program is capable of. Photoshop Elements, Pixelmator, Lightroom, Aperture, and a dozen others probably do everything most people need, for much less.
id disagree with the comment that paying gets you better support and enhancements, often free software is also open source, There are large communities of other users who offer support and fixes to common problems
I had to download Inkscape and Gimp 2 (Similar to Illustrator and Photoshop, but opensource) to do some light editing, and was stuck with how to do some stuff. A quick google and a look on their forums and I found a lot of step by step instructions and short cuts and a great community resource.
Bonus is that they aren't as bloated as their paid counterparts.
If you have a "photobooth" as a part of your computer then you have a Mac. If you have a Mac you can get iWork for $20/program. It is fully supported by your computer's warranty, constantly updated, installs onto 5 macs without paying a cent more, and compatible with the Office suite. Stop beating around the bush and say it out right.