Great Deals for Students
College students can buy Windows 7 Home Premium or Pro for only $29.99. This deal is good until January 3. The website is here. All you need is a valid .edu email address. I have been using Windows 7 for several months now, and it spanks Vista. And I liked Vista...
If you need a copy of Microsoft Office 2007, either for yourself or your college student, and have access to an active educational e-mail account (.edu), Microsoft's "Ultimate Steal" is back. You can get Office 2007 Ultimate for just $60.00 directly from Microsoft. This is legitimate; I've done it. The program can be installed on two computers. Who knows how long this will last. Get this deal while you can: Office Ultimate retails for $680.00
I love my Kindle!
I've been using my Amazon Kindle for several months now, and it is amazing.
You can read about its features and capabilities in depth on Amazon's site, but I'll touch on the basics here.
The Kindle is an e-book reader, which means you can load it with books, which you buy from Amazon, and read them anywhere. The Kindle holds up to 1,500 books. Imagine carrying those around. This thing is very thin and light. I find it easy to read. It has no backlight, which saves on eyestrain. You can adjust the text size, if you're in need of larger text. The Kindle will also read to you. It has a computer-sounding voice, but if you need it, it doesn't sound bad. The battery has an amazing life. The only time battery power is used is when you are connected on the cell network (you can turn it off), and when you are turning pages. Once a page is displayed on the screen, there is no battery consumption. In fact, when the unit is off, there are various portraits of authors displayed. Hard to believe it's not using power.
The Kindle connects to Amazon directly, through a cell connection. The cost of that connection is carried by Amazon, probably through the cost of the Kindle, or in the cost of the books, but brand-new books cost only $9.95. Many books cost less; there are even free books to be had. Some books I have looked at in paperback have Kindle prices comparable to paperback. So you can connect to Amazon anywhere you can get a cell connection, browse for a book, and download it directly to the Kindle. It usually takes 30 seconds or so. So no worrying about going to a bookstore, wondering whether the store stocks the book, or no waiting for a book to be shipped from Amazon. Amazon uses their 1-Click checkout, which essentially involves having an account with them.
In addition to books, you can subscribe to selected magazines and newspapers on the Kindle. These are available through Amazon as well. Newspapers are wirelessly delivered daily to your Kindle, and you don't have to step outside to get them.
I've read concerns about the Kindle not being like a real book; no immersion in the story, etc. I have not found this to be the case.
Speaking of case, the Kindle does NOT ship with any kind of protective case. You can buy one from Amazon, but I found a cover from M-Edge. It locks the Kindle in place, and is well padded and protective. Highly recommended.
If you are an avid reader, I recommend the Kindle. Please help support this site by buying a Kindle through me.
