Educational discounts for creative software if you're not in school
January 27, 2012 2:19 AM Subscribe
Is there some legitimate way to get discounts for software like Ableton Live or Photoshop? I was thinking I could take some online courses and get an educational discount this way. Any suggestions for such courses? Or other suggestions?
Here is a link to a site for ordering Adobe and Microsoft products at a discounted rate with requirements and eligibility for a variety of types of discounts. It just looks like you need to be enrolled in a college if that is what you want to do to qualify for the discount.
posted by colt45 at 2:48 AM on January 27, 2012
posted by colt45 at 2:48 AM on January 27, 2012
Take a community college class will qualify you for the education version as well. That's the easiest way to get a substantial discount on the software. You can also get these education versions online, after you submit proof that you are enrolled in class.
posted by wcmf at 2:52 AM on January 27, 2012
posted by wcmf at 2:52 AM on January 27, 2012
This is sort of a shill, but you asked. I buy a lot of my software from eValueSoftware. The licenses are legit and all that with the discount coming from the fact that it is all downloaded with no packaging. Not exactly sure how their education discounts go or get verified, but it seems that it is primarily on the honor system.
Of course it all comes down to when you need support that you find out just how legit your license is. However, I have registered all my products with the various software companies using the serial provided and everything was accepted just fine.
I don't get the academic discount, but for the standard stuff, it has really made certain commercial software purchases more realistic.
They also sell previous versions of software so you can get a deeper discount that the publiser does not sell currently.
posted by lampshade at 4:23 AM on January 27, 2012
Of course it all comes down to when you need support that you find out just how legit your license is. However, I have registered all my products with the various software companies using the serial provided and everything was accepted just fine.
I don't get the academic discount, but for the standard stuff, it has really made certain commercial software purchases more realistic.
They also sell previous versions of software so you can get a deeper discount that the publiser does not sell currently.
posted by lampshade at 4:23 AM on January 27, 2012
And just as a general point when looking for discount software – be vary wary of anything sold on Craigslist or people advertising to sell their license individually. Almost always this is a scam. See this primer on some of the pitfalls of going to the dark side with cheap software purchases.
posted by lampshade at 4:48 AM on January 27, 2012
posted by lampshade at 4:48 AM on January 27, 2012
I got Windows 7 for $39 because the MS ordering system accepted my me@alumni.purdue.edu email address as valid for the student discount. It's worth a shot of you have an alumni address.
posted by COD at 5:02 AM on January 27, 2012
posted by COD at 5:02 AM on January 27, 2012
Also, edu discounts vary by the size of the institution. The smaller the school, the less the discount. For instance, students attending the large universities here in Indiana (i.e. IU and Purdue) get a breathtakingly substantially better price on stuff like Adobe's Creative Suite than do students at smaller schools (both private and public).
So, while you may get some kind of discount through your local community college, it may not be nearly as great as if you were enrolled at a large state university.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:15 AM on January 27, 2012
So, while you may get some kind of discount through your local community college, it may not be nearly as great as if you were enrolled at a large state university.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:15 AM on January 27, 2012
Ableton regularly offers discounts if you subscribe to their email list. I have one in my inbox for 20% off a few weeks ago (that's expired now).
You could probably also call them directly and ask.
posted by empath at 7:30 AM on January 27, 2012
You could probably also call them directly and ask.
posted by empath at 7:30 AM on January 27, 2012
This a longshot, but if you know anyone who works at Adobe, they can get you the software at an employee discount. Last I checked that was $50 per title. Other software companies probably have similar programs.
posted by alms at 7:48 AM on January 27, 2012
posted by alms at 7:48 AM on January 27, 2012
Ableton Lite is bundled with a number of different kinds of hardware. If you don't already have one, you'll need at minimum a USB keyboard or other control surface to use it effectively.
Suggest you start with Lite, and by the time you max out its limitations, you'll know if you want to take the plunge.
posted by omnidrew at 9:03 AM on January 27, 2012
Suggest you start with Lite, and by the time you max out its limitations, you'll know if you want to take the plunge.
posted by omnidrew at 9:03 AM on January 27, 2012
Anyone have any more info about eValueSoftware? Looks interesting.
(sorry for the piggyback)
posted by humboldt32 at 9:13 AM on January 27, 2012
(sorry for the piggyback)
posted by humboldt32 at 9:13 AM on January 27, 2012
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posted by zanni at 2:29 AM on January 27, 2012