Strengths:Single disk installation, licensed for 3 users, widely accepted file format at most schools
Weaknesses:Windows 2000/xp only, activation required
Posted Oct 30, 2005 - I have used MS office products for several years and have generally been satisfied. I know many people do not like MS for various reasons, but it is hard not to recommend a product that is so widely used in business and academic circles. We had tried the Open Office freeware products as an alternative and found them to be very commendable, but it was somewhat of a chore to convert files to MS format when needed for a school assigment or business need and we would occasionally lose something (formatting, etc) in the conversion.
The Office XP/2003 incorporates some useful features over my previous Office 2000 suite, although the newer style may seem less "professional". One feature that has yet to be fully tested is the fact that the software offers an option to retain certain installation files on your computer for easier updating--hopefully no more need to either archive the entire installation disk(s) or manually insert disks when office security or other product updates become available.
The student/teacher version is useful in that it allows my children to have there own copies installed on their personal computers rather than having to use my desktop or laptop. However, it does not appear that the license allows for a user to also use the product on a laptop (the license seems to indicate that this would count as another one of the 3 users). My previous Office version licensed for only one user did allow use on a laptop for the same user.
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Rated 
Office 2003 full retail version under $100
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