(ARA) - When Jeff Howard, 44, of Candler, N.C., decided to go back to school to study multimedia and video production, he knew it would be tough to manage his time. He has a lot of responsibilities - a full time job, a side business he's starting, a wife and two kids.
As he prepared to start school at University of North Carolina at Asheville, he knew he wasn't going to have the time to sit in computer labs all night long to get his school work done. So he decided to cash in one of the best kept secrets in education!
For years, educators and students have been able to purchase cutting-edge software and technology at a fraction of the retail price from academic software retailers like Academic Superstore. "At retail price, software often doesn't fit the budget and gets delegated to a wish list. We provide affordable software to students and teachers so they can have access to the technology essential to fulfilling their goals," says Steve Ledbetter, vice president of Academic Superstore.
Howard was able to purchase the same professional multimedia and video production software he uses at school, for his personal use for just $589.95. That's $1400 or about 70 percent less than the $1989.95 he would have paid at a regular computer store. The Adobe Web Special Edition software bundle includes the newest versions of Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, GoLive, and Acrobat Professional. It also comes with Dreamweaver, Flash Professional, Fireworks, Contribute 3, FlashPaper and some reference guides.
Inexpensive, fully licensed copies of such software platforms as Microsoft Office, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 12 and hundreds of other programs are also available through the online company. How is it possible to sell software at such low prices? Academic software resellers have partnered with top technology manufacturers such as Adobe, Microsoft, Sony Media, and Wacom, and others, to bring competitively low prices to the world of education.
Currently enrolled students and their parents, along with currently employed teachers and faculty are eligible to purchase discounted software from academic resellers. Home schoolers can also receive academic discounts, in many cases. All you have to do to get the discount is fax or email in proof that you're a student or education professional.
Qualified documentation includes, but is not limited to, a copy of a student or employee I.D., a class schedule that shows current enrollment status and a verification letter signed by a school official.
Even though you save on price, there is no skimping on value. Academic software resellers only sell full-version software and each product is completely identical to the products sold in your nearest Best Buy. Bottom line: When considering price, value and convenience, it makes sense to purchase your software from an academic reseller. Just ask Jeff Howard.
"The software allows me to work at home on my class assignments and then just upload to the university instead of having to go back and forth to the school to work on projects. The whole family likes this advantage as this keeps me at home more," he says.
Academic Superstore sells software for more than 500 manufacturers. To search their online library, log on to www.academicsuperstore.com.
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